soldier

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “soldier” in English didn’t have a direct equivalent in Enlhet so it was translated with “those that bind us” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. ) and in Noongar it is mammarapa-bakadjiny or “men of fighting” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

Saul

The name that is transliterated as “Saul” in English means “asked for,” “demanded,” “required.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It 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 .

Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” 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 .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (1 Samuel 15:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 15:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then Saul called his soldiers and paraded them in a place called Telaim. The men of Judah reached ten thousand and the men from the others clans were two hundred thousand.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So Saul, calling the soldiers, gathered them in Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So Saul called-together/summoned the soldiers of Telaim. There-were 200,000 soldiers (who) gathered-together, and there-were 10,000 from Juda.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Saul summoned the army, and they gathered at Telaim town. There were 200,000 soldiers. 10,000 of them were from Judah, and the others were from the other Israeli tribes.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

large numbers in Angguruk Yali

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”

This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 15:4

Summoned the people: literally “called the people.” But the word people again refers to the fighting force, or the “troops” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). New American Bible says “alerted the soldiers,” while Bible en français courant has “mobilized the army.”

The verb numbered is elsewhere translated “mustered” (11.8). Some other good translations in this context are “inspected” and “reviewed” (Revised English Bible).

Telaim (see Josh 15.24, where the same city is spelled “Telem”) was a city in the southern territory of Judah, but the exact location is unknown. See also the comments on 27.8, where Telem is probably the correct reading of the text. In order to avoid confusing the readers, it will be wise to use the spelling “Telem” throughout, as in Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Moffatt, and others.

The Hebrew text leaves implicit that the two hundred thousand men on foot (that is, “foot soldiers” [Bible en français courant]) were from the northern tribes of Israel, but that is almost certainly the intended meaning, since the troops from the tribe of Judah are listed separately. “Foot soldiers” stands in contrast with those who rode in chariots, or on horses or camels.

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 .