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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Esther 9:2   

The words the Jews gathered in their cities can be understood to mean (1) that the Jews gathered together in whatever cities they lived in, that is, “in their cities” (so most translations), or (2) that the Jews in the cities where they lived gathered to defend themselves in the Jewish quarter of those cities, that is, “their cities” means the Jewish quarters within the city as a whole (so Good News Translation and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The words their cities are simply ambiguous. Translators will need to choose between these two interpretations and perhaps place the alternative translation in a footnote.

To lay hands on is literally “to stretch forth a hand against.” As in 2.21 and 3.6, this phrase means “to kill” (so Anchor Bible and Moffatt; see also Gen 37.22), though most translations say “to attack.”

On such as sought their hurt is both a literal translation and old-fashioned English. The author uses a word here that he previously used in two forms in relation to Haman (see comments on raʿah in 7.7). It is not easy to reproduce this play on words in translation, but Haman was “evil,” and he received a punishment of “evil” because he had plotted to bring “evil” upon the Jews.

No one could make a stand against them: unlike in the Septuagint, the sense is not that the Gentiles did not attack or resist the Jews. Rather they were not able to withstand the onslaught of the Jews. This may be expressed “no one was able to stand in front of them.”

The fear of them in this verse is the fear that the non-Jewish people had of the Jews (see comment on 8.17). Good News Translation uses a verbal construction, “were afraid,” rather than a noun as in Revised Standard Version. The receptor language should use an appropriate expression; for example, “fear of the Jews fell upon all peoples” or perhaps “fear of the Jews seized the hearts of all peoples.” This is not merely “everybody” but the peoples scattered throughout the provinces of the empire.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .