English translations say “Syrians made peace with the Israelites after being defeated by them” in 2 Samuel 10:19— The idiomatic expression used by the Dan translator in this context for making peace is “giving a white chicken.” When people offer a white chicken, they accept defeat. The victorious party is expected to accept the chicken to show that they will not retaliate. It’s important that the chicken be white, not any other color, and that its legs not be tied (showing freedom).
serve
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In Quetzaltepec Mixe, “serve” is translated as “obey.” (Source: Robert Bascom)
complete verse (2 Samuel 10:19)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 10:19:
- Kupsabiny: “When the rulers/kings who were lower than/under Hadadezer saw that the soldiers of Arameans had been defeated they requested to stay in harmony with Israel and they accepted/surrendered to David to rule them. So, the Arameans feared to help the Ammonites again.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “All the kings subject to Hadadezer realized that they were defeated [lit.: we are defeated] by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to him. After that the Arameans had no desire to help the Ammonites again.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “When the kings of the Arameanhon who were under-the-jurisdiction of Hadadezer saw, that they are- now -defeated by the Israelinhon, they befriended with the Israelinhon and put-themselves-under- their -jurisdiction. So from that-time-on the Arameanhon were- now -afraid to help the Ammonhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “When all the kings who had been ruled by Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by the Israeli army, they made peace with the Israelis and agreed to accept David as their king. So the army of Syria was afraid to help the army of the Ammon people-group any more.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
king
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
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- Piro: “a great one”
- Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
- Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
- Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
- Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
- Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
- Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
See also king (Japanese honorifics).
Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 10:19
Kings who were servants: in some languages the use of the two terms kings and servants for the same persons would be impossible. These kings were subjects of Hadadezer, but they were people of such high status that they could not be referred to as “servants” in many cultures. New International Version translates the Hebrew word with the technical English word “vassal,” which refers to someone who is subordinate to someone else. A number of versions call them “vassal kings” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Revised English Bible), or one may use a verbal expression like “the kings who served Hadadezer” (New Century Version) or “kings who had been under Hadadezer’s rule” (Contemporary English Version).
Had been defeated by Israel: this passive expression can be made active in many languages; for example, “that the Israelites had defeated them.”
Made peace: the immediate context shows that this involved accepting the terms of peace dictated by the victorious army. In some languages the proper expression here will be “begged for peace,” “sat in peace,” or “gave up fighting.”
So: that is, as a result of seeing the military victory of the people of Israel. The conjunction here introduces a final note in the story of the Syrians’ relationship to Israel. That the Syrians feared to help the Ammonites any more reminds the reader of verse 6, where the Ammonites hired Syrian troops to help them fight against Israel.
Any more: or, more literally, “again” as in Revised English Bible and New Century Version.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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