angry

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “(was or became) angry” in English is translated in Kwere as “saw anger.” In Kwere, emotions are always paired with sensory verbs (seeing or smelling or hearing). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Bariai it is “to have grumbling interiors” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also anger and feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety).

Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the helmet the Philistine warriors wore was decorated with feather-like objects. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Philistines” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

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

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Sam 29:4)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the inclusive pronoun, including everyone.

complete verse (1 Samuel 29:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 29:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “But those kings became angry and they told Achish that, ‘Tell that man to go back to the city he came from. We should never take him along to battle, because he might turn against us when we are in battle. Don’t you think this man might kill our people so that his king will love/accept him?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But the Philistine commanders, being very angry, said to king Achish, "Send that man back to the city where you have been keeping him. And he must not come with us into battle, otherwise he will go against us during the fighting. And by killing our men, he will get commendation from his master — what other good chance does he have for a deed like this?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But the commanders of the Filistinhon (were) angry. They said, ‘Send- that man -back/cause- that man -to-return to the town/city which you (sing.) gave to him. He should not accompany/go-with us (incl.) into battle. For maybe he will-turn-against us (incl.) and will-kill (us) during the fighting/battle so-that the anger of his master will-be-taken-(away).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But the Philistia army commanders were angry with Achish for allowing David’s army to be going with them. They said to him, ‘Send David and his men back to the city that you gave to him! We do not want him to go with us into the battle. If he goes with us, we will have an enemy in our own midst! He would please King Saul by killing our own soldiers !” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 29:4

The commanders of the Philistines (see the comments on verse 3) are afraid that David and his troops will turn against the Philistines during the battle. By killing Philistine soldiers (with the heads of the men here), David would be able to win back King Saul’s favor.

Were angry with him: that is, angry with King Achish. If there is any danger that readers may understand the pronoun to refer to David, then the name of Achish should be used here.

The commanders of the Philistines said: the Septuagint says simply “they said.” It may be better to follow the example of the Septuagint, not for textual reasons but for reasons of naturalness in translation, since the immediate repetition of this expression may sound unnatural.

The place to which you have assigned him: that is, to the town of Ziklag (see 27.6). See also the comments on the textual problem in verse 10 below.

The precise meaning of go down [with us to battle] is not clear. In fact verse 9 says “to go up.” The Philistines were going up from the coastal plains to the hills of Samaria. Perhaps the sense is “go down into the valley of Jezreel.” Many modern translations simply do not translate the words go down but rather say something like Good News Translation, “Don’t let him go into battle with us.” Other translations may wish to follow this model.

Adversary: this renders the Hebrew word satan, which later came to be considered the name of the devil. As in 2 Sam 19.22 and also Num 22.22, 32; 1 Kgs 11.14, 23, 25, the term refers here to a human adversary.

How could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Translators should make certain that readers understand this fellow to refer to David, and his lord to King Saul.

Would it not be with … the men here? Good News Translation expresses the basic meaning, that the Philistine commanders are afraid that David and his men may turn against the Philistine troops and kill them. But by omitting a reference to the heads of the Philistines, an aspect of ancient warfare is omitted. Victorious soldiers sometimes cut off the heads of defeated enemy troops (for example, 17.46, 51; 31.9; 2 Sam 4.7; 20.22; 2 Kgs 6.32). See the comment on “bodyguard” at 28.2. A translation such as the following will keep this image: “How could this fellow please his king? Wouldn’t it be by turning against us, killing us, and cutting off our heads?” Or, changing the final rhetorical question into a statement, “He could certainly do it by turning against us and cutting off our heads for his master.”

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 .