dance

The Greek that is translated in English as “danced” is translated in Mazaltepec Zapotec as “danced by herself,” since otherwise the implication is that she was dancing with a man. (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Mark 6:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 6:22:

  • Uma: “During the feast, the female child of Herodias entered and danced [modero’]. King Herodes was very happy seeing that young woman dance, and so also [were glad] his guests. He said to the young woman: ‘If there is anything you (sing.) want, ask for it, I’ll give it to you (sing.).'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then when they had all gathered there, the daughter of Herodiyas entered to dance. Na, Herod and his visitors were pleased. So-then the king said to the girl (budjang), ‘Ask of me. Whatever you want, I will give it to you.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The daughter of Herodias came into the feast and danced, and King Herod and those eating with him enjoyed it very much. And because of this, King Herod said to her, he said, ‘Ask anything from me and I will give it to you.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because the young-lady who was Herodias’ child entered where Herod and his invited-ones were and she danced. They extremely enjoyed her dancing, therefore Herod said to her, ‘What do you (sing.) want/like? Tell it so I will give it to you (sing.).'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Herodias’ daughter, who was the child of Felipe, entered and danced. Herodes and those invited were really pleased with it. That’s why the king said to that girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you want. I really will give it to you.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

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 Mark 6:22

Text:

With the support of many early mss. Westcott and Hort have tēs thugatros autou Hērōdiados ‘his (i.e. Herod’s) daughter Herodias,’ instead of tēs thugatros autēs tēs Hērōdiados ‘the daughter of Herodias’ of all other editions of the Greek text. The textual problem is discussed in the commentaries; Lagrange admits the weight of the external evidence in favor of the Westcott and Hort text, but concludes: “It is a case where one is compelled to reject the best manuscripts.”

Exegesis:

autēs tēs Hērōdiados literally ‘of Herodias herself’: here, however, is probably another example of the same Semitic idiom observed in 1.7 hou … autou ‘whose … his’ in which the pronoun is redundant, expressing the same idea as the genitive case of the noun. It simply means ‘of Herodias.’

orchēsamenēs (only here in Mark) ‘dancing.’

ēresen (only here in Mark) ‘she pleased,’ ‘she delighted.’

tois sunanakeimenois (cf. 2.15) ‘those reclining (at meal) with him,’ i.e. ‘his guests.’

korasiō (cf. 5.41) ‘maiden,’ ‘girl.’

aitēson (6.23, 24, 25; 10.35, 38; 11.24; 15.8, 43) ‘ask (for something),’ ‘request.’

Translation:

Came in refers to her entry into the banquet room, i.e. ‘came into the room.’

Danced does not specify the type of dance, but in languages in which there are different words depending on the type of movements involved, one should choose a word which is most likely to fit this type of context – a stag party given by a notoriously sensuous ruler.

She pleased Herod … must be recast in some languages, ‘Herod and his guests were pleased with her.’

Girl is variously translated in different receptor languages, depending on the presumed age of Herodias’ daughter. The pleasure shown by Herod and his guests would seem to indicate that Salome was probably beyond puberty.

Ask is not the asking of questioning, but the asking of requesting. In Tzeltal the idiom is ‘ask me what you ask me,’ meaning ‘ask me for anything.’

Grant it may be rendered as ‘give it to you’ or ‘let you have it.’

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .