Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 1:20:
Kupsabiny: “So my lord, king, the thoughts of the whole of Israel are on you waiting for you to show them who is going to sit on the throne of kingship.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “O my Lord the King! All the people of Israel are waiting to hear from your mouth who will sit on the throne after you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “And now, Beloved King, the Israelinhon are-waiting for your decision as-to who will-succeed you as king.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Your Majesty, all the people of Israel are expecting you to tell them who is the one who will become king after you are no longer the king.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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 (Dinė) 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by using –sama. Here, ō-sama (王様) “king” is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, tsuge-rare-ru (告げられる) or “tell” is used.
And now again translates the common Hebrew conjunction followed by the adverb. This transition is, however, omitted by a number of English versions, including Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and New International Version. Translators should use a transition in their language that seems most natural in this context.
The Masoretic Text reads “And you” instead of And now. The two Hebrew words translated “you [singular]” and “now” are similar in both sound and spelling. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the reading And now, and this is the reading that should be followed. The problem here is just the reverse of the problem with these same two words in verse 18.
Bathsheba alternates between third person and second person in speaking to the king (my lord the king and you). Good News Translation uses second person only, and this may be a useful model in other languages. Notice that Good News Translation maintains the attitude of respect by saying “Your Majesty.”
The eyes of all Israel are upon you: This expression, with the word eyes as subject, may sound peculiar if translated literally into other languages. The meaning is “everyone in Israel is waiting for you” (Contemporary English Version).
The words who shall sit on the throne … after him mean simply “who will be the next king.” After him may be rendered “after you” if this is translated as direct address to David. The meaning is “after your death” or “after you cease to be king.”
Contemporary English Version provides a good model for the entire verse:
• Your Majesty, everyone in Israel is waiting for you to announce who will be the next king.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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