Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English 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)

Saul

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Saul” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign that depicts “sword in chest” (referring to 1 Samuel 31:4 and 1 Chronicles 10:4) and also “self-centered.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Saul” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Saul .

complete verse (1 Samuel 14:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 14:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “Even the Hebrews who had joined the Philistine soldiers in the past turned around and came back to Saul and Jonathan’s soldiers.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “There were many Hebrews whom the Philistines had taken along to their camp. Having left the Philistines, they again came to be united with Saul, Jonathan, and the Israelites.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The Hebrews who had-taken-sides with the Filistinhon and had-been-with them now sided with Saul and Jonatan and other Israelinhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Before that, some of the Hebrew men had deserted their army and gone to join with the Philistia army. But now those men revolted and joined with Saul and Jonathan and the other Israeli soldiers.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 14:21

This verse perhaps provides a clue about the meaning of the word Hebrews in some of the other verses in this passage. Here it is quite clear that these were Israelites who had been with the Philistines, that is, who had been a part of the Philistine fighting force. Contemporary English Version refers to them as “hired soldiers.” Compare 13.7.

Before that time: literally “yesterday and the day-before-yesterday.” See the same Hebrew idiom in 10.11. Similar expressions are also found in 19.7 and 21.5.

Even they also turned: this is a translation based on the Septuagint and is accepted by nearly all interpreters. The difficulty with this translation, however, is that it implies that there were others who previously had also defected from the Philistines to the Israelites. At least that seems to be the implication of the words “they also.” But the text says nothing about others having turned to be with the Israelites.

The Masoretic Text says “round about, and they also.” In Hebrew the word “round about” is an adverb, indicating that the Hebrews had been camped around the camp of the Philistines. The following translation reflects the recommendations of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text: “And the Hebrews who had previously sided with the Philistines and had gone up to their camp and camped around the Philistines, these Hebrews also joined with the Israelites who had joined Saul and Jonathan.”

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 .