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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 20:6

I will add fifteen years to your life is literally “I have added to your days fifteen years.” In other languages it may be more natural to say “I will cause you to live fifteen years longer” or “I will give you life for another fifteen years yet.” The LORD agrees to prolong Hezekiah’s life by fifteen years, starting from the time that he would have died according to God’s original intention.

I will deliver you and this city …: The city referred to is Jerusalem, the capital in which Hezekiah lived. In some languages it may be wise to make this information explicit as Good News Translation has done, and the whole expression may be reworded to sound more natural. Some languages, for example, may prefer to say “I will not let the city of Jerusalem fall [to the Assyrian ruler] and you will therefore be saved also.”

Out of the hand of the king of Assyria may be rendered “from the power of the Assyrian king.” Bible en français courant uses figurative language that is suitable to the context here, saying “from the claws of the king of Assyria.”

I will defend this city: See the comments on 2 Kgs 19.34. The Hebrew verb used here is elsewhere translated “protect” (Isa 31.5; Zech 9.15). The same verb is used in this context by certain modern versions (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Bible en français courant). New American Bible has an expression that is more picturesque, but no less accurate: “I will be a shield to this city.”

For my own sake and for my servant David’s sake: Compare 2 Kgs 19.34, where the same expression is used in Hebrew even though the Revised Standard Version wording is slightly different. Yahweh’s action in saving the city goes beyond answering Hezekiah’s prayer. It is for his own sake and in order to safeguard the dynasty of David that he acts to protect Jerusalem.

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 .