courtier

The Greek that is translated in English as “courtier” or “high officials” is translated in Paasaal as “little kings.” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)

complete verse (Revelation 6:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 6:15:

  • Uma: “At that time, the kings of the earth, noblemen, war leaders, rich people, people who have authority and all other people also, even slaves or ordinary people, they all hid in holes/hollows of the rocks or in wide cracks in the ground,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All the people in the world were in confusion and the kings in the world, the people with authority to rule and the leaders of the soldiers, and the rich people and the influential and all other people, whether they were slaves or not, they all hid in the caves and among the stones on the mountains.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then every person, the kings on the earth, the famous people, the bosses of the soldiers, the rich people and those who have great power, and even also those who are slaves and who are not slaves, they hid in holes and under great stones on the mountains.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “All people on the earth became-frightened. The kings and other rulers, the leaders of soldiers, the rich and others who had influence (lit. ability), and all other people who were slaves or not slaves, they all went and hid in the caves and where the rocks were in the mountains.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The kings here in the world, the people of high/important blood, the officers of the soldiers, the rich, the people who were really-far-from-ordinary, really all the people, none left out, went and hid in caves and in spaces between rocks in the mountains. Even the insignificant, slaves and not slaves, they all went and hid.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The rulers who live on earth, all the bosses, all the rich people, all the generals, all the rest of the people who have authority, also those who have bosses and those who do not have bosses, all fled, they hid in caves. They went into holes in the ground.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

king

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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:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Revelation 6:15

All people on earth try to hide from the punishment God and the Lamb are sending on them. The language is typically male-oriented: “the kings, the important men, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free man.” Prominence is given to the powerful and the wealthy.

The kings of the earth: see comments on “kings on earth” in 1.5.

The great men: these are powerful and influential people in government and commerce (see Mark 6.21, Good News Bible “top government officials”). In certain cultures these will be called “the chiefs,” “the headmen,” “the honchos,” or “the big men.”

The generals refers to high military officers. A “general” may also be referred to as “the chief leader of an army.”

The strong: this can be translated “important people,” “influential leaders.”

Slave and free: a “slave” is a person who is the property of someone else. He or she has no rights and must show complete obedience and loyalty to the owner. A possible alternative translation of this word in cultures where slave is unknown is “a person who belongs to (or, is the property of) another.” In at least two languages the phrase slave and free is translated as “those who are bound to a master and those who are not (bound to a master).”

Hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains: distinct from caves, as a good hiding place, are tall crags, or “high rocky projections or overhangs,” or “tall big rocks in the mountains,” which afford protection; New American Bible, Revised has “among mountain crags,” Revised English Bible “under mountain crags.” For the whole picture see Isa 2.19. Caves are often referred to as “big holes in the rocks.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Then all the kings (or, high chiefs) of the world, the lesser chiefs, the leaders of armies, the rich, the important people, and all other people, whether they are slaves (or, the property of others) or are free, tried to hide themselves in caves or in the shelter of tall rocks in the mountains.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 6:15

Paragraph 6:15–17

6:15a

the kings of the earth: This phrase refers to the chief rulers of every nation on earth. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

rulers of nations
-or-
top/supreme leaders everywhere

nobles: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as nobles is literally “great men” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This word probably refers to important leaders, but not the chief/top rulers. Other ways to translate this word are:

rulers (Good News Translation)
-or-
governors (New Jerusalem Bible)

the commanders: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the commanders refers to military leaders. Use the usual word that people call the top rank of military leaders of your country. The word should be able to refer to any nation’s military leaders.

6:15b

the rich: This phrase refers to people who have great wealth. For example:

the rich people (New Jerusalem Bible)

the mighty: This phrase refers to people who have great political power or influence. For example:

the men of influence (New Jerusalem Bible)

slave: A slave is a person who belongs to his owner, called his master. A slave has to obey his master. He is not free to leave his master. Other ways to translate this word are:

forced laborers
-or-
those subjected to a master

free man: A free man is a person who is not a slave. A free person can work in exchange for money for anyone who needs him. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

free workers
-or-
those who rule their own lives

6:15c

caves: A cave is a large hole which goes deep into a hillside. Here these caves are big enough for people to enter them. Some languages may not have a word for caves. If that is true in your language, use a word referring to a good hiding place underground. For example:

holes

rocks: Here, this word refers to rocks big enough to hide behind. For example:

boulders

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