snare

The now commonly-used German expression Fallstrick for “snare,” but today only used in German in the sense to cause someone to stumble (“jemandem einen Fallstick legen”), was first coined in 1534 in the German Bible translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 65)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

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 .

self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)

complete verse (1 Samuel 18:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 18:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “He said in his stomach that, ‘I will allow David to marry my daughter Michal. After that, I will use this girl to trick David to be killed by the Philistines.’ So, Saul told David the second time that, ‘My friend, you will become a son in law in this family.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In his mind he thought like this, "I will give Michal in marriage to David, so that this one might be a trap for David to be killed by the hand of the Philistines, and that the Philistines might carry out their enmity against him." So Saul was pleased to request a second time that David be made his son-in-law.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He said to himself/[lit. his own self], ‘I will-have- Mical -marry David, so-that through this David would-be-killed by the Filistinhon.’ So Saul said to David, ‘You (sing.) still have an opportunity/chance to-become my child-in-law/(son-in-law).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He thought, ‘I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.’ So he said to David, ‘You can marry Michal,’ and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English means “beloved.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

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

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 18:21

Saul thought: see the comments on verse 11. If it is more natural to make the thoughts of Saul into indirect discourse, translators may wish to say something like the following: “Saul decided to give Michal to David so that he could use her to trick him and somehow get the Philistines to kill him.”

The hand of the Philistines: for the metaphorical use of hand as “power,” see 4.8.

A snare: the root meaning of the word so translated is “bait” used to lure a bird into a trap. The word is found frequently in the Old Testament (Exo 10.7; Deut 7.16; Josh 23.13; Judges 2.3). Revised English Bible may provide a good model for the whole clause: “the bait that lures him to his death at the hand of the Philistines.”

The last sentence in this verse is lacking in one important manuscript of the Septuagint. Some think that these words were added later to the Hebrew text. For this reason New American Bible places this sentence within square brackets, and Anchor Bible and Klein omit it.

A second time translates a Hebrew word meaning “by two.” Though Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other translations understand this to mean a second time (see verse 17 for the first time), other interpretations are possible. Chouraqui says “on two conditions.” Different yet is New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, “You can become my son-in-law even now through the second one,” that is, by marrying Michal, the second daughter.

There is no record of Saul saying these exact words earlier in the story. And even here the direct quotation may not be the most natural way to express the meaning. The idea is most probably that “Saul promised David a second time that he would be asked to marry one of his daughters.”

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 .