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 .

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("return")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, kaes-are-ru (返される) or “return” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 2:32

According to the law of Exo 21.12-14, if someone killed a person unintentionally, he could flee to the altar for safety. If, however, he killed the person intentionally, he was to be taken from the altar and put to death. Since Joab intentionally murdered these two men, Solomon is acting within the teaching of the Law.

The LORD will bring back his bloody deeds upon his own head: In a footnote Good News Translation provides an alternate translation for the first part of this verse, either “will punish … committed” or “will kill Joab, because he committed those murders.” The meaning is essentially the same in either case. Some other possible renderings are “He will have to take responsibility for those killings and be punished for them” and “the LORD will make him pay for those murders” (Contemporary English Version).

Because … he attacked: Revised Standard Version fails to reflect the word order of the original text when it inserts the words without the knowledge of my father David between these elements. This intervening element, which refers to David’s unawareness of the murders, actually comes in Hebrew after the description of the murders and is more literally “and my father David did not know.” The word because introduces the reason for the punishment that Joab is about to receive. In many languages the original Hebrew order will provide a better model than the usually literal Revised Standard Version; for example, the translation will read something like the following:

• The LORD will punish Joab because he attacked and killed those two men who were more righteous and better than he was. My father David did not know about this matter, but Joab killed Abner, the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

Regarding the killing of Abner and Amasa, see the comments on verse 5.

More righteous and better than himself: In some languages it will be necessary to say “who surpassed him in honor and goodness.” In some contexts the two adjectives are distinguished in that the first one has to do with justice and fairness while the second one focuses more on moral goodness. However, several modern translations are content to use a single word (“better” in Good News Translation, Revised English Bible and Contemporary English Version) to convey the idea of the two adjectives in Hebrew.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 2:32

2:32a The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head,

Yahweh will punish him for killing men,
-or-
and Yahweh will make him suffer/die for those murders.

2:32b for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword

for he raised his sword against two men and killed them both. He did this without my father David knowing ⌊anything⌋ about it. ⌊Both of them⌋ were more just/righteous and honorable than he was.
-or-
For he attacked and killed two men. My father David did not ⌊even⌋ know about it ⌊beforehand⌋. They were both good and upright men, unlike Joab!
-or-
They both surpassed/exceeded Joab in honor and goodness.

2:32c Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army,

⌊He killed⌋ Ner’s son Abner, who was the general/chief of the army ⌊of the people/nation⌋ of Israel.
-or-
The two men were Abner son of Ner, leader of Israel’s army,

2:32d and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

⌊He also killed⌋ Jether’s son Amasa, who was the general/chief of the army ⌊of the people/tribe⌋ of Judah.
-or-
and Amasa son of Jether, leader of Judah’s army.

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