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.

complete verse (2 Kings 12:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 12:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “There was a time when Joash told all the priests, ‘There are money that are being collected in this country which are given/gifts in the Homestead of God. These money are: those which each person must bring/pay, those that a person has vowed to God to give and those a person has accepted/loved to offer from his own stomach (heart).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money which is brought to the temple of the LORD, as a holy offering, money collected in the census, money which is for a vow that is offered, or from a voluntary offering.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Joash said to the priests, ‘[You (plur.)] collect all the money that was-brought to the temple of the LORD as an offering: the money which was-collected from the census, the money as payment from the vows, and the money for a freewill offering.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Joash said to the priests, ‘You must take all the money which the people contribute, both the money they are required to give and the money that they themselves decide to give, as sacred offerings to buy things for the temple.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 12:4

Translators should ensure that the name of the king is consistent throughout the story. The longer form, Jehoash, is found in the text throughout most of chapter 12 (see the comments on 2 Kgs 11.21), but the shorter form is recommended for this king of Judah so that the longer form may be reserved for the king of Israel (2 Kgs 13.10-25).

Said to the priests: Good News Translation supplies the implied information that the priests were first called together in order to hear the instructions of the king. Good News Translation also translates the verb said as “ordered” to fit the context. The priests mentioned here are the priests of Yahweh and not those who were offering sacrifices at the high places in the previous verse. If there is any doubt about this, it will be possible to translate “the priests of Yahweh/the LORD.”

The Hebrew word translated money is literally “silver” and is so rendered in Revised English Bible and American Bible. If the receptor language term for money makes readers think of coins or paper money, then a different term must be sought. The making of coins was not a common practice until after the fifth century B.C., and paper money came much later. The objects referred to as money in this context must have been irregular pieces of silver and/or objects made of the same metal.

The text seems to indicate three or four sources for the money to be collected for the repair of the LORD’s Temple:

• (1) Money of the holy things which is brought into the house of the LORD: This is thought to refer to money designated for the production and/or acquisition of the utensils necessary for worship in the Temple. Some modern renderings are “All the money offered as sacred donations that is brought into the house of the LORD” (New Revised Standard Version) and “all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD” (New International Version). But others may have to say something like “all the money people give to buy things for the Temple.” The passive verb is brought can be made active by saying “all the money that people bring….”
Some interpreters, including this Handbook, take this to be a general statement introducing the three following items. New American Bible, for example, says “All the funds for sacred purposes that are brought to the temple of the LORD—the census tax, personal redemption money, and whatever funds are freely brought to the temple of the LORD—.” Compare also New Living Translation: “Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the LORD’s Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift.” Another translation that reflects the interpretation recommended here is that of New International Version, which reads “Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD—the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.”

• (2) The money for which each man is assessed is literally “the money of the crossing over of a man.” La Bible Pléiade understands the words “the money of the crossing over” to mean “cash in hand” or “ready money” (also Nouvelle Bible Segond). But more likely these words refer to a census tax. Every Jewish male counted in the census was obliged by law (Exo 30.11-16) to give a half shekel as an offering to Yahweh. In the post-exilic period this was an annual tax. This assessment is mentioned in the New Testament story of Peter and the payment of the Temple tax (Matt 17.24). New American Bible renders this “the census tax” (similarly New International Version).

• (3) Some commentators understand the words the money from the assessment of persons as a further explanation by the original author of the census tax mentioned in (2), and this seems to be the intended sense of some translations also (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version). Other interpreters consider these words to be a later comment by a scribe in order to explain the preceding phrase. For this reason this phrase is omitted in New Jerusalem Bible. But others take it as a separate item, referring to the assessments set in Lev 27.1-8, according to which individuals were valued at different amounts according to age and sex. Lev 27.1-8 refers to the amount that was to be paid when people made vows to God and God answered their requests. For example, someone may have made a vow to pay the money that a sick person was worth if God would make that person well again. For this reason New Living Translation translates this phrase “a payment of vows” and New American Bible says “personal redemption money.”

• (4) The money which a man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD: This refers to spontaneous or freewill offerings that were not an obligation in any way. Such offerings stand in opposition to those that were brought to fulfill a vow and to assessments that were required of all faithful Israelite men. This distinction is clearly made in Lev 22.18-23. New Living Translation calls this “a voluntary gift” and New Revised Standard Version says “the money from the voluntary offerings brought into the house of the LORD.” In the Hebrew text this final source of money is not linked to the preceding items with a conjunction, but Revised Standard Version correctly supplies the conjunction and in English.

Good News Translation groups the first two kinds of money paid to the Temple into one expression: “the dues paid for the regular sacrifices.” But translators should try to maintain the above distinctions if possible. New Century Version keeps the distinctions and may serve as a helpful model for certain other languages since it breaks down the complex structure here into two sentences as follows:

• Joash said to the priests, “Take all the money brought as offerings to the Temple of the LORD. This includes the money each person owes in taxes and the money each person promises or brings freely to the LORD.”

However, the direct quotation of the Hebrew as reflected in Revised Standard Version may be made indirect as Good News Translation has done if this proves to be more natural in the receptor language.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .