high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated as “the ruler of the priests of our nation” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “very great priest” in Chol (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.), as “first over the priests” in Ayutla Mixtec, and “chief of the priests” in Desano (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

In Uma it is translated as “Big Priest,” in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “high sacrificer,” and in Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God.” (See here.)

See also priest and chief priest.

complete verse (John 18:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 18:13:

  • Uma: “and they took him to the house of the Big Priest. First they took him to Hanas, the father-in-law of Kayafas. Kayafas was the Big Priest that year.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They first brought him to Annas. This Annas was the father-in-law of Kayapas, the leader priest that year.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They took him first to Annas because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiphas who was the high priest that year.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The first-one to-whom-they -brought-him, it was Annas the parent-in-law of Caifas. Caifas was the highest priest that year,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There to Anas was the first place they look him, because he was the parent-in-law of Caifas who was the Most-important Priest that year.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “They took him to the house of Annas who was ruling the priest that year. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 18:13

According to Matthew 26.57, Jesus was tried before Caiaphas; Mark (14.53) and Luke (22.57) simply mention the High Priest. But John clearly indicates that Jesus was taken first before Annas (verse 13), and later before Caiaphas (verse 24). John does not indicate what happened in the trial before Caiaphas. To resolve these difficulties one ancient manuscript puts verse 24 in the middle of verse 13, thus indicating that it was before Caiaphas that Jesus was tried (18.19-23). It is obvious that this reordering is simply an attempt to make the text conform to the Synoptic accounts. Moffatt is the only translation that reorders the verses. His reordering (13,14,19-24,15-18,25-27) is rather radical and wholly without textual support.

Annas is mentioned only here and in verse 24 in John’s Gospel. Elsewhere in the New Testament he is mentioned in Luke 3.2 and Acts 4.6. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, Annas was appointed High Priest in A.D. 6 but was deposed in A.D. 15. However, he remained a very powerful man, and eventually each of his five sons became High Priest. Only John’s Gospel indicates that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Most languages have a term for father-in-law, but if such a term does not exist, one can say “Annas was the father of the woman Caiaphas married.”

For the statement who was High Priest that year, see the comments at 11.49.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .