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)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek 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 18:13:
Kupsabiny: “After that, Saul gave David to be in charge of one thousand men and sent them for war.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “So he separated David from his royal palace and chose a thousand soldiers. Then David, having become the leader of the soldiers, took them off to battle.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So he sent- David -away from him, and he made him commander over a thousand soldiers. David led/[lit. headed] the soldiers into battle.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, hoping that David would be killed in a battle. But when David led his soldiers in their battles,” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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.
So: the common conjunction is rightly taken as a logical connector showing that Saul’s sending David away was a direct result of his fear of David. Revised English Bible has “Therefore,” and New American Bible has “Accordingly.”
The context suggests that Saul sent David into battle in the hope that David would be killed (see verse 17). David himself later uses the same tactic to get rid of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba (2 Sam 11.14-17).
He went out and came in: the antecedent of the pronoun he may be ambiguous in some languages. David, at the head of the army, went out into battle and came in, that is, he returned victoriously. New Revised Standard Version correctly translates “David marched out and came in, leading the army.” See also verse 16 and 29.6, where the same kind of expression is used.
Before the people: this does not mean that he was parading in front of the people of Israel, but rather that he was leading the troops of Israel. It refers specifically to David’s leading the soldiers. Such is the interpretation in various translations: “to march at the head of the troops” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh); “David led his men into action” (Revised English Bible); “So David led the people on their military expeditions” (New American Bible); and “David left and came back at the head of the people” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
It is possible, however, that before the people refers to all the people, not just the soldiers (see verse 16 below). If this is the meaning, then one may say that “he led his troops into battle and returned victoriously to his people.”
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 .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.