swear / vow

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “swear (an oath)” or “vow” in English is otherwise translated as:

  • “God sees me, I tell the truth to you” (Tzeltal)
  • “loading yourself down” (Huichol)
  • “speak-stay” (implying permanence of the utterance) (Sayula Popoluca)
  • “say what could not be taken away” (San Blas Kuna)
  • “because of the tight (i.e. ‘binding’) word said to a face” (Guerrero Amuzgo)
  • “strong promise” (North Alaskan Inupiatun) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • “eat an oath” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • “drink an oath” (Jju) (source: McKinney 2018, p. 31).
  • “cut taboos” (Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Cherokee: “putting one’s hand up to someone” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 16)

In Bauzi “swear” can be translated in various ways. In Hebrews 6:13, for instance, it is translated with “bones break apart and decisively speak.” (“No bones are literally broken but by saying ‘break bones’ it is like people swear by someone else in this case it is in relation to a rotting corpse’ bones falling apart. If you ‘break bones’ so to speak when you make an utterance, it is a true utterance.”) In other passages, such as in Matthew 26:72, it’s translated with an expression that implies taking ashes (“if a person wants everyone to know that he is telling the truth about a matter, he reaches down into the fireplace, scoops up some ashes and throws them while saying ‘I was not the one who did that.'”). So in Matthew 26:72 the Bauzi text is: “. . . Peter took ashes and defended himself saying, ‘I don’t know that Nazareth person.'” (Source: David Briley)

See also swear (promise) and Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’, or ‘No, No’.

complete verse (1 Samuel 20:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 20:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “Jonathan made David to show how their covenant of love was like, because he loved David as he loved himself.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Once again Jonathan promised that he would certainly love David, for he loved David as he loved himself.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jonatan had- David -swear again to-love him, because he really loved David as himself/[lit. his own self].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “And Jonathan requested David to repeat his solemn promise to be his close friend, because Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.” (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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 20:17

The meaning of this verse is closely linked to the preceding verses. Some follow the Septuagint and incorrectly understand that it is Jonathan who makes a commitment to David, as in “Jonathan then renewed his oath to David” (so New Jerusalem Bible).

But Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, provides a clear explanation. In verse 16 Jonathan has obtained an oath, or promise, from David. Now in verse 17 Jonathan makes David swear an oath again, this time guaranteeing the oath by the love that he has for Jonathan. Good News Translation incorrectly says that Jonathan “made David promise to love him.” But Jonathan does not ask David to promise to love him. Rather, he asks David to promise to keep the covenant with Jonathan’s descendants and asks David to guarantee this by swearing on the basis of his love for Jonathan (by his love for him). Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, “Jonathan made David swear again in the name of his friendship; he loved him more than a brother.” In some cases the meaning of swear again may have to be filled out to say something like “promise that he would be kind to his descendants.”

For he loved … his own soul: literally “for love of his nefesh he loved him.” Nefesh here stands for a person’s whole being. A literal translation will be obscure in many languages. In some languages the best translation will be the reflexive pronoun “himself” as in Good News Translation and other modern versions. Others may say “his own life.” It may also be necessary to make clear that the subject of the verb loved is Jonathan, as in Good News Translation. See the similar statement in 18.1, 3.

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 .