complete verse (1 Samuel 10:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 10:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “That man said that, ‘You hear that, what did Samuel tell you?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “̈"Tell me, what did Samuel say?"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The uncle of Saul said, ‘Tell me what Samuel said to you (sing.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Saul’s uncle replied, ‘What did Samuel tell you?’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 10:15

Said: since what follows is a kind of question, many languages will require a verb like “inquired” or “asked” in this context.

Note that Good News Translation has inverted the order of the introductory statement and the direct quote. While this is good style in English, it may not be a good model for translators in other languages to follow.

Pray: the Hebrew text contains a small word that grammarians call a “particle of entreaty.” Traditional translations often render this word as “please,” that is “please, tell me.” Modern versions often leave it untranslated. Some grammarians, however, claim that this Hebrew particle expresses a logical consequence of a preceding statement or of the general situation, and that it should not be left untranslated.

If there is a need to avoid the direct quotation in this verse, translators may say “Saul’s uncle [politely] asked him what Samuel had said to him.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .