The Hebrew that is translated in English as “foreskin” is translated into Anuak with the euphemism “tree of their bodies.” (Source: Loren Bliese)
In Rundi, “penis-skin” is used. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
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 .
enemy / foe
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).
complete verse (1 Samuel 18:25)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 18:25:
- Kupsabiny: “Saul told them that, ‘Go and tell David again that, ‘The king doesn’t need anything like bride price but needs only one hundred foreskins of the Philistines to pay back what the Philistines did to him.’ ’ Saul was wanted the Philistines to kill David.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “And he said, "Speak to David like this, "The king only asks a hundred foreskins of the Philistines for the bride price." In this way Saul was thinking that David might be killed at the hands of the Philistines.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Saul said, ‘[You (plur.)] tell David that what I only need as payment to-marry my child/(daughter) is the skin on the end of the (male)-genitals/sexual-organ/(foreskin) of 100 Filistinhon, as my revenge/pay-back to them my enemies.’ That was the plan of Saul so-that David would-be-killed by the hand of the Filistinhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “Saul replied, ‘Go and say to David, ‘In order for the king to allow you to marry Michal, he wants you to kill 100 Philistines and cut off their foreskins and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’ ’ But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David while David was trying to kill them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
king
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
(Click or tap here to see details)
- Piro: “a great one”
- Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
- Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
- Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
- Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
- Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
- Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
See also king (Japanese honorifics).
David
The name that is transliterated as “David” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language 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 .
Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 18:25
The beginning of this verse contains yet another quotation within a quotation. Good News Translation restructures and makes the first quotation Thus shall you say to David an indirect quotation. This will be a helpful model in many other languages.
Saul’s message is in direct response to David’s objection that he was not rich enough to marry into the royal family. Normally the dowry required to marry a king’s daughter consisted of a great deal of money. But here Saul asks only proof that David had defeated and killed a hundred of the enemies of Israel.
Marriage present: many languages will have a technical term such as “bride price” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Fox) to translate this term. The fiancé was required to pay something to the father of the bride (see Gen 34.12; Exo 22.16).
A hundred foreskins of the Philistines: see the comment on 14.6. Unlike the Israelites, the Philistines were not circumcised. Good News Translation makes explicit that Saul wanted David to kill the Philistines: “the foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines.” On the word foreskins compare Gen 17.11; Exo 4.25; Lev 12.3. In languages where circumcision is not known, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente may provide a useful model: “Go tell David that I do not demand the traditional payment in use for the marriage; I only want the proof of the death of a hundred Philistines” (see also the Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translation of verse 27, quoted below).
That he may be avenged of the king’s enemies: literally, “to be avenged of the enemies of the king.” Revised Standard Version adds the pronoun he, referring to Saul, for reasons of English style. Revised English Bible says “by way of vengeance on his enemies.” The meaning of avenged is clearly expressed in Contemporary English Version: “He only wants to get even with his enemies.” Another possible model is “he will be content with a hundred Philistine foreskins, to extract vengeance from his enemies” (Bible en français courant). In some languages the idea of vengeance or revenge may be more naturally expressed as “he will return to his enemies the evil which they have done.”
Fall by the hand of the Philistines: by the hand of is a Hebrew expression indicating agency (see the comments on the same expression in 11.7). Saul devises a plan that is supposed to result in David being killed by the Philistines. To make … fall in this context clearly means “to cause someone to die” or simply “to kill.” See also 2 Kgs 19.7, where God says that he will “cause him [the Assyrian emperor] to fall by the sword.”
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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