complete verse (1 Samuel 27:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 27:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “David lived with his people in that city while each one was staying with his family. David was with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail who was the wife of Nabal.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “David went to stay in Gath with Achish, taking his men and their families, his two wives, the Jezreelite Ahinoam and Nabal’s Abigail of Carmen who had no husband.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They stayed there at Gat with Akish. They brought their families there. David also brought his two wives who (were) Ahinoam who came-from-Jezreel and Abigail who came-from-Carmel, the former wife of Nabal.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “David and his men and their families started to live there in Gath, the city where king Achish lived. David’s two wives were with him—Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Nabal’s widow Abigail, from Carmel.” (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 27:3

David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men: as in the previous verse, the structure of the Hebrew focuses on David but includes his men as well. Of course this does not mean that David, all of his troops, and their families lived in the same compound with the king of Gath. Good News Translation, in fact, omits the words with Achish. The sense is that both Achish and all of David’s men lived in the same city.

Ahino-am of Jezreel: see the comments on 25.43.

Abigail of Carmel: see the comments on 25.3. The word order in Hebrew is literally “and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite [feminine].” The Masoretic Text calls Abigail “the Carmelite.” According to the Septuagint, Nabal is called the Carmelite; and this is the basis for those translations such as New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible that say “Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.”

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 .