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 (Dinė)), ‘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.

See also idolatrous priests.

complete verse (1 Chronicles 24:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 24:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “The sons of Aaron are: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu died early without children while their father was still alive. So it was the house of Eleazar and that of Ithamar who become priests. David divided the priests into twenty-four houses so that they could be doing the work they had been prepared for. In those days, Zadok who was from the house/family of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the house/family of Ithamar who were leaders in their houses. Those priests helped David at the time that he was dividing work to the other priests.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Nadab and Abihu, however, died before their father and they did not have any sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar became priests.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no children; so the ones-who-served as priests were Eleazar and Itamar.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But Nadab and Abihu died before their father died, and they had no children. So their younger brothers Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 24:2

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father: But translates the common Hebrew conjunction. Since it is not expected that sons will die before their father dies, a contrastive conjunction is appropriate here. However, Good News Translation and many other versions leave this conjunction untranslated. The reason for the deaths of Nadab and Abihu is found in Lev 10.1-2 and Num 3.4. Died before their father may be expressed as “died in their father’s lifetime” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Others may have to say “died while their father still had life.” The Hebrew word translated before may be used in a temporal sense, as it is here, or in a spatial sense. La Bible Pléiade takes it in the second sense here, saying that these two sons “died in the presence of their father.”

And had no children means Nadab and Abihu had no sons to take their places as priests. No children is literally “no sons” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Bible).

So Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests: So renders the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it is a logical connector since it introduces the result of Eleazar and Ithamar being the only remaining sons. This clause may be translated “therefore Eleazar and Ithamar became priests.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .