The name that is transliterated as “Bernice” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines the signs for “bringer of victory” (the meaning of the name) and that for “woman.” (Source: Missão Kophós )
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 26:30:
Uma: “When Paulus finished speaking, the King and the Governor and Bernike with their companions stood up, and they went out from the gathering house.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then the king and the governor and Bernike and all their companions who were sitting with them got up.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then the king, the governor, and Bernice and their companions stood up because they would go home.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Then the king and the governor and Bernice and those sitting-with them stood-up,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When that which Pablo said was ended, the king, governor and Bernice then stood up and went out. All their companions there also stood up and went-their-separate-ways.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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.”
Then the King, the Governor, Bernice, and all the others got up translates a clause which has a singular verb connected with four subjects joined in pairs of two each. Literally, the clause reads: “then the king got up and the governor, also Bernice and those with them.” However, in most languages a series of coordinate subjects is much more likely to be acceptable than any device to reproduce the rhetorical balance of the Greek expression.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
(Revised Standard Version🙂 Then the king rose and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them: The Greek clause implies that first the king stood and then the governor, then Bernice, and then finally the others. This showed respect to the leaders in order of highest status to lowest. Other ways to translate these words are:
and immediately the governor ⌊stood⌋. Bernice ⌊then stood⌋ and then those sitting with them ⌊stood⌋.
(Revised Standard Version🙂 Then the king rose:
By standing, the king used his authority and ended the meeting. The king did not want to continue this discussion with Paul. Other ways to translate this clause are:
The king rose (New International Version) -or-
The king stood (New American Standard Bible)
The Greek clause does not have a conjunction to begin this sentence. This probably implies an abrupt action. The meeting could have continued, but the king decided to end it at this time.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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