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 14:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 14:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “Jonathan crawled up. That (aforementioned) person followed him immediately. Then he quickly attacked the Philistines and fought (them) while wrestling (them) down. That person holding for him the things of war followed him so he could finish off the wounded ones.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Jonathan went up, supported by hands and feet, and the one who was bringing [his] weapons also followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and the man who came following him, bringing weapons, killed them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jonatan crawled upwards, and the-one-who-carries his weapons-of-war followed. Jonatan killed the Filistinhon, and the-one-who-carries his weapons-of-war also did the same.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and his feet because it was very steep. The young man climbed up following him. As Jonathan climbed, he struck and killed many Philistia soldiers, and the young man who was with him killed many more as he followed behind Jonathan.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 14:13

Climbed up on his hands and feet: this expression is probably intended to show the steepness of the ascent, although some readers may possibly take it to indicate that Jonathan and his armorbearer disappeared from view and crawled stealthily toward the Philistines in order to surprise them. Translators should ensure that readers do not adopt this mistaken notion.

They fell: that is, the Philistine soldiers. The text seems to mean that Jonathan first knocked the Philistines unconscious and then his armorbearer “finished them off behind him” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). But others take the verb fell before to be a euphemism for dying in battle. If this is the case, the meaning would then be that “some fell to Jonathan himself, and some to the squire [armorbearer] as he came up behind him” (Knox). And it is true that in some contexts “fall before” someone means to be killed (Lev 26.7, 8).

After him: the pronoun him may refer to the armorbearer rather than to Jonathan, as in Revised Standard Version. The sense will then be that the armorbearer killed those who attacked him from behind. Contemporary English Version goes along with the general idea of Knox: “Jonathan killed the Philistines who attacked from the front, and the soldier killed those who attacked from behind.”

The interpretation most widely accepted is that found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, and it is the one recommended in this Handbook. Compare New American Bible: “he [Jonathan] cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed him and finished them off.”

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 .