Nathan Reproves David

Artwork by Sister Marie Claire , SMMI (1937–2018) from Bengaluru, India.

For more information about images by Sister Marie Claire and ways to purchase them as lithographs, see here .

For other images of Sister Marie Claire paintings in TIPs, see here.

The following artwork is part of a series of 56 paintings on biblical themes by Kazakh artist Nelly Bube (born 1949):

Copyright by Norwegian Bible Society , used with permission.

For other images of Nelly Bube in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (2 Samuel 12:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 12:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “Although you did your sin in secret, I will make this word/thing to happen during daylight while the people of Israel are seeing’ ’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “What you did was done secretly [lit.: in a place where no one was] but I will do this before all Israel in noonday light."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “What you did which is-evil you did (it) in secret, but what I will-do to you I will-show (it) openly.’ ’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “What you did, you did secretly, but what I will cause to happen, everyone in Israel will be able to see it or know about it. ’’” (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 2 Samuel 12:12

For: this represents a common logical connector in Hebrew that is sometimes translated “Indeed.” It is, however, left untranslated by New International Version, New American Bible, and Revised English Bible as well as by Good News Translation.

You did it: literally “you did” or “you acted.” There is no pronoun “it” in the Hebrew. But the reference is clearly to the sin of David in committing adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed in battle. Good News Translation makes this clearer with “you sinned….” New Century Version says “You had sexual relations with Bathsheba in secret.” Others may prefer to say “you did wrong.” New Jerusalem Bible uses the verb “work” (“you have worked in secret”) here and in the contrasting statement about what the LORD will do. The same verb is found in both cases in the original.

You … I: the pronouns are emphatic in Hebrew, and this emphasis should be reflected in the receptor language if possible. The use of emphatic pronouns highlights the contrast between what David did secretly and what the LORD will do before all Israel. Fox shows this emphasis by translating “For you, you did it in secret, but I, I will do this….”

Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation use the conjunction but between the description of David’s secret action and God’s punishment. Another way of showing the strong contrast is “I on the other hand…” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

And before the sun: the preposition differs from that of the similar expression in the previous verse, but it has essentially the same meaning. It gives added emphasis to the fact that what will happen to David’s wives will be publicly seen and known.

A possible model for the verse as a whole:

• As for you, you acted so that no one knew what you did, but I, for my part, will act in this matter in such a way that everyone in Israel will know what I am doing. I will do it in the daytime so that everyone can see.

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 .