Isthmus Mixe: “stays with me” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August, 1966, p. 86ff)
Teutila Cuicatec: “in all authority at the right side” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.).
In Lamnso’, the seat on the right-hand side signifies that the person seated there would have a higher position than the one to his left (vs. just being a seat of honor). To circumvent any misunderstanding of the biblical text, the translation here refers to the “highest seat next to God.” (Source: Karl Grebe in Holzhausen 1991, p. 52)
(Note that in Elhomwe the idiom “I see you through the left hand” stands for “useless.” [Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext])
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 45:9:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“The daughters of kings are amidst of your honorable wives;
at your right hand there is a royal bride who is in gold from Ophir.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Among the honorable women in your royal palace
are even daughters of kings.
On Your right
is a daughter-in-law adorned with gold ornaments from Ophir.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“Some of your (sing.) honored women (are) children/(daughters) of kings.
At your (sing.) right-side is-standing the-one (who) will-become your (sing.) queen wearing very pure gold jewelry from Ofir.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“Among the women living in the king’s house are daughters of other kings. And at your right hand stands the queen (lit. wife of the king). The bodies of these women are adorned with precious things made of gold which are very beautiful.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“King, the children who are girls of the kings in your midst, are women who are great,
at your right, your wife stands who wears the gold of the land of Ophir.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Binti mfalme wapo kukupokea,
naye malkia ambaye unatarajia kumwoa amesimama katika kulia kwako,
amejipamba vitu vya dhahabu ya katika Ofiri.
Maneno kwa msichana ambaye anaolewa” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“Among the women who stay near you stay are daughters of other kings.
And at your right hand stands your bride, the queen, wearing beautiful ornaments of gold that comes from Ophir.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Although the first definite reference to elephants in the Bible is in the Greek deuterocanonical book of 1 Maccabees, ivory (literally “tooth”) is mentioned first in the time of Solomon. By this date there were already ivory trade routes from the Sudan down the Nile and by sea from where Djibouti is now on the African Red Sea coast to where Eilat is now on the Gulf of Aqaba. Some of the ivory may have been made from the teeth of the hippopotamus but two references, 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronicles 9:21, specifically refer to elephant ivory (literally “elephant’s tooth”). Ivory was probably known even much earlier than this since ornaments dating from around 2300 B.C. have been found in Palestine.
The Indian Elephant Elephas maximus was domesticated and trained for use in war very early well before the second millennium B.C. When Alexander the Great extended his empire into India in the fourth century B.C. he obtained war elephants to incorporate into his army. The idea of using elephants in war then spread to the Middle East. There was a smaller variety of this elephant found in Syria and Mesopotamia. By the third century B.C. domestic Indian elephants had been introduced into Egypt. Ptolemy II is reported to have had ninety-six elephants, four to a chariot, and later that same century when Ptolemy IV defeated the Seleucid king of Syria, Antiochus III, he is reported to have captured Syrians’ elephants. However, the Seleucid kings continued to use war elephants, and the next king, Epiphanes, attacked Egypt with elephants. He and his son then used them in their campaign against the Jews. According to 1Maccabees each elephant with thirty-two soldiers mounted on it, besides the Indian handler went into battle ahead of one thousand Syrian soldiers and five hundred horsemen. One of Maccabeus’ brothers was able to kill the largest elephant by getting under it and stabbing it, but he was himself killed when the elephant fell on him. At a later time probably because the Indian elephants were difficult to obtain the African Elephant Loxodonta africana was tamed for use in war. Coins show that the elephants used by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to cross the Alps were African probably brought from North Africa.
Elephas is the word most commonly used in the deuterocanonical books although elephantarchēs which means commander of an elephant squadron is used in 2 Maccabees 14:12 and 3 Maccabees 5:4 and 3 Maccabees 5:45 and thērion which means “monster” is used in 2 Maccabees 15:20f.
Elephants are the largest land animals on earth, the males of the Indian species being about 3 meters (10 feet) in height and weighing almost 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds). The African species is about half a meter (20 inches) higher and weighs up to 6,000 kilograms (13,200 pounds). The elephant’s trunk is basically an elongated nose, but it has muscles that make it a very useful feature. With it the elephant can not only smell but can pull down branches to eat, pick berries off bushes, draw up water to squirt into its mouth or over its body, and can use it as a weapon. On either side of the trunk the males grow long tusks that are often over 2 meters (6 feet) in length. These are used for digging up roots, gouging bark off trees, and lifting logs. These tusks are made of ivory. Elephants have large ears, which they use to fan themselves.
They are a dark gray color and have no fur. Their body looks almost hairless but in fact they are covered with bristly hairs. They feed on vegetation such as leaves roots shoots bark and fruit.
There are local words for elephant in most African, Middle Eastern, and Asian languages, and many international languages use a word derived from the Greek name elephas. In some areas even though there are no elephants, the fossilized bones of mammoths, the ancient relative of the elephant, are known, and this local name is used for modern elephants too. In most other areas the word for elephant is a word that is borrowed from the dominant language of the area.
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:
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.”
The poet describes the magnificence of the royal court. The king’s robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. All three are perfumes derived from vegetable substance. Good News Translation has by use of “perfume of” indicated the nature of the substances, and names only two of them. The Hebrew text is a bit unusual, and New English Bible has “powder of aloes” for “aloes and cassia” of most other translations. In languages where there are known substances for making perfume, these may be substituted for myrrh and aloes and cassia. Alternatively, the translator must either employ the specific terms with a generic such as “substance,” or use some kind of descriptive phrase; for example, “a sweet smelling liquid.”
Ivory palaces (see 1 Kgs 22.39) are not palaces completely built of ivory, but palaces decorated with ivory, either in the building itself or in the furniture (see 1 Kgs 10.18; Amos 3.15; 6.4). The expression ivory palaces may be rendered in various ways. In some languages one may use a borrowed term for ivory and accompany it with a generic term; for example, “a material called ivory.” In other cases where ivory is unfamiliar, it can be compared to other materials such as bone, teeth, and animal horns; for example, “a material that looks like bone.” There is little point in using “elephants’ teeth” if elephants are unknown.
The stringed instruments in verse 8b are not further identified (the word occurs elsewhere only in 150.4); New English Bible “music of strings.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “lutes”; New Jerusalem Bible “harps.” Good News Translation has “musicians” instead of musical instruments; the translation can be “the music that is played….”
In verse 9 your ladies of honor is a rather polite designation of the women of the king’s harem. Some of them were royal princesses, daughters of kings. The phrase translated of honor is taken by some to mean “your prized possessions,” “your most valuable belongings.” New Jerusalem Bible has “Royal princesses are your favorites.” In some languages ladies of honor may be rendered, for example, “women who have the honor of serving you.”
At your right is the place of honor (see 16.11). In some languages the right hand is called “the man hand,” which is both the position of honor and on the side of power. The word translated queen is an unusual one, occurring only here and in Nehemiah 2.6; it can mean “queen mother” (so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch footnote). Here the queen is the bride herself; the poet is describing the royal court, and not talking about a woman who is already queen, other than the queen-to-be (unless, in fact, the king’s mother is being referred to). In some languages no distinction exists between wife, woman, and bride. However, if the queen referred to is to be understood as the bride, it is often possible to qualify by saying “the Queen-woman the king will marry” or “the woman the king will marry.”
Gold of Ophir: it is not known exactly where Ophir was; southwest Arabia seems the most likely location. Its gold was the finest (see 1 Kgs 9.28; 10.11; Job 22.24; 28.16), and so Good News Translation has translated the phrase as “ornaments of finest gold.”
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 .
The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview and the second an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 45.
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