complete verse (1 Samuel 30:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 30:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “When David had reached Ziklag on the third day together with his people, he found that their city had been destroyed. The Amalekites had raided the towns in the lower part of Judah and the city of Ziklag. The city of Ziklag had come under attack and was set ablaze.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziglag. At that time, they saw the Amalekites had plundered Negev and Ziklag attacked Ziklag and set it on fire.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “On the third day, David and his men reached Ziklag. They found-out that the Amaleknon had-attacked the towns/cities of Juda and they burned Ziklag.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Three days later, when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, they discovered that men of the Amalek people-group had raided Ziklag and towns in the southern part of Judah. They had destroyed Ziklag and burned down all the buildings.” (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 30:1

Came to Ziklag: the king of Gath had given the city of Ziklag to David, for him to live there (see 27.5-7). David was returning to Ziklag from Aphek (29.1-2), a distance of about 120 kilometers (or 75 miles). It will be natural in many languages to say that David and his men “arrived back” or “returned.”

On the third day: counting the day on which they left as the first day, they arrived on the third day. Good News Translation expresses this in the common way of calculating time in English as “Two days later.” This information is also shifted forward to the beginning of the verse. Its placement in other translations, however, will depend on what is most natural in the receptor language.

Amalekites: see the comments on 14.48. No reason is given in the narrative for the raid by the Amalekites, but probably it was in retaliation for David’s earlier raids against them (see 27.8-9).

The verb forms had made and had overcome … and burned indicate that these actions of the Amalekite army took place prior to David’s return to Ziklag. The description of the Amalekites’ actions continues, in fact, in verse 2. Some languages may require a restructuring of these two verses so that the Amalekite attack is described before the description of David’s arrival in Ziklag. In fact verse 3 begins with a repetition of the account of the arrival of David and his men in Ziklag.

The Negeb: see the comments on 27.10. In this context it is advisable to translate “southern Judah” (Good News Translation) or “the southern part of Judah.”

Burned it with fire: the mention of fire may be redundant in many languages. While it is possible to burn an object with something other than fire (such as acid), the most commonly understood meaning of the verb “burn” is to burn with fire. Many versions therefore say simply “burned it down” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “set it on fire” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible).

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 .