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).

elder (of the community)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated as “elders” in English is translated in the Danish Bibelen 2020 as folkets ledere or “leaders of the people.”

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators, explains: “The term ‘elder’ turned out to pose a particularly thorny problem. In traditional bibles, you can find elders all of over the place and they never pose a problem for a translator, they are just always elders. But how to find a contemporary term for this semi-official, complex position? This may have been our longest-standing problem. A couple of times we thought we had the solution, and then implemented it throughout the texts, only to find out that it didn’t work. Like when we used city council or village council, depending on the context. In the end we felt that the texts didn’t work with such official terms, and throughout the years in the desert, these terms didn’t make much sense. Other suggestions were ‘the eldest and wisest’, ‘the respected citizens’, ‘the Israelites with a certain position in society’, ‘the elder council’ –- and let me point out that these terms sound better in Danish than in English (‘de fremtrædende borgere,’ ‘de mest fremtrædende israelitter,’ ‘alle israelitter med en vis position,’ ‘de ældste og de klogeste,’ ‘ældsterådet’). In the end we just said ‘leaders of the people.’ After a lot of hand-wringing, it turned out that we actually found a term that worked well. So, we had to give up conveying the fact that they were old, but the most important point is that they were community leaders.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

The German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates likewise as “leader of the people” (Anführer des Volkes).

See also elders of Israel (Judah).

save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (1 Samuel 11:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 11:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “The leaders of Jabesh said that, ‘Please give us seven days to send people to go to all parts of Israel. If nobody comes who can rescue us, do to us whatever you want.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Give us seven days’ time to send people to report [the news] all over the land of Israel. After that, if no one helps us, we surrender ourselves to you. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The ones-who-rule Jabesh said to him, ‘Give us (excl.) seven days to-send-(out) a message to the whole-of Israel. And if no-one indeed comes to-save us (excl.) we (excl.) will-surrender to you (sing.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The leaders of Jabesh replied, ‘Do not attack us for the next seven days. During that time, we will send messengers throughout Israel to tell them what you are demanding. If no one will help us, then we will surrender to you/allow you to do to us whatever you want.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 11:3

The elders: see the comment on 4.3.

Give us seven days respite: the meaning of the verb “give respite” is “relax” or “withdraw.” Some may prefer to translate “Leave us alone for seven days.” Knox provides a good model using indirect speech in place of the direct quotation of the text: “asked for a truce of seven days.”

We will give ourselves up to you: the Hebrew verb has the basic meaning of “to come out” or “to come forth.” It is sometimes used as a military term, meaning “to march out [to fight].” In this context, however, the sense clearly seems to be not that they will come out to fight, but that they will come forth to surrender. Knox translates “they would open the gates to him.” See also verse 10 below.

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 .