Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English means “(from) the land of wanderers,” “(from the) land of strangers” (same as “Palestinian”). (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the helmet the Philistine warriors wore was decorated with feather-like objects. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Philistines” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

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

complete verse (1 Samuel 14:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 14:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “After that, Jonathan with that man showed (them)selves to those Philistines. And when the Philistines saw them, they said that, ‘The Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So they went openly [lit. visibly] to the camp of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look! [Could it be that] the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When both of them let-(themselves)-be-seen/showed-(themselves) there at the place-of-watching/outpost of the Filistinhon, the Filistinhon mocked/ridiculed them saying, ‘[You (plur.)] look at the Hebrews! They have-come-out of the holes where- they -were-hiding.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When the two of them crossed the valley, the Philistia soldiers saw them coming. They said, ‘Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes in which they have been hiding!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 14:11

So: the common conjunction is properly translated to show the logical relationship between previous events and what follows. New American Bible translates “Accordingly.”

Showed themselves means simply “let themselves be seen” (New Jerusalem Bible) or, avoiding the passive, “allowed the Philistines to see them.” Some languages may even have to say “came out of hiding.”

Look renders the Hebrew interjection often translated “behold.” In this case it is a device used by some Philistines to draw the attention of others to the fact that Jonathan and his armorbearer were approaching.

Hebrews: see the comments on 4.6 and 13.3.

Coming out of the holes where they have hid themselves: the word translated holes here is the same word used of holes where animals live. Perhaps this explains why Moffatt translates “look at the mice creeping out of their hiding-holes.” But this is probably a case of overdramatizing the text and is not recommended.

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 .