Most High

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, or Greek that is translated as “(God) the Most High” or “Most High God” in English is translated in various way:

devout

The Greek that is often translated in English as “devout” is translated in Lalana Chinantec as “who revered God,” in Chichimeca-Jonaz as “who obey and worship God,” in Eastern Highland Otomi as “that remembered God,” in San Mateo del Mar Huave as “worshipers of God,” in Tzotzil as “they were zealously doing God’s word they thought,” in Coatlan Mixe as “they comply with all Jewish customs” (esp. Acts 2:5) and in Mezquital Otomi as “very much believed what they had been taught about God.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Chichewa, “devout men” in Acts 8:2 is anthu ena okonda Mulungu or “some people who loved God” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999). (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 90)

Translation commentary on Sirach 12:2

Do good to a godly man, and you will be repaid: When you show kindness to a godly man (Good News Translation “a devout person”), you will be rewarded in some way. Good News Translation reverses the order of the elements in this line and restructures the clauses. This works well in English, and sounds more natural.

If not by him, certainly by the Most High: The person you are kind to may repay you, but even if he or she is not able to, God will reward you. The Most High refers to God’s supreme majesty, not to his physical size or height (see the comments on 4.10). Good News Translation makes this line, which is a subordinate clause in Greek, into a separate sentence. However, we may reorder the clauses and translate the whole verse in the active voice as follows:

• When you are kind to a godly [or, devout] person, either he or the Lord Most High will repay you [or, do good to you in return].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.