In Proverbs “kings” are usually mentioned in a religious or ethical context. This saying has no such connection but states the obvious fact that a ruler is important if he has many subjects in his kingdom. For the opposite view, however, see Psa 33.16.
“In a multitude of people is the glory of a king”: “A multitude of people” means that the “king” rules over many subjects. “The glory of a king” refers to the honor, prestige, and splendor that the king enjoys. According to this saying a large population enables the king to have “glory”, that is, honor or material splendor. With many people to choose from, for example, he is able to organize a large army.
“But without people a prince is ruined”: This line contrasts with the first. “People” here refers, as in line 1, to subjects, those the king or prince rules over. “A prince” may refer to the king’s son who will inherit his rule, but more likely it is used as an equivalent and matching term for “king”. “Ruined” refers to the ruler being helpless or without power or, as Good News Translation says, “he is nothing.” Bible en français courant offers a model translation: “A large population gives a king splendor. If he lacks subjects, his power comes to an end.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:28:
Kupsabiny: “A king who rules many people is respected/obeyed, and/but the one who does not have people (to rule) deteriorates.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The greatness of any king is shown by how many subjects he has, without subjects, kings are nothing.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The greatness of a king depends on how many are his people; without his people the king will-be-ruined.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “A king whose ruled-ones are many will-be-praised. One who has no ruled-ones, he by-contrast (lit. also) is of- no -account.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “If a king rules over many people, many people will be able to honor him; if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little power.” (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.”
Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:
28a A large populationis a king’s splendor,
28b but a lack of subjectsis a prince’s ruin.
14:28a–b
a king…a prince: Both of these parallel terms refer here to the ruler of a country. No contrast is intended between them. The Berean Standard Bible translates the same word that it translates as prince here as “rulers” in 8:15b (see the note there). For other ways to translate the word king, see the note on 1:1.
14:28a
A large population is a king’s splendor: This line states a general principle. It indicates that a king’s power, honor, or reputation is based on the number of people who are his subjects. Another way to translate this line is:
A king is honored when he has many people to rule (New Century Version)
14:28b
but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin: For the word translated here as ruin, see the note in 13:3b. If a king/ruler ends up with no one under his authority, his power and reputation will be destroyed. He will no longer have any influence. Another way to translate this line is:
lack of them makes a prince of no account (Revised English Bible)
This line is an example of hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration for the sake of emphasis). Some versions make the contrast less extreme. For example:
dwindling population, ruler’s ruin (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
if his people are few, it is the prince’s ruin (New American Bible)
You will need to decide if this kind of adjustment is necessary to avoid wrong meaning. Remember that the extreme situation described in this line (a king with no subjects whatsoever) creates a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.
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