14Then Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is so faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law and is quick to do your bidding and is honored in your house.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 22:14:
Kupsabiny: “Ahimelech replied to Saul that, ‘Who among your leaders is being trusted more than David? After all, he is also your son in law and a commander of the army which is guarding you and he is a man who is respected by everyone in your house.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Ahimelech replied, "Who else in your dynasty, among your honor’s servants is [such a] trustworthy person, the king’s son-in-law, a commander of your bodyguard who has such concern for you, who works like him and who has been [so] respected by all in the royal palace as he has?"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Ahimelec replied to the king, ‘That cannot be! David (was) your (sing.) child-in-law/(son-in-law), and he (is) your (sing.) most-faithful servant. Aside-from that, he (is) the captain of your (sing.) guards and he is-honored in your (sing.) household.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Ahimelech replied, ‘I do not understand why you are saying that, because David, your son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguards, is very loyal to you. No one is more loyal to you than David! Everyone in your household respects him very much.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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.”
Ahimelech’s response to Saul is in the form of a complex rhetorical question. Since this is not a true question, that is, one seeking information, Good News Translation rewords the question as a series of statements. The purpose of these questions is to affirm that David has indeed been loyal to Saul.
Among all your servants: that is, among all your officers. See the comments on the word “servant” at 8.14.
The term translated son-in-law refers to a relative by marriage, but in this context it indicates the already-known fact that David was married to Saul’s daughter (18.27). In some languages the most natural translation may be “Isn’t he married to your daughter?” or, avoiding the rhetorical question, “He is married to your very own daughter!”
Captain over your bodyguard: as the notes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation show, there is a textual problem here. The Masoretic Text has a verb that means “to turn aside.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that the consonants of the word “turn aside” were originally an unusual spelling for the word captain. Then, as scribes misunderstood the meaning of the noun, they changed the vowel and created the verb “to turn aside.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament argues that one vowel in the Hebrew should be changed, restoring the noun captain, without the need to follow other ancient translations or change the Hebrew preposition following the noun. Some versions, however, continue to alter the Hebrew text. New Revised Standard Version, for example, is based on a change of the Hebrew text and says “He is the king’s son-in-law, and is quick to do your bidding.” It is not clear what text Revised English Bible (“appointed to your staff”) follows.
Honored in your house: the word house refers, of course, not to the building in which Saul lived, but to all those who served him in his house. Possible models are “your own people admire him greatly,” “everyone in your house respects him” (New Century Version), or “treated with honor in your palace” (Nueva Biblia Española).
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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