elder (of the community)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated as “elders” in English is translated in the Danish Bibelen 2020 as folkets ledere or “leaders of the people.”

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators, explains: “The term ‘elder’ turned out to pose a particularly thorny problem. In traditional bibles, you can find elders all of over the place and they never pose a problem for a translator, they are just always elders. But how to find a contemporary term for this semi-official, complex position? This may have been our longest-standing problem. A couple of times we thought we had the solution, and then implemented it throughout the texts, only to find out that it didn’t work. Like when we used city council or village council, depending on the context. In the end we felt that the texts didn’t work with such official terms, and throughout the years in the desert, these terms didn’t make much sense. Other suggestions were ‘the eldest and wisest’, ‘the respected citizens’, ‘the Israelites with a certain position in society’, ‘the elder council’ –- and let me point out that these terms sound better in Danish than in English (‘de fremtrædende borgere,’ ‘de mest fremtrædende israelitter,’ ‘alle israelitter med en vis position,’ ‘de ældste og de klogeste,’ ‘ældsterådet’). In the end we just said ‘leaders of the people.’ After a lot of hand-wringing, it turned out that we actually found a term that worked well. So, we had to give up conveying the fact that they were old, but the most important point is that they were community leaders.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

The German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates likewise as “leader of the people” (Anführer des Volkes).

See also elders of Israel (Judah).

Translation commentary on Susanna 1:28

If integrated into the book of Daniel: 13.28.

The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her husband Joakim: Most translations, including Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, start off this part of the narrative as if the people are gathering for everyday business (see verse 4), but news about Susanna had certainly gotten around. New Jerusalem Bible shows insight in the way this is introduced: “Next day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim.” The reader deserves at least a hint that this is an unusual and purposeful gathering. The Greek says literally that the people came “to her husband Joakim”; the house is understood. In languages that do not have the passive voice, we may say “Next day, the Jewish people in Babylon met together at Joakim’s house.”

The two elders came: Instead of came, Good News Translation has “arrived” (also Contemporary English Version), which is a better choice of words. It implies anticipation, as if the gathering is waiting.

Full of their wicked plot is a difficult idiom in this literal translation. Its meaning is expressed in Good News Translation as “fully determined to carry out their wicked plan.” Contemporary English Version has “ready to go ahead with their terrible plans.”

To have Susanna put to death may be rendered “to cause Susanna to be executed,” or even “to have them execute Susanna.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.