The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Ezra” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “scribe” referring to Ezra’s profession. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 7:1:
Kupsabiny: “And when many years had passed, when Artaxerxes was ruling Persia, there was a certain man who was called Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Many years later, in the time of Artaxerxes, King of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. Ezra was the son of Seraiah. Seraiah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Hilkiah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “After many years, when Artaserkses was king of Persia, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem from Babilonia. This Ezra was the child of Seraya. Seraya was the child of Azaria. Azaria was the child of Helkia. Helkia was the child of Shalum. Shalum was the child of Zadok. Zadok was the child of Ahitub. Ahitub was the child of Amaria. Amaria was the child of Azaria. Azaria was the child of Merayot. Merayot was the child of Zerahia. Zerahia was the child of Uzi. Uzi was the child of Buki. Buki was the child fo Abishua. Abishua was the child of Finehas. Finehas was the child of Eleazar. Eleazar was the child of Aaron the leading priest. Ezra was a teacher who really knew well the Law of Moises which was-given by the LORD, the God of Israel. The king gave everything Ezra had-asked-for because the LORD his God helped him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Many/Fifty years later, while Artaxerxes was the king of Persia, I, Ezra came from Babylon here to Jerusalem. I am the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah, and the great-grandson of Hilkiah.” (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.”
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