Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 105:14:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“He did not allow anyone else to oppress them;
he rebuked kings because of them:” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Still, He did not allow anyone to give them trouble,
He gave warnings like this to kings in order to protect them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“But God did- not -allow them to-be-oppressed/mistreated.
So-that they could-be-protected, he rebuked the kings that go-against them.
He said,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“He refused to led other people oppress them,
and he rebuked other kings for their shake.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Lakini hakumruhusu hata mmoja wa kuwaonea,
aliwakemea wafalme kwa ajili yao,” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“But he did not allow others to oppress them. He warned those kings by saying to them,” (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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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, imashime-rare-ru (戒められる) or “admonish” is used.
These verses describe the condition of the Hebrews during the patriarchal age, When they were few in number and had no settled residence in Canaan (verse 12), but wandered from place to place (see Gen 12–35). Revised Standard Versionof little account (verse 12b) seems not quite accurate for the Hebrew, which means “only a few (in number)”; New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible have “a handful”; New International Version “few indeed”; Dahood, “a mere handful”; see also New English Bible and Bible en français courant, and see the same Hebrew phrase in Genesis 34.30. In verse 12b sojourners is better represented by “temporary residents” or “resident aliens” than by Good News Translation “strangers”; see Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “a handful of immigrants.” In some language areas there are known groups of nomadic wanderers who may come and go according to the seasons, and terms for such groups may be applicable to these sojourners.
Verse 13 describes the situation of the Hebrews nomads, wandering from place to place. Verses 14-15 seem to refer to the incidents with the king of Egypt (Gen 12.17) and with Abimelech, king of Gerar (Gen 20.1-8), both involving Sarah, Abraham’s wife; but here these incidents are made more general. As may be seen from the reading of the two passages, the meaning of he rebuked kings on their account in verse 14b is that God warned foreign kings not to harm his servants. On their account can be represented by “on their behalf” or “in order to defend them.” The Good News Translation phrase in verse 15a “my chosen servants” is literally my anointed ones (see discussion at 2.2). Only here and in the parallel 1 Chronicles 16.22 is the plural of this word used in the Old Testament. Here it refers to the patriarchs, as does my prophets. My prophets is used in the general sense of people who speak for God, and not in the specific sense of the great figures in Israel’s history usually called the prophets. Abraham is called a prophet in Genesis 20.7.
Translators in languages deeply influenced by Islam will recognize that many of their readers will know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are referred to as ambiyaʾ “prophets” in the Koran. The task of the translator is to determine the popular meaning of the Arabic words rasuul and nabi, if these are used. In some cases it is best to avoid terms of Koranic origin and to employ descriptive phrases.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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