day and night

The Hebrew and Ge’ez that is often translated in English as “day and night” or “all day and all night” is translated in Danish as døgn, a word that specifically refers a more or less 24-hour period including day and night (unlike dag which refers to the time of daylight). (Source: Iver Larsen)

Saul

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)


“Saul” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about King Saul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Saul .

power / strength

The Hebrew that is typically translated in English as “power” or “might” or “force” is translated in the English translation by Goldingay (2018) as energy or energetic.

complete verse (1 Samuel 28:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 28:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “Immediately his heart snapped and he fell down sprawling. He was weak because he had gone without food for the whole day and slept in the mouth (not eating dinner).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Saul lay prostrate on the ground in great fear. And he stayed all night and all day without eating anything. In this way he became very weak.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Saul fell-down and dropped-face-down on the ground. He (was) greatly afraid of what Samuel said. He felt-weak for he had-eaten nothing all day and night.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Saul immediately fell flat on the ground. He was so afraid because of what Samuel had said that he became paralyzed. He was also very weak because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 28:20

Saul fell at once: literally “Saul made haste and fell.” Fox translates very literally, “Shaʾul hurried and fell,” but this translation is strange-sounding English and fails to express the correct meaning. The first of the two verbs is the same as in the story of Abigail (25.18, 23, 34, 42). But Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation rightly translate it as an adverbial expression here. Several other modern versions render it “immediately” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). The same verb is translated “quickly” in verse 24 below.

He had eaten nothing: literally “he had not eaten bread.” Bread is used here to signify food in general.

The second half of this verse, concerning Saul’s lack of physical strength, contains the same adverb that is translated Moreover at the beginning of verse 19. Although it is omitted by some versions, it may be translated in much the same way as in the previous verse: “besides” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh); “in addition” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); “moreover” (New American Bible).

All day and all night: that is, “all that day and night” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) or “since the day before” (Bible en français courant, Contemporary English Version).

In certain languages it may sound more natural to reverse the order of certain elements in this verse:

• What Samuel said frightened Saul very much. So he immediately fell to the ground and lay there stretched out. Furthermore, since he had not taken any food at all that day and night, he was very weak.

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 .