messenger

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

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 .

complete verse (1 Samuel 19:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 19:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Saul was told this message, he again sent some people. When those people reached Naioth, they also started prophesying. Saul sent people for the third time. They also went and prophesied words of/from God.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As soon as Saul heard this, he started to send another group of men. They also prophesied. The third time also he started to send men [and] they also started prophesying.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Saul heard what happened, he sent more men to-capture David, but they also spoke the message of God. Saul sent more men for the third time, and they also spoke the message of God.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Saul heard about that, he sent messengers a third time, but they also started to speak ecstatically.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 19:21

When it was told Saul: literally “When they told Saul.” The literal rendering of the Hebrew will provide a much better model for languages that do not naturally use a passive here. Others may say “some people told Saul.” Another way of handling this problem is to make Saul the subject of the verb “heard,” as in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version. This conveys the same meaning and may be more natural.

Prophesied: see verse 20 and 10.5.

As in earlier verses the word translated messengers here may be better translated “another group of soldiers” (Contemporary English Version) or something similar.

Instead of repeating the words they also prophesied at the end of the verse, Good News Translation says simply “the same thing happened to them.” This avoids a threefold repetition, which some consider stylistically inappropriate in English. Such repetition, however, may be perfectly acceptable in some other languages.

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 .