messenger

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

Jericho

The name that is transliterated in English as “Jericho” means “city of the moon,” “a fragrant place.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that alludes to the walls of Jericho coming tumbling down (see Joshua 6:20). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Jericho” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Jericho,” the second parts refer to “town” (source )

See also The Fall of Jericho.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jericho .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 19:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 19:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “When David heard that his people had been insulted, he sent other/some people to meet those people and told them to stay in Jericho until their beards had grown again.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They were ashamed to come back home. Some men went and told David about it. Then David sent them a message, saying "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow long."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They were- very – ashamed to go-home. When David heard-the-news of what-happened to his men, he sent messengers to say to his men to just stay for awhile in Jerico until their beards could-grown, and then they could-go-home.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The officials were greatly humiliated/ashamed. When David found out about what had happened to his officials, he sent some messengers to them to tell them, ‘Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown again, and then return home.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

Click here to view graphically

Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • 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).

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English means “beloved.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

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

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 19:5

And they departed. When David was told concerning the men: Revised Standard Version understands the pronoun they as referring to the men whose beards and clothing had been cut off. They left from the land of the Ammonites. But the Hebrew text may be referring to different men. The beginning of this verse in the Masoretic Text is literally “And they went and they told David concerning the men.” This may be translated “Then certain persons went and they told David about the men.” If translators follow Revised Standard Version here, the passive clause When David was told … may be easily transformed to an active one by saying “When David heard…” or “When someone told David….”

He sent to meet them: Many languages will require an object for the verb sent, such as “messengers” (New Century Version, Bible en français courant), “some people” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée), “someone” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or “a message.”

For the men were greatly ashamed: Good News Translation places this clause at the beginning of the verse. This restructuring provides a logical chronological order and may be a good model for certain other languages.

Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return: Jericho was on the return route from Rabbah to Jerusalem. By the time the messengers had reached Jericho, they had already made most of the return trip home. It may be helpful to render Jericho as “the city of Jericho” (Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). It may also be helpful to make it explicit that Jerusalem is the final destination by rendering then return as “then complete your return to Jerusalem.” Another way of communicating this idea may be to say “Then come home” (New Century Version) or “then come back here” (Parole de Vie; similarly Bible en français courant). Good News Translation reorders this quote and uses indirect discourse, which some languages may find helpful.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Chronicles 19:5

19:5a When someone came and told David about his men,

⌊Some⌋ people came and told David about ⌊what happened to⌋ his men.
-or-
David heard ⌊what Hanun and his people did to David’s⌋ men.

19:5b he sent messengers to meet them,

⌊So⌋ he sent ⌊other⌋ messengers to ⌊tell⌋ them ⌊what they should do⌋ .
-or-

⌊Therefore⌋ David sent ⌊other⌋ people to ⌊talk⌋ to the messengers

19:5c since the men had been thoroughly humiliated.

They were very humiliated.
-or-
because they were very ashamed.

19:5d The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back,

The king said ⌊to his messengers⌋ , “Stay in ⌊the city of⌋ Jericho until your beards grow ⌊again⌋ .
-or-
King ⌊David⌋ told ⌊his people to tell his messengers⌋ to remain in Jericho until their beards grew ⌊back again⌋ .

19:5e and then return.”

Then ⌊you can⌋ come back ⌊home⌋ .”
-or-

⌊After that, they⌋ could return ⌊home to Jerusalem⌋ .

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.