20David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry.
“Sheep are known throughout most of the world, even though, as in Central Africa, they are a far cry from the fleecy wool-producing animals of colder climates. Where such animals are known, even by seemingly strange names, e.g. ‘cotton deer’ (Yucateco) or ‘woolly goat’ (Inupiaq), such names should be used. In some instances, one may wish to borrow a name and use a classifier, e.g. ‘an animal called sheep.’ In still other instances translators have used ‘animal which produces wool’, for though people are not acquainted with the animals they are familiar with wool.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida)
In Dëne Súline, it is usually translated as “an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCEM, p. 70)
Note that the often-alleged Inuktitut translation of “sheep” with “seal” is an urban myth (source Nida 1947, p. 136).
In Gbaya, the notion of early morning is emphasized with the ideophone sút as in the referenced verses.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 17:20:
Kupsabiny: “The next morning, David went early and told someone to look after the sheep for him. After that, he carried that food and started the journey as his father had told him. When he reached where those soldiers were, he immediately found people scattered in their directions and they were being encouraged for battle.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “David getting up the next day at the break of dawn, telling another person to care for the sheep, taking food to eat as Jesse had said, took leave and went. At that time when the Israelites had come out of the camp and were shouting war cries, he reached the battle ground.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So the next day, David got-out-of-bed very early and prepared food that he was-to-bring. He left the sheep with a one-who-watches-over, and then he went according-to what his father had-said. When he reached the camp of the Israelinhon, the soldiers (were) coming-out shouting to-fight.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So David arranged for another shepherd to take care of the sheep. Early the next morning he took the food and went to the Israeli camp, as Jesse told him to do. He arrived there just as the Israeli soldiers were forming their ranks and going out to the battlefield. As they went, they were shouting a war cry.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
A keeper: since David was the usual keeper of the sheep, Bible en français courant (1991 edition) translates “another guardian.” The term used here is not the specific word for shepherd but is rather a very general term for a person who keeps watch over or guards anything. The same root word is used in verse 22 of the “keeper of the baggage.”
Took the provisions: the Hebrew has only the verb meaning “to carry,” with no object. The word provisions is supplied by Revised Standard Version. But the verb seems to imply that David carried the grain, bread, and cheese mentioned in verse 17 and 18.
In languages where the verb went requires an indirect object, translators may say something like “to the camp.”
As Jesse had commanded him: this element may fit more naturally at the beginning of this verse in some languages and may possibly become a separate clause introducing what he did; for example, “David did as Jesse had commanded him:….”
Encampment: this renders a Hebrew word whose meaning is not certain. The same noun occurs in 26.5, 7, and most interpreters understand it to mean the “circle of a camp.” La Bible Pléiade understands the word to mean the center of the military camp and renders this clause as “he arrived at the center.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New American Bible say that “he reached the barricade [of the camp].” A general word such as encampment or “camp” seems preferable.
As the host was going forth: the word host is not common in contemporary English, and New Revised Standard Version replaces host with the word “army.” Most other modern versions also avoid the archaic word. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, has “troops.”
Shouting the war cry: literally “and they shouted in the battle.”
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 .
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