panic among all people / every heart will melt

The Hebrew that is translated as “panic among all people” or “every heart will melt” in these verses in English is translated in the widely-used Mandarin Chinese Union Version with a historical 4-character Chinese idiom: rénxīn huánghuáng (人心惶惶), literally “people’s hearts are fearful.”

complete verse (1 Samuel 14:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 14:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “There and then, the Philistines were shocked. All the soldiers were terrified right from the soldiers who kept guard outside to the soldiers who were in the camp. The earth/ground shook and people were very much afraid.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After that, all the troops who were staying in the camp and in the place where the battle took place were very much afraid. The soldiers in the camp and raids soldiers shook with fear. The earth quaked and they became very much afraid of God.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The Filistinhon (were) very afraid — those who (were) in the camp, in the field, in the place-of-watching/outpost, and including those who-attack. Then the earth-quaked, and now exceedingly great/[double emphasis marker] (was) their fear.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then all the other Philistia soldiers, the ones in the camp and the ones who had been attacking the Israeli towns, ones who were out in the field much closer, panicked. Then God caused the ground to shake, and they all became terrified/very afraid.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 14:15

Good News Translation omits any mention of the panic in the camp at the beginning of the verse because the last sentence repeats and reinforces this idea. The word here translated panic is elsewhere rendered “fear” (Pro 29.25) and “trembling” (Isa 21.4; Dan 10.7).

Raiders: see the comments on 13.17.

Trembled: see the comments on 13.7.

The earth quaked: an indication that God himself was responsible for the victory (see 7.10).

A very great panic: literally “a panic of God.” The word “of God” in Hebrew may be understood in two ways: (1) a panic or terror sent by God (so New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, andParola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), or (2) a great panic (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Bible en français courant). Sometimes the noun phrase “of God” functions as an intensifier when used with another noun, and it may be translated “great” or “very great.” Either interpretation fits the context. Some translations place one rendering in the text and the alternative rendering in a footnote (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); and this may be a useful approach in other languages also.

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 .