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 (Joshua 22:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 22:30:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Phinehas who was a priest and that delegation heard the words of those people, they became very happy.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When Phinehas the priest the leaders of the community of Israel heard the words spoken by the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, they rejoiced.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Finehas the priest and the leaders/[lit. heads] of the families of the Israelinhon were-pleased/were-happy when they heard what the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and of half of the tribe of Manase said.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Phinehas the priest and the other ten leaders heard what they said, they were pleased.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 22:30 - 22:31

The ten leading men of the community who were with him, the heads of families of the western tribes may be narrowed down to either “the ten leaders who had come with him from the western tribes” or “the ten leaders from the western tribes.”

In the clause heard what the people … had to say, the verb heard must be translated so as to indicate intentional hearing rather than accidental hearing: “listened to the explanation given by the men from the tribes of….”

As verse 30 indicates, Phinehas himself is a priest, even though he may also be referred to as the son of Eleazar the priest (verse 31). Again, this was information of some significance to the original readers, though it is not necessary for it to be carried over into the discourse of other languages. One may translate “30 Phinehas the priest…. 31 Phinehas said to them….”

Now we know that the LORD is with us must be translated with inclusive first personal pronouns for we and us, if such a distinction exists in the receptor language. For languages which do not have the inclusive and exclusive forms, it may be rendered: “Now we all know that the LORD is with our people (or, nation).”

It is possible to rearrange the reply of Phinehas: “You did not rebel against the LORD. So now we know that the LORD is with us, and he will not have to punish our people.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .