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 (Leviticus 22:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 22:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if such people have eaten the holy sacrifices without knowing it, (they) need to add twenty out of hundred on top of that food when they are paying it back and give to the priest.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “’If any person eats a holy thing without realizing it, he must one-fifth of its [value] to that of the holy offering and give [it] to the priest. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But if one person who (is) not a member of your (plur.) household eats of-this which he did- not -mean-to/intended-to, he must repay-by-returning this to you (plur.) and he is-to- also -add 20 percent of its value.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘If anyone who is not permitted to eat a sacred offering eats it without realizing that it is sacred, he must pay the priest for the offering, and pay him an extra one-fifth of its value.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 22:14

A man: it is implied that the man in question is also an “outsider,” or one who is not permitted to eat food that was designated for the priestly family. This information should be made explicit, if it is not clear in the receptor language.

Unwittingly: that is, without realizing what he is doing, or without intentionally doing so. In some languages this will require a separate phrase saying “eats … but does not know what he is eating.”

Add the fifth of its value: fractions and percentages alike present a particularly difficult problem in some languages. The meaning here is that the offerings eaten had to be replaced, and a supplementary offering was also to be given to the priest. In modern terms the additional amount would be the equivalent of twenty percent of the value of the item eaten. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation speak of value, as if the repayment were monetary. But in fact it is not certain whether the guilty person was required to pay with money or in kind. Bible en français courant leaves open the possibility of repayment in kind by translating “the equivalent of what he has taken with a supplement of a fifth.” This may have to be expressed less precisely in some languages by something like “well over the original cost of the thing” or something similar. See 5.16.

Give the holy thing to the priest: obviously the man cannot give back to the priest something that he has already eaten. The idea here is that he should repay the priest for the thing eaten or replace it. On the idea of restitution in general, see 5.16. Here one may say “he must repay the priest its full value…” (Good News Translation) or “he must make return to the priest the same amount as he has used (or, eaten)….”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .