king

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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:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 18:19

The Rabshakeh said to them: For the Rabshakeh, see the comments on verse 17. Comparison with ancient Assyrian records shows that the message of the Assyrian official is couched in the usual language of diplomacy of the period.

Say to Hezekiah: Revised Standard Version does not reflect the fact that the Hebrew has a particle of entreaty following the verb Say (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.12). In verse 26 Revised Standard Version translates this same particle as “Pray.” But like most other modern translations, Revised Standard Version does not attempt to translate this particle here. If a weakened form of a polite request can be expressed naturally in the receptor language, it may be used here.

The great king, the king of Assyria: While these words may be considered somewhat redundant, they reflect the extravagant respect that the speaker had for his king. The great king was a title given to Assyrian kings beginning in the eighteenth century B.C., and for this reason it should be capitalized in translation as in Revised English Bible and American Bible. Good News Translation does not translate these words, but since they are a title, they should be translated. If the direct quotation is retained in translation, this element of respect should also be reflected. At the same time, the speaker refers to the king of Judah simply as Hezekiah, without the use of his title, which may indicate a lack of respect.

On what do you rest this confidence of yours?: This confidence of yours may be rendered “your certainty.” The Hebrew noun rendered confidence is translated “hope” in Eccl 9.4. Some languages may require a clearer statement of what Hezekiah was confident of. While his confidence was in Yahweh, he was confident that he could remain independent of the Assyrian king. Both the verb rest and the noun confidence come from the same Hebrew root word, which is translated elsewhere in this chapter as “trusted” (verse 5) and “rely” (verse 20) and constitutes a major theme of the passage (see the comments on verse 5). The second person pronouns you and yours are singular since the message is for Hezekiah. They are also singular in verses 20-21 and 23-24.

The three levels of quotation in this verse will make it difficult to translate it literally in many languages. The sense of the whole verse may be rendered indirectly as in Good News Translation or by adopting the following model:

• One of the Assyrian officials explained to them that the great ruler of Assyria wanted to learn why Hezekiah was so certain that he could remain independent.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .