Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the helmet the Philistine warriors wore was decorated with feather-like objects. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Philistines” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Philistines (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Saul

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Saul” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign that depicts “sword in chest” (referring to 1 Samuel 31:4 and 1 Chronicles 10:4) and also “self-centered.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Saul” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about King Saul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Saul .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 10:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 10:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “And/But when the people of Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The people of Jabesh-gilead heard about this whole matter and all that the Philistines had done to Saul.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Those of/from-Jabesh Gilead heard everything that the Filistinhon had-done to Saul.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “All the people who lived in Jabesh in the Gilead region heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 10:11

But when all Jabesh-gilead heard …: But renders the common Hebrew conjunction. New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation, and English Standard Version also have “But,” while King James Version and the New King James Version [New King James Version ] use “And.” Either connector is appropriate in this context. However, most other modern versions omit this conjunction since it serves only to connect verse 11 with what goes before it.

Instead of all Jabesh-gilead, the parallel text in 1 Sam 31.11 reads “the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.” New Jerusalem Bible corrects the Hebrew here to follow the parallel in 1 Samuel by saying “the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead.” But there is no reason to change the Hebrew, since the text may be rendered “the people of Jabesh in Gilead” for translational reasons (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant). According to 1 Sam 11, Saul had rescued the people of Jabesh from the Ammonites at the beginning of his reign. The name Jabesh-gilead is better translated “Jabesh in Gilead” or “the city of Jabesh in the region of Gilead.” Jabesh was one of the main Israelite cities east of the Jordan River. It was located on the eastern side of the Jordan River, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) from Jerusalem.

Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation treat verse 11 as a temporal clause. In some languages it may be better to make this verse a complete sentence; for example, Bible en français courant says “The people of Jabesh, in Gilead, learned all that the Philistines had done to Saul” (similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .