18to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and their riders—flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 19:18:
Uma: “Come, eat the flesh of kings and war leaders, eat the flesh of brave soldiers, eat the flesh of horses and the flesh of the riders of horses. Come eat the flesh of people big or small, who are [[lit., live as] noblemen or are slaves.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Come here to eat the flesh of the dead people, the flesh of kings and generals and soldiers, the flesh of horses and their riders. Eat the flesh of all the dead people, slaves and not slaves, of those of high status and of those of low status.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Gather together that you might eat the flesh of kings, captains, and soldiers. Eat the bodies of horses and those who ride on the horses! Eat the bodies of all people, slave and not slave, great in status or small in status!’ he said.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Come to join-in-eating the bodies of kings, soldiers and their leaders, horses and horseback-riders, and all people who reject God who are slaves and not slaves, important and unimportant (lit. high and low).'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Come now. Eat the flesh of all who didn’t submit to God. Eat the flesh of kings, soldiers and their officers, including the horses which they ride. Eat the flesh of all people who don’t acknowledge God, slaves and not (slaves), low-class and high.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now you will eat the meat of rulers. You will eat the meat of generals, and all the people who are valiant. You will eat the meat of people who have bosses and also of those who do not, the big and little, all you will eat.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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.”
To eat the flesh of: it should be quite clear that these are dead bodies. The angel reads the menu:
Of kings … of captains … of mighty men: the captains are army officers; see in 6.15 “military chiefs” (Good News Bible); mighty men are soldiers, or warriors. It is not necessary, as Revised Standard Version does, to repeat the flesh of before each item.
The flesh of horses and their riders: this can be said “of horses and the soldiers who ride them.”
The flesh of all men, both free and slave: this includes everybody, slave or free. In English the order “slave and free” (Good News Translation) is more natural. For free and slave see 6.15.
Both small and great: see 11.18. Again, the order “great and small” (Good News Translation) is more natural in English.
For verses 17-18 see Ezek 39.17-20.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
eat the flesh: This phrase refers to eating the bodies of dead people.
commanders: This word refers to the top leaders of soldiers.
mighty men: Here the phrase mighty men refers to strong and skilled soldiers. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
heroes (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
strong warriors (New Living Translation (2004))
19:18b–c
horses and riders: This phrase refers to the enemy soldiers and the horses that they rode in the war.
19:18d
slave: A slave is a person who belongs to a master. A slave has to obey his master. He is not free to leave his master. Other ways to translate this word are:
forced laborers -or-
those subjected to a master
See how you translated this word in 6:15 or 13:16.
free: The word free refers to people who were not slaves. A free person could choose what work to do and for whom to work. Other ways to translate this word are:
those who stand free -or-
those who rule their own lives
See how you translated this word in 6:15 or 13:16.
small and great: This phrase refers to people of both low status and high status. It implies people of all classes and position in society. The phrase does not refer to physical size. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
humble and great -or-
both of lowly and high status -or-
both of high and lowly position/place -or-
whether ⌊they are⌋ important ⌊people⌋ or not
See how you translated this phrase in 11:18 or 13:16.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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