all their kings have fallen

In Gbaya, the notion of “all their kings have fallen” is emphasized with gbéyéŋ, an ideophone used to describe something falling to the ground.

Philip Noss (in The Bible Translator 1976, p. 100ff. ) explains: “A descriptive device common to Gbaya oral literature. The ideophone may be identified with onomatopoeia and other sound words frequently seen in French and English comic strips, but in Gbaya and other African languages it comprises a class of words with a very wide range of meaning and usage. They may function verbally, substantively, or in a modifying role similar to adverbs and adjectives. They describe anything that may be experienced: action, sound, color, quality, smell, or emotion. In oral literature they are used not only with great frequency but also with great creativity.”

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 Hosea 7:7

Good News Translation prints this verse as a separate paragraph, since it serves somewhat as a summary statement of what has gone before. This is a valid reason for doing so in English prose. However, it makes more sense to view the first three lines as the climax of this passage, followed by a separate statement that expresses a theme throughout the text of this book: not seeking the help of the LORD.

All of them are hot as an oven: This line continues the figurative language of the oven for the anger of the assailants. Good News Translation changes the figure in order to express the meaning clearly: “In the heat of their anger.”

And they devour their rulers is a figurative expression that means “they murdered their rulers” (Good News Translation). An appropriate expression should be used in the receptor language. If possible, it should fit in this context where fire, heat, and oven are the dominant images.

According to 2 Kgs 15, in the space of eleven years four of the kings of Israel were assassinated (see introductory comments on this section). Yet to say All their kings have fallen would be an exaggeration if translated literally, for some kings died peacefully. Good News Translation avoids this by translating “Their kings have been assassinated one after another” to produce the effect intended by the Hebrew. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “king after king falls victim to them.” Have fallen in this context means “have been assassinated” (Good News Translation).

And none of them calls upon me: None of them does not refer to the kings but to the people, which Good News Translation makes clear by saying “no one.” The assassinations of their kings should have impelled the people to turn to God in repentance, but God notes that none of them calls upon me, meaning “no one prays to me for help” (Good News Translation).

A translation model for this verse is:

• They all are hot as an oven,
they consume their leaders,
all their kings fall.
And not one of them turns to me.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .