elder (of the community)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated as “elders” in English is translated in the Danish Bibelen 2020 as folkets ledere or “leaders of the people.”

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators, explains: “The term ‘elder’ turned out to pose a particularly thorny problem. In traditional bibles, you can find elders all of over the place and they never pose a problem for a translator, they are just always elders. But how to find a contemporary term for this semi-official, complex position? This may have been our longest-standing problem. A couple of times we thought we had the solution, and then implemented it throughout the texts, only to find out that it didn’t work. Like when we used city council or village council, depending on the context. In the end we felt that the texts didn’t work with such official terms, and throughout the years in the desert, these terms didn’t make much sense. Other suggestions were ‘the eldest and wisest’, ‘the respected citizens’, ‘the Israelites with a certain position in society’, ‘the elder council’ –- and let me point out that these terms sound better in Danish than in English (‘de fremtrædende borgere,’ ‘de mest fremtrædende israelitter,’ ‘alle israelitter med en vis position,’ ‘de ældste og de klogeste,’ ‘ældsterådet’). In the end we just said ‘leaders of the people.’ After a lot of hand-wringing, it turned out that we actually found a term that worked well. So, we had to give up conveying the fact that they were old, but the most important point is that they were community leaders.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

The German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates likewise as “leader of the people” (Anführer des Volkes).

complete verse (Deuteronomy 25:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 25:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if the brother-in-law of the woman does not want to inherit (her), the woman should go to the elders of the city and say, ‘My elders, my brother-in-law does not want to carry forward/continue the name of my husband who has died. He refused to inherit me like a man whose brother has died should do.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But if her husband’s elder or younger brother refuses to take his sister-in-law as his wife she must go to the place of the elders at the city gate and speak like this, "My husband’s elder or younger brother refuses to perpetuate my husband’s name in Israel. And he will not do with me the work that a husband’s elder or younger brother ought to do."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘But if the sibling of the dead-one does not want to marry the widow, the widow shall-go to the ones-who-rule there at the gate/entrance of the town and say, ‘My brother-in-law is not willing to give his sibling a descendant in Israel. He will- not -fulfill his duty to me as a sister-in-law.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘But if the dead man’s brother does not want to marry that woman, she must stand at the gate/central meeting place of the town and say to the town elders, ‘My husband’s brother will not do his duty/what he is supposed to do. He refuses to marry me in order that I may give birth to a son who will prevent my dead husband’s name from disappearing in Israel.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 25:7

Verses 7-10 describe the procedure to be followed if the dead man’s brother does not wish to fulfil his duty as a brother-in-law.

Go up to the gate to the elders: see similar language in 21.19. For elders see 5.23.

Does not wish to take his brother’s wife: or “refuses to marry the widow” (Contemporary English Version).

Refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name: perpetuate is the same Hebrew verb “make stand” that is used in verse 6 (“succeed to”). Good News Translation has “he refuses to give his brother a descendant among the people of Israel.”

Not perform the duty of a husband’s brother: the same language as used in verse 5.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Deut 25.8

Then the elders of his city shall call him: in this way the actions of the man and their consequences for the family are made public.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .