Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English means “(from) the land of wanderers,” “(from the) land of strangers” (same as “Palestinian”). (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It 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)

fat, oil

The different Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (1 Samuel 9:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 9:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘By tomorrow at this time, I will send a man from the area/province of Benjamin. When that man arrives, anoint him to become the ruler/king of my Israelite people. That man will rescue those people from the Philistines because I have heard how they are suffering.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Tomorrow at this time I will send a man here from the area of Benjamin. You are to anoint him king of my subjects, Israel. He will release my subjects from the hand of the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my subjects, for the sound of their weeping has reached me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Tomorrow, at this hour, I will-have-come to you (sing.) a man from the place of Benjamin. You (sing.) will-rub his head with oil to-show that he is the chosen leader/[lit. head] of my people (the) Israelinhon. He will-deliver/save my people from the hand of the Filistinhon, for I have-seen the sufferings of my people, and I have-heard their asking-for help.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘At this time tomorrow, I will send to you a man from the land where the descendants of Benjamin live. Pour olive oil on his head to indicate that he will be the leader of my Israeli people. I have seen that my people are suffering because the Philistine people are oppressing them, and I have heard my people as they have called out to me for help. The man on whose head you pour olive oil will rescue my people from the Philistine people.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 9:16

A man from the land of Benjamin refers to Saul, but he should not be identified by name here. Although land is a correct literal translation of the Hebrew text, Saul’s membership in the tribe of Benjamin is what is important. If a literal rendering risks being understood merely as referring to Saul’s location prior to going to Ramah, then it may be better to translate “from the tribe of Benjamin,” as in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version.

Anoint: see the comment on 2.10.

The Hebrew word translated prince in Revised Standard Version has a wide range of meaning, referring to persons who have widespread influence, from court officials and heads of families, to military officers, and to leaders appointed by God, including high priests and kings. The translation “commander” (New American Bible) suggests that the focus here is on Saul’s role as a military commander. The word probably means “the designated one” or “the one proclaimed.” It may therefore be rendered “chosen leader” or “designated ruler.” It should not be understood to mean “the son of a king,” which is the usual sense of the English word “prince.” This same term occurs in 10.1; 13.14; 25.30; 2 Sam 5.2; 6.21; 7.8.

On the figurative use of hand, see the comments on 4.8. Here the phrase means “from the power of the Philistines.”

As noted in Revised Standard Version, the Hebrew lacks the words the affliction of. Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version add these words, following the Septuagint. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives only a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text. Even if translators choose to follow the Masoretic Text here, they may decide to include the words “the sufferings of,” since the idea is surely implicit in the Hebrew.

For I have seen the affliction … their cry has come to me: these words echo God’s words to Moses in Exo 3.7, 9. The last part of this expression, with cry as the subject of the sentence, may be unnatural if translated literally. The meaning, however, is easily rendered “I have heard their call for help.”

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 .