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 43:2

The sun, when it appears, making proclamation as it goes forth: Goes forth is better translated “rises” (Good News Translation). It may be tempting to combine “appears” and “rises” but it is best not to. This is not a snapshot of the rising sun, a description of a single moment, but of the increasing light as the sun makes its first appearance in the east, and its disk slowly emerges from the horizon into the sky. The sun is personified here, proclaiming by its beautiful rising the substance of the second line. Compare Psa 19.5-6. It is possible to rearrange the clauses in this line slightly as follows: “When the sun appears on the horizon, it proclaims as it rises into the sky.”

Is a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High: Instrument is a strange word to use in English to describe the sun; Good News Translation and some other translations simply say “thing.” For the Most High, see 4.10.

To avoid personifying the sun, this verse may be rendered:

• When the sun appears on the horizon and then rises into the sky
you can see how marvelous it is, this thing the Most High has made.

However, in languages where translators may personify the sun and prefer direct speech, they may say:

• When the sun appears on the horizon and then rises into the sky,
it proclaims “I am a marvelous creation of the Lord Most High.”

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.