Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 2:17:
Kupsabiny: “Adonijah said, ‘Please, I request you that you go and speak to king Solomon on my behalf to allow me marry/take Abishag to become my wife. I know that the king will not fail to grant you this request.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “He said, "I know King Solomon will not refuse anything you ask for. Please make a request of King Solomon that I may marry Abishag, the Shunammite."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Adonia answered, ‘Please request King Solomon that he will-give-in-marriage to me Abishag who comes-from-Shunem. I know that he will- never -refuse you.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “He said, ‘Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from Shunem town, to be my wife. I am sure that he will not refuse.’” (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 choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, ataete (与えて) or “give” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, tanonde (頼んで) or “ask for favor” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Pray translates the Hebrew particle of entreaty, meaning “please.” Here it accompanies the verb ask.
He will not refuse you is literally “he will not turn back your face” (see the comments on verse 16 regarding this idiom). This statement interrupts the request of Adonijah and in some languages the placement of such a statement here will be considered unnatural. It will fit more logically at the end of the request and be rendered “I know that he will not refuse if you ask him.”
Abishag the Shunammite is first mentioned in 1 Kgs 1.3-4. See the comments there.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
1Kings 2.:18
Once again the common verb meaning said in Hebrew may be more naturally translated in other ways in this ongoing conversation, for example, “replied” (New International Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) or “answered” (Knox).
Very well is literally “[It is] good.” Translators should feel free to employ whatever formula is naturally used when one person accepts a proposal or suggestion made by another person. In English it has been rendered in this context as “All right” (Contemporary English Version) or “Why, yes” (Knox).
In Hebrew the verb form itself for I will speak indicates that the subject is first person singular, so an independent pronoun is not necessary. Here, however, Hebrew has both a first person singular independent pronoun as well as the first person singular verb. Sometimes the presence of an independent pronoun indicates emphasis. But other times, as seems to be the case here, the presence of the pronoun is more for stylistic reasons and probably does not indicate emphasis. If, on the other hand, the pronoun is used for emphasis, the sense of Bathsheba’s response is “Very well, since you do not have direct access to the king, I myself will speak to him for you.”
For you: This rendering of the Hebrew prepositional phrase here suggests that Bathsheba is willing to speak “on your behalf” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). However, some interpreters argue that Bathsheba is not agreeing to speak on behalf of Adonijah, but is only saying that she will speak to Solomon “about you” (New Jerusalem Bible). But verses 19-21 give support to the rendering “on your behalf.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
2:17a Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down.
Adonijah said to her: “Ask King Solomon something for me. He will not say no to you (sing). -or-
So Adonijah said, “Please ask King Solomon ⌊to do me a favor/kindness⌋. He will not deny/refuse ⌊his own mother⌋. -or-
So he asked that Bathsheba make a request to King Solomon for him. He thought that the king could/would not refuse a request from ⌊his own mother⌋.
2:17b Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”
Ask (sing) him to let me take/have Abishag of Shunem as my wife.” -or-
Say (sing) to the king, ‘Please allow (sing) Adonijah to marry Abishag the Shunammite.’ ” -or-
He wanted the king to give him Abishag, ⌊the girl/maiden⌋ from Shunem ⌊town⌋, to be his wife.
2:17a-b (reordered)
Adonijah said to her, “Please ask(incl.) King Solomon to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife. He will not refuse you.”
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