# Lord of Serpents and Reeds



## atrophia

I want to know what the most direct Hebrew translation of this phrase would be.  Would it be possible to compact it into one word, like the name of a demon?  There is no context for this because it is a made-up phrase from a video game called Silent Hill.  For example of usage, "*The Lord of Serpents and Reeds* is worshiped by the Silent Hill cult".  I was just curious if there could be a Hebrew translation of it and if so, what it would be.  Thanks.


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## shaker

אלוהי הנחשים וקני הסוף
elohey ha-nexashim ukney ha-soof


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## scriptum

“Lord” means שר or אדון, not אלהים.
I would translate the phrase as
שר נחשי הסוף.
This is a bit inexact, but the literal translation would lack compactness.


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## Flaminius

How about for בעל lord in this context in view of Mediterranean mythology?


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## scriptum

Flaminius said:


> How about for בעל lord in this context in view of Mediterranean mythology?


Hmmmm... I am not sure. "Baal" seems to have too many meanings. As a matter of fact, it rarely could be translated as "lord". Cf.
בעל חלומות, בעל ריב, בעל הבית, בעל מושלם
etc. etc.


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## shaker

Hi , It seems to me that you dont worship a שר  the context shows clearly , to my opinion,  that it is a deity ,therefore אלוהים


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## scriptum

shaker said:


> Hi , It seems to me that you dont worship a שר the context shows clearly , to my opinion, that it is a deity ,therefore אלוהים


Then I think the translation should be either אדון or אל.
אלהים seems to refer to monotheistic God.


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## shaker

wrong again, I`m affraid , if you look at the Bible you  wiil find many references to Elohim as Idols of the of Pagans as in Elohey moaav , or `amon or Elohey Kenaan. The monotheistic God is refered to as Elohey Ysrael.


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## scriptum

shaker said:


> wrong again, I`m affraid , if you look at the Bible you wiil find many references to Elohim as Idols of the of Pagans as in Elohey moaav , or `amon or Elohey Kenaan. The monotheistic God is refered to as Elohey Ysrael.


Elohey Kenaan are many. Elohey Ysrael is one. Elohim as plural may refer to pagan deities. Elohim as singular refers only to the monotheistic God. That's why, to the best of my understanding, in our example אלהי קני הסוף (plural) cannot translate "Lord of the reeds" (singular).


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## gold9999

Hi,
"Lord of Serpents and Reeds" may not necessarily imply a deity. Does anyone know how the title of William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" was rendered in Hebrew? In the Russian version, the word used for "lord" (повелитель) does not mean "god", but "master" or "ruler". That may shed some light on translating the phrase in question.


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## scriptum

gold9999 said:


> Hi,
> "Lord of Serpents and Reeds" may not necessarily imply a deity. Does anyone know how the title of William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" was rendered in Hebrew? In the Russian version, the word used for "lord" (повелитель) does not mean "god", but "master" or "ruler". That may shed some light on translating the phrase in question.


"Lord of the Fly" is Baal-Zvuv (Вельзевул in Russian Bible translations). This is one of the cases where "Baal" does refer to a pagan deity.


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## Theoldman

Lord of the rings was translated into שר הטבעות Sar HaTabaot.
Lord = Sar  as in Hebrew Sar is a Minister or a high ranking official.


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## shaker

It proves my point, "Baal" the kenanite   god  means also lord , owner master ,
there is virtualy  no distinction between the plural and the single in Elohim


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## Nunty

How about, as a demon's name, בעל-סוף-ונחש? It would be pronounced ba'al-suf-v'nahash and literally means the baal (lord or god, as you wish) of reed and snake. I prefer בעל to שר for a demon, because שר seems to have a nicer connotation, at least in my mind.

However...  let us not forget that bane of Israeli feminists: בעל ואשה, meaning "husband and wife", but literally "lord/owner/master and woman".


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## atrophia

Wow guys, thanks for all your help!


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## scriptum

Nun-Translator said:


> How about, as a demon's name, בעל-סוף-ונחש? It would be pronounced ba'al-suf-v'nahash and literally means the baal (lord or god, as you wish) of reed and snake. I prefer בעל to שר for a demon, because שר seems to have a nicer connotation


 
I think this is the best translation proposed here. Chapeau. The problem is, however, that it is a bit ambiguous. It could be understood as if baal-suf were a snake...


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