39David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them.
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)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 17:39:
Kupsabiny: “David tied himself with Saul’s sword and tried to walk because he was not used to them. Then, David said, ‘I am unable to go to battle if I dress like that, because I am not used to these things.’ Then David took off all those things he had been given” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Then David tied Saul’s sword to his waist. And he tried to walk but was not able to because he was not in the habit of wearing those clothes. So he said to Saul, "I am not able to go wearing these. because I am not in the habit of wearing them," so he took them off.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Then David fastened-on the sword of Saul and tried walking because he was-not accustomed-to using these. He said to Saul, ‘I can- not -fight with something-to-wear like this, because I (am) not accustomed-to these.’ So he took-off all those.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “David put these things on. Then he fastened his sword over them, and tried to walk. But he could not walk, because he was not accustomed to wearing those things. So David said to Saul, ‘I cannot fight wearing all these things, because I am not accustomed to wearing them!’ So he took them off.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Girded his sword: since the pronoun may be misunderstood, it may be better to say “Saul’s sword” as in Good News Translation. And the verb girded is somewhat archaic. New Revised Standard Version has replaced it with “strapped.” Some other renderings are “fastened” (Revised English Bible) and “buckled” (New Jerusalem Bible).
Tried in vain to go: some languages may have to restructure considerably in order to convey the idea of doing something in vain. The words in vain are not actually a part of the Hebrew text but are supplied by Revised Standard Version because they are implied by the context. The idea is that David attempted to move around or to walk, but was unable to do so. He was probably not completely immobile but simply unable to move freely and normally.
For I am not used to them: gives David’s reason for his inability to move about with ease. It is a repetition of what the writer has already said. In other languages this idea will have to be expressed quite differently. Some may use a habitual form of the verb, “I do not [habitually] wear these things.” Others may say something like “It is not my usual custom to wear such things.”
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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