7So David and Abishai went to the army by night; there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him.
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)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 26:7:
Kupsabiny: “Then one night, David woke/got up together with (the) Hittite Ahimelech and Abishai the brother of Joab whom his mother is Zeruiah and went to where Saul’s camp was situated. Saul had laid down close to Abner the son of Ner who was the commander of his army. Some of the soldiers had also laid down surrounding Saul and Abner. David asked his people that, ‘Who among you will enter with me into Saul’s camp?’ Abishai told him that, ‘We shall both go.’ Then, David with Abishai entered into Saul’s camp. They found Saul sleeping between his soldiers and he had firmly fixed his spear in the ground by his head. Abner with (the) soldiers were deeply asleep.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “So at night David and Abishai went into the tent and saw Saul sleeping between the soldiers, his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. As for Abner and the soldiers, Saul was kept in between and [they] were nicely placed, sleeping all around [him].” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So by night, David and Abishai went to the camp of Saul, and they saw Saul sleeping, his spear fell-headfirst/stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were- also -sleeping around him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So that night David and Abishai crept into Saul’s camp. They saw that Saul was asleep. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp. Abner the army commander and the other soldiers were sleeping around Saul.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
So: the common Hebrew conjunction is rightly taken by most modern translations as a logical connector in this context.
By night may be better rendered “while it was [still] dark” in some languages.
There lay Saul sleeping: the Hebrew begins this sentence with the focusing particle often translated “behold.” The original may be more literally rendered “behold Saul is sleeping!” This construction seems to be intended to mark an element of surprise in the story.
The army: literally “the people.” See verse 5.
Encampment: see verse 5.
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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