15David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 26:15:
Kupsabiny: “He replied him that, ‘Abner, are you not a man who is honored/respected in Israel? Then why haven’t you guarded your master? Why did you allow someone to come into your (plur.) camp and he almost speared the king?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “David said to Abner, "Abner, What! You are very strong, aren’t you? What! Who is there in Israel like you? Yet, why were you not able to protect the great king, your lord? Some soldier came to kill your master the king.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “David replied, ‘(Are) you (sing.) not the bravest man in Israel? Why have- you (sing.) not -watched-over/guarded the king your (sing.) master? Someone came there to kill him!” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “David replied, ‘I am sure that you are the greatest man in Israel ! So why did you not guard your master, the king? Someone came into your camp in order to kill your master, the king.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.
In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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.”
Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? The context makes clear that these are rhetorical questions. Some versions change one or both of these questions into strong statements of affirmation (so Nueva Biblia Española and La Bible du Semeur). David’s questions function almost as taunts to criticize Abner for not doing his job well, even though he is a great military leader. Bible en français courant says “Abner, you are a man, aren’t you?” David asked. “There is not a better soldier than you in Israel!”
The words your lord are used twice in this verse in the sense of “your master,” and they refer to Saul. If there is any doubt as to whom they refer, the name of Saul may be added, or “the king,” as in Good News Translation.
For: the transition word shows the relationship between David’s taunts and what had just happened in the camp for which Abner was responsible. Abner’s importance is questioned precisely because he had allowed someone to enter the camp without his knowledge.
One of the people: this expression refers to “one of the soldiers” (Anchor Bible) or simply “a soldier.”
Came in: that is, “came into the camp” or “came into your camp” (New Century Version).
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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