priest

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that are typically translated as “priest” in English (itself deriving from Latin “presbyter” — “elder”) is often translated with a consideration of existing religious traditions. (Click or tap for details)

Bratcher / Nida (1961) say this:

“However, rather than borrow local names for priests, some of which have unwanted connotations, a number of translations have employed descriptive phrases based on certain functions: (1) those describing a ceremonial activity: Pamona uses tadu, the priestess who recites the litanies in which she describes her journey to the upper or under-world to fetch life-spirit for sick people, animals or plants; Batak Toba uses the Arabic malim, ‘Muslim religious teacher;’ ‘one who presents man’s sacrifice to God’ (Bambara, Eastern Maninkakan), ‘one who presents sacrifices’ (Baoulé, Navajo), ‘one who takes the name of the sacrifice’ (Kpelle, and ‘to make a sacrifice go out’ (Hausa); (2) those describing an intermediary function: ‘one who speaks to God’ (Shipibo-Conibo) and ‘spokesman of the people before God’ (Tabasco Chontal).”

In Obolo it is translated as ogwu ngwugwa or “the one who offers sacrifice” (source: Enene Enene), in Mairasi as agam aevar nevwerai: “religious leader” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Ignaciano as “blesser, one who does ritual as a practice” (using a generic term rather than the otherwise common Spanish loan word sacerdote) (source: Willis Ott in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.), and in Noongar as yakin-kooranyi or “holy worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

For Guhu-Samane, Ernest Richert (in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. ) reports this:

“The [local] cult of Poro used to be an all-encompassing religious system that essentially governed all areas of life. (…) For ‘priest’ the term ‘poro father’ would at first seem to be a natural choice. However, several priests of the old cult are still living. Although they no longer function primarily as priests of the old system they still have a substantial influence on the community, and there would be more than a chance that the unqualified term would (in some contexts particularly) be equated with the priest of the poro cult. We learned, then, that the poro fathers would sometimes be called ‘knife men’ in relation to their sacrificial work. The panel was pleased to apply this term to the Jewish priest, and the Christian community has adopted it fully. [Mark 1:44, for instance, now] reads: ‘You must definitely not tell any man of this. But you go show your body to the knife man and do what Moses said about a sacrifice concerning your being healed, and the cause (base of this) will be apparent.'”

For a revision of the 1968 version of the Bible in Khmer Joseph Hong (in: The Bible Translator 1996, 233ff. ) talks about a change in wording for this term:

​​Bau cha r (បូជា‌ចារ្យ) — The use of this new construction meaning “priest” is maintained to translate the Greek word hiereus. The term “mean sang (មាន សង្ឃ)” used in the old version actually means a “Buddhist monk,” and is felt to be theologically misleading. The Khmer considers the Buddhist monk as a “paddy field of merits,” a reserve of merits to be shared with other people. So a Khmer reader would find unthinkable that the mean sang in the Bible killed animals, the gravest sin for a Buddhist; and what a scandal it would be to say that a mean sang was married, had children, and drank wine.

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 31:15

As noted in the footnote of Bible en français courant, the Hebrew text of verses 15-19 is often difficult to understand.

Eden … were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests: As in verse 13, Good News Translation indicates that the men named in this verse were “Levites.” As in verse 13, were … assisting him is literally “under his hand.” For this reason New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh begins this verse “Under him were…,” and NASB says “And under his authority were….” Anchor Bible translates “Supporting him … were….”

For the Hebrew noun rendered faithfully, see the comments on verse 12. According to the punctuation of this verse in the Masoretic Text, the word faithfully goes with the first part of the verse. However, New American Bible and Moffatt place this word with the verb distribute. Several other versions also follow this second interpretation (so God’s Word, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

The cities of the priests are also called Levitical cities (see Num 35.1-8; Josh 21.1-42). These cities were where the Levites lived when they were not on duty at the Temple in Jerusalem.

To distribute the portions to their brethren, old and young alike, by divisions: Their brethren refers to the fellow Levites of those in charge of the distribution of the food. New International Version has “their fellow priests,” but the reference here is to the Levites and not the priests. Old and young alike is literally “according to the great according to the small” (similarly NASB). Some interpreters understand this phrase to refer to both old and young people. Revised English Bible follows this interpretation but reverses the order into natural English, saying “young and old alike.” Others take this phrase to mean “high and low alike” in terms of social class (so the alternative translation in Revised English Bible). La Bible du Semeur speaks of “those of high rank and those of lesser rank.” And adopting the same meaning, La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée says “whether great or small.” Regardless of the exact sense of the Hebrew, the general sense seems to be that all Levites received their portions of food regardless of age, status, or importance. Good News Translation uses the general word “equally” to cover all categories.

For by divisions, see the comments on 2Chr 31.2. New American Bible says “according to their classes,” and Good News Translation has “according to what their duties were.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .