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 Samuel 8:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 8:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the inner/inside guards of David. But the leaders who were very near to David were his sons.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Beniah son of Jehoida was captain of the Kerethites and Pelethites. And David’s sons were the king’s chief officials.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The leader/[lit. heads] of the bodyguards of David who were Keretnon and Peletnon was Benaya the child of Jehoyada. And the counselors/advisers of David were his male children/(sons).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of David’s bodyguards/the men who protected the king; and David’s sons were priests (OR, his administrators/advisors).” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 8:18

Benaiah is mentioned again in 20.23, and 23.20-23 tells of his brave deeds.

Was over: these words are not actually in the Hebrew text. The text says “and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cherethites….” But the words [was] over do appear in the parallel passage in 1 Chr 18.17. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and recommends that translators follow it, but even Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which almost always follow the MT, correct the text here to state that Jehoiada was commander over the Cherethites and the Pelethites. Translators should not follow the MT here. In some languages translators will use a form of the verb “to be” followed by a noun indicating Benaiah’s position: “was the commander of” (Contemporary English Version), “was master [or, chief] of,” or “was captain of.” Compare verse 16.

The Cherethites and the Pelethites: as indicated by the Good News Translation rendering, these two groups constituted the bodyguards of King David (compare 23.23). Apparently David recruited a private army while he was living in Ziklag (1 Sam 27–31), which according to 1 Sam 30.14 was close to “the Negeb of the Cherethites,” presumably the home of the first-named group. Certain scholars have suggested that the Pelethites is a variant name for the Philistines, but the evidence for this is far from conclusive. Most likely the Cherethites and the Pelethites were both non-Israelites. Some translators may prefer to retain the form along with the sense in this passage by saying something like “the Kerethites and the Pelethites, who were the king’s bodyguards” or “those who protected the king, that is, the Kerethites and the Pelethites.” As in 1 Sam 30.14, Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente speak of “Cretans” in place of Cherethites, that is, inhabitants of the island of Crete, and in other languages also it may be better to use the modern name “Cretans,” as in Bible en français courant. These Cretans no longer lived on the island of Crete; they had settled along the southwest coast of Palestine.

David’s sons were priests: the sons of David were not members of the tribe of Levi, and perhaps for this reason some interpreters have suggested that the word that usually means “priests” may have had some other meaning in this context. Early versions of the Old Testament, such as the ancient Greek, have a different reading here. It is for this reason that such translations as the following are found: “royal advisors” (New International Version); “important leaders” (New Century Version); “ministers” (Knox); and “chief ministers” (New American Standard Bible). La Bible du Semeur calls them “administrators” and states in a footnote that the Hebrew terms “priests” and “administrators” are similar.

The parallel passage in 1 Chr 18.17 does, in fact, call them “chief officials.” However, in view of the clear meaning of the Hebrew term used in this verse, translators are advised to use the normal word for “priests” in the text at this point and confine comments and other possibilities to a footnote.

Some scholars have taken this verse as evidence that at the time of David the priesthood was not yet seen as being limited to the tribe of Levi. And there is also a question about the relationship of these priests to Zadok and Abiathar mentioned in the previous verse. Was their function different or the same? Whatever the case may have been, having David’s sons in this position does not seem to have been a permanent arrangement. Compare 2 Sam 20.26, where a Jairite is said to have been a priest to David, and 1 Kgs 4.1-6, where David’s descendants are not included among the priests while Solomon was king.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .