Most High

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Ge’ez, or Greek that is translated as “(God) the Most High” or “Most High God” in English is translated in various way:

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “he the completely glorified God”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “Father God who is high in heaven”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “God who has such tremendous authority”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “he who is the native of the highest place”
  • Palantla Chinantec: “the Big God Himself”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “God who has authority over all”
  • Estado de México Otomi: “most exalted God”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “God who is in heaven”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “God who has a great rule” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Sa’a: “God, the Surpassing One” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Elhomwe: Mulluku Muullupalli or “God the Great” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa: Wammwambamwamba: A name of God. While this word is difficult to translate into English, its sense implies that God is highly above everything in his power and greatness. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Sirach 17:26

Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity: The word iniquity is the only difference between Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (“sin”) in this line. The Most High refers, of course, to God’s majesty and power, not to his size or height (see the comments on 4.10). Turn away from iniquity is the same as “forsake your sins” in the previous verse.

At this point some Greek manuscripts insert a line that is translated in the Revised Standard Version footnote (for he will lead you out of darkness to the light of health). Some modern versions follow Revised Standard Version in this, while others leave it out. This Handbook will omit it. Translators who wish to include it will probably find Revised Standard Version‘s translation easy enough to follow.

And hate abominations intensely: Good News Translation is good here, but we may also say “Have an intense hatred for anything that is wicked” or “Have an intense hatred for anything that he [the Lord] hates.” The noun translated abominations (which is singular in Greek) can have the meaning of something detested by God (see the comments on 1.25). New English Bible and New Revised Standard Version take this course, saying “what he [the Lord] abhors.” Another possibility, supported by Luís Alonso Schökel, is that the word here means “idolatry.” And there are cases where the noun has that meaning (for example, Mark 13.14, where Revised Standard Version renders it “sacrilege”). The corresponding Hebrew term is often used in the Old Testament with reference to idols (for example, Jer 13.27). For this whole verse Luís Alonso Schökel has “return to the Most High, keep yourself far away from injustice and hate idolatry from the bottom of your heart.” This gives the verse a reference to the Ten Commandments. Rendering abominations as “idolatry” is tempting, and translators will be on good ground in doing it, but we feel we must recommend as a more conservative course “anything that he hates.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.