6As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.
Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
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)
Description: The drum consisted of a membrane, usually of animal skin, which was stretched over a shallow circular, triangular, or square frame.
Usage: The drum was struck sharply with one or two hands, depending on where it was situated. It could be held in the left hand, under the left arm, or against the chest and struck with the right hand, or it could be held on the knees or the ground and struck with one or two hands. The fingers of the left hand could be used to tighten or loosen the tension on the membrane as it was struck with the palm of the right hand.
Translation: The use of the Hebrew word tof is usually associated with singing, processions, and festivals. Archaeological evidence indicates that drums with metal circlets on the frame (“tambourines” or “timbrels”) were not known in biblical times. As a general rule, the best translation for this word will be “hand drum” or simply “drum.”
Lyre (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)
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:
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.”
The first part of this verse is absent from the Septuagint, As they … the Philistine, but textual scholars generally agree that it should be translated. It is, however, omitted by Klein.
As they were coming home: literally “And it happened when they were returning.” Neither Revised Standard Version nor Today’s English Version translate the discourse marker, which is traditionally rendered “and it came to pass.” But the marker may be important because it seems to introduce a kind of flash-back to something that happened prior to the events recorded in 18.1-5. The pronoun they may be ambiguous if translated literally. Revised English Bible restructures as follows: “At the homecoming of the army and the return of David from slaying the Philistine….” The Philistine refers, of course, to Goliath, whom David killed in 17.50. Today’s English Version names him but omits the information that he was a Philistine. Compare Bible en français courant, “After David had killed the Philistine Goliath.” See also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, “When the troops returned from the battle against the Philistines, in which David had killed Goliath.”
Timbrels: the word timbrels in Revised Standard Version translates the same Hebrew word rendered “tambourine” in 10.5 (see the comment on that verse). There is no reason to use different terms for the two occurrences, so New Revised Standard Version has “tambourines” in both cases.
Songs of joy translates a singular noun in Hebrew, meaning “the expression of joy.” Some versions call these “cries of joy” (New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, and Osty-Trinquet). It is possible also to connect this noun more closely with the nouns preceding and following, indicating the manner in which the musical instruments were played, as in Revised English Bible, “rejoicing with tambourines and three-stringed instruments.” Because the context states that the women were singing and dancing, it seems justified to state that these were “songs of joy” (Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New Revised Standard Version, and New American Bible). Some translators may find it more natural to translate the idea of singing only once, and shift the notion of joy to a different place in the verse. For example, one may say “singing joyfully and dancing.”
The Hebrew noun rendered instruments of music occurs only here in the Old Testament, and the exact meaning is unknown. It is not even certain that the word refers to a musical instrument. It is often assumed that this noun is based on the consonants of the Hebrew word “three,” which explains the renderings “triangles” and “three-stringed instruments” in the Revised Standard Version footnote. Revised English Bible renders “three-stringed instruments,” and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Fox, and Chouraqui say “triangles.”
The Septuagint calls these “cymbals” (so also Maredsous). Some translations (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Osty-Trinquet, La Bible Pléiade, and Nueva Biblia Española) follow the Vulgate in calling these instruments “sistrums,” that is, thin metal frames with numerous metal rods or loops that jingle when shaken.
Since the meaning of this word is so uncertain, translators may prefer to follow the interpretation in the version most often used in their language area. Or they may choose to use a general expression such as “musical instruments” (so New Revised Standard Version and Bible en français courant).
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.