son vs. grandson

“Son of x, son of y” must be rendered as “son of x and grandson of y” in Tibetan or else it will sound like two different people.

Note: The same translation solution is chosen in many contemporary English Bibles that emphasize easy readability, such as the Contemporary English Version, Common English Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word, or New Living Translation.

See also father / grandfather.

Levite

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” and in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)

In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

For the sign in Spanish Sign Language, see Levi.

priest

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that are typically translated as “priest” in English (itself deriving from Latin “presbyter” — “elder”) is often translated with a consideration of existing religious traditions. (Click or tap for details)

Bratcher / Nida (1961) say this:

“However, rather than borrow local names for priests, some of which have unwanted connotations, a number of translations have employed descriptive phrases based on certain functions: (1) those describing a ceremonial activity: Pamona uses tadu, the priestess who recites the litanies in which she describes her journey to the upper or under-world to fetch life-spirit for sick people, animals or plants; Batak Toba uses the Arabic malim, ‘Muslim religious teacher;’ ‘one who presents man’s sacrifice to God’ (Bambara, Eastern Maninkakan), ‘one who presents sacrifices’ (Baoulé, Navajo), ‘one who takes the name of the sacrifice’ (Kpelle, and ‘to make a sacrifice go out’ (Hausa); (2) those describing an intermediary function: ‘one who speaks to God’ (Shipibo-Conibo) and ‘spokesman of the people before God’ (Tabasco Chontal).”

In Obolo it is translated as ogwu ngwugwa or “the one who offers sacrifice” (source: Enene Enene), in Mairasi as agam aevar nevwerai: “religious leader” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Ignaciano as “blesser, one who does ritual as a practice” (using a generic term rather than the otherwise common Spanish loan word sacerdote) (source: Willis Ott in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.), and in Noongar as yakin-kooranyi or “holy worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

For Guhu-Samane, Ernest Richert (in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. ) reports this:

“The [local] cult of Poro used to be an all-encompassing religious system that essentially governed all areas of life. (…) For ‘priest’ the term ‘poro father’ would at first seem to be a natural choice. However, several priests of the old cult are still living. Although they no longer function primarily as priests of the old system they still have a substantial influence on the community, and there would be more than a chance that the unqualified term would (in some contexts particularly) be equated with the priest of the poro cult. We learned, then, that the poro fathers would sometimes be called ‘knife men’ in relation to their sacrificial work. The panel was pleased to apply this term to the Jewish priest, and the Christian community has adopted it fully. [Mark 1:44, for instance, now] reads: ‘You must definitely not tell any man of this. But you go show your body to the knife man and do what Moses said about a sacrifice concerning your being healed, and the cause (base of this) will be apparent.'”

For a revision of the 1968 version of the Bible in Khmer Joseph Hong (in: The Bible Translator 1996, 233ff. ) talks about a change in wording for this term:

​​Bau cha r (បូជា‌ចារ្យ) — The use of this new construction meaning “priest” is maintained to translate the Greek word hiereus. The term “mean sang (មាន សង្ឃ)” used in the old version actually means a “Buddhist monk,” and is felt to be theologically misleading. The Khmer considers the Buddhist monk as a “paddy field of merits,” a reserve of merits to be shared with other people. So a Khmer reader would find unthinkable that the mean sang in the Bible killed animals, the gravest sin for a Buddhist; and what a scandal it would be to say that a mean sang was married, had children, and drank wine.

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 13:13

And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses: The Hebrew verb rendered appointed is a causative verb. Here it means to make someone a treasurer to be in charge of a treasury or a storehouse (see Neh 10.38-39). Nehemiah made the appointments of the men in charge of the storerooms on his own authority.

Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites …: The names of those who were “appointed” in Neh 12.44 are given here. In Ezra 8.33 the treasures of the Temple were delivered to two priests and two Levites. Here they are a priest, a scribe, and a Levite. Both Shelemiah and Zadok were priestly names (see Neh 3.29-30). Zadok may be another name for Zedekiah, Nehemiah’s personal secretary (Neh 10.1). He is called a scribe and was evidently a professional administrator. Revised English Bible calls him an “accountant” (see Ezra 4.8). Previously in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, only Shimshai, a Persian official (Ezra 4.8), and Ezra (Ezra 7.6) had been called scribes. In addition to these men, Hanan was appointed as their assistant, which is literally “at their hand.” His duty was to be beside them to give help to them. He was the grandson of the choir leader Mattaniah, a singer (see Neh 11.17).

They were counted faithful: These four men were thought to be trustworthy; that is, they were considered to be men who could be trusted. This same description was applied to Abraham in Neh 9.8. The basic meaning of the Hebrew word translated faithful is “to lean upon”; that is, these men could be leaned on, or relied on (so New Jerusalem Bible). This was important because they were responsible to distribute the tithes to their associates the priests and Levites. It is implied that they were required to be honest in their duties and that the distribution was to be fair. Translators should follow the Hebrew text with its emphasis upon the reputation of these men rather than the emphasis of Good News Translation on Nehemiah’s own confidence in them.

And their duty was to distribute to their brethren; that is to say, it was their task or their responsibility (so New International Version) to distribute the provisions to their brethren. These were “their kinsmen” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “their companions” (Bible en français courant).

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .