The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Esther” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign depicting a star on a crown, referring to her being a queen and her name likely meaning “star” (see here ). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Haman” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign for “stuck up,” exemplified in Esther 5:11. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 7:6:
Kupsabiny: “Esther replied, ‘‘The person of all this conspiracy is the wicked Haman who is our enemy.’’ When it was said like that, Haman’s heart dashed/became shocked with much fear in front of the king and his wife.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Esther replied, "That hostile enemy is this wicked Haman." Then Haman became very much afraid before the king and the queen.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Ester answered, ‘The enemy is none other than this wicked Haman!’ Haman was greatly terrified before/[lit. in front of] the king and the queen.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru: “Then queen Esther answered: "The person who wants to kill me and who wants to create difficulty for me, it is Haman. The man who has such a wicked heart is this person." So Haman feared very greatly and trembled in front of king Xerxes and Esther.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
English: “Esther replied, ‘The man who is our enemy is this evil man Haman!’ Then Haman was terrified as he stood in front of the king and queen.” (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.”
Esther’s response is as dramatic as the king’s questions in verse 5. The first part of her answer (A foe and enemy!) is a reply to the king’s first question: “Who is he?” The second part of her answer (This wicked Haman!) replies to the king’s second question: “Where is he?” If a distinction is intended between the words foe and enemy, it may be that the first suggests one’s conduct and the second suggests one’s attitude. The first may suggest an adversary (so New International Version), the second may refer to hatred. This wicked Haman translates three alliterative Hebrew words that all begin with the syllable ha. In translation it may be necessary to restructure Esther’s answer to conform to grammatical and stylistic requirements of the receptor language (compare Good News Translation, and New Jerusalem Bible “The adversary and enemy,” replied Esther, “is this evil Haman!”).
In terror: though nearly all interpreters consider the Hebrew word here to mean “be terrified,” some understand it to mean “be taken by surprise” (so Anchor Bible and New English Bible: “dumbfounded”) or “overcome” emotionally (Segond).
Before the king: the Hebrew simply means is “before” or “in front of.” It does not necessarily indicate, as Good News Translation does, that he was actually facing toward them, only that he was in front of them. Would Haman dare to “face” the king if he was in terror? It may be best to translate as Revised Standard Version has done.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
adversary and enemy: These are two words that have similar meaning. If you do not have two words you can use here, you can combine them into one expression.
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