priest

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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.

Translation commentary on 1 Esdras 5:38

For verses 38-40 compare the parallel passages of Ezra 2.61-63 and Neh 7.63-65.

Of the priests the following had assumed the priesthood but were not found registered: In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction meaning “And,” which introduces what follows as another distinct category of people who returned from exile to Judah. The phrase had assumed the priesthood is misleading. The Greek text does not say that the men of these families had actually performed any priestly duties, only that they “had claimed to be priests” (similarly Good News Bible). Were not found registered means that no record could be found that they were indeed legitimate priests. It is not said who looked for such evidence and found none, but translators with no passive voice may say “the Jewish authorities could not find any record to prove it.”

The sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Jaddus who had married Agia, one of the daughters of Barzillai, and was called by his name: As elsewhere in this section, sons of means “descendants of” (New Revised Standard Version). Three clans are named here, but no numbers are given for them: Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Jaddus. A grandson of Hakkoz helped to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem (see Neh 3.4, 21). It is probable that the Eupolemus of 1 Macc 8.17 was also one of his descendants. There he is called “Accos,” which is the Greek spelling used in this verse. Since the Hakkoz clan is named in 1 Chr 24.10 as one of the recognized priestly clans from the time of David, we must assume that their claim to be priests was recognized as authentic. Who had married Agia, one of the daughters of Barzillai, and was called by his name is parenthetical information about Jaddus, so Good News Bible correctly places it within parentheses. It was so unusual for a man to assume the name of his wife’s clan that it called for special mention.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• There were also some family groups that claimed they were priests, but no one could prove it. These were the family groups of Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Jaddus. (Jaddus married a woman named Agia, and took on the name of her father Barzillai.)

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.