complete verse (Psalm 105:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 105:20:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “The king sent a person to release him,
    the ruler of the races of people released him.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “The King of Egypt released him,
    the ruler of the nations set him free.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The king of Egipto who rules-over many people set- him -free,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “And then, the king of Egypt called Joseph,
    and he released him from prison, in order that he goes well.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Mfalme wa Misri akaagiza kwamba Yusufu afunguliwe,
    mtawala wa makabila akamwachilia,” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “The king of Egypt summoned him, and he set Joseph free;
    this ruler of many people-groups released Joseph from prison.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

Click here to view graphically

Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Psalm 105:20 - 105:22

The “king of Egypt” released Joseph from prison and put him in charge of Egypt (verses 20-22; see Gen 41.37-45); in verse 20b the Egyptian king is called the ruler of the peoples. This may be taken as an honorific title, not in the technical sense that he was an emperor ruling over many nations. Ruler of peoples in line b is not a literary expression raising the poetic effect of line b. Neither does the expression make more specific or dramatic the title king in line a. Accordingly the two lines are semantically equivalent, and therefore in some languages it may be desirable to adjust the two titles by placing one in apposition to the other, as Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has done: “The king, who ruled many people, commanded that Joseph should be set free.”

In verse 21a his house means the palace, that is, the government, and in verse 21b all his possessions means the land of Egypt (see Gen 41.39-41).

In verse 22a the Masoretic text has the verb “to bind,” which Good News Translation translates “with power over”; but many prefer to follow the ancient versions, which have “to instruct,” which is a better parallel to the next line (see Revised Standard Version to instruct; also An American Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Zürcher Bibel, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New International Version).20-22 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“B” decision) prefers the Masoretic text “to bind” and explains it: “The expression ‘to bind’ means here the exercise of authority and power….” New Jerusalem Bible takes the Masoretic text to mean “to discipline.” Revised Standard Version at his pleasure translates the Hebrew “in his nefesh,” a figure of complete authority. Princes and elders are the king’s high officials and the royal counselors. The literal language, as reflected in Revised Standard Version to instruct and to teach … wisdom, makes it appear that Joseph’s role was that of a teacher or instructor (see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant); but in line with the events as reported in Genesis, it seems better to understand the language to mean that Joseph was given the authority to command the Egyptian officials and tell them what was the wisest course to follow in order to keep the country from being ruined by the seven years’ famine.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .