complete verse (2 Samuel 12:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 12:30:

  • Kupsabiny: “David came later and removed the crown of gold from the king of those people and put it on. That crown had a weight of thirty four kilograms and a stone which sells for much money was attached to it. He plundered from that city many things.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “David took the gold crown from their king’s head. It weighed 35 kilograms and was inlaid with jewels. David took jewels and put the jewels on his own crown. Furthermore he conquered and brought many things from the city.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “David took the gold crown from the head of the king of the Ammonhon and placed (it) on his head. The crown weighed about 35 kilos, and it has precious stones. Many things/belongings David took from that city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then David took the crown from the head of the king of Rabbah (OR, from the head of Milcom the god of Rabbah) and put it on his own head. It was very heavy; it weighed 75 pounds/34 kg., and it had many very valuable stones fastened to it. His soldiers also took many other valuable things from the city.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 12:30

Took the crown: on the word for crown see 1.10.

Of their king: numerous modern translations, including New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised English Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Good News Translation, correct the Hebrew noun of their king to read the name of the god of the Ammonites named “Milcom” or “Moloch,” who is mentioned also in 1 Kgs 11.5, 33 and 2 Kgs 23.13. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament also recommends “Milcom.” In Hebrew the word for “their king” and the name “Milcom” have exactly the same consonants. Since the vowels were added much later to the Hebrew text, there is good reason to believe that Milcom was the intended meaning of the original. While this is recommended to translators, it may be wise to add a footnote to explain the difference in meaning to readers who will be consulting other translations.

A talent of gold: since modern readers have no idea what kind of measure a talent is, this should be translated in such a way as to make it meaningful. A talent was the equivalent of seventy-five pounds (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), or about thirty-four kilograms. Bible en français courant rounds this off to say “more than thirty kilos.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy is more precise with “thirty-three kilos,” while Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch speaks of “thirty-five kilos.” A round figure like thirty or thirty-five will probably sound more natural in many languages. The weight of this crown lends support to the belief that it was not taken from the head of a human being but from the head of an idol.

A precious stone: that is, “a valuable jewel” (Contemporary English Version). While the Hebrew is singular, some versions take this as a collective noun and translate it by the plural, “precious stones” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible, New International Version, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

It was placed on David’s head: scholars differ on whether the pronoun it refers to the crown or the jewel. Logically it seems difficult to imagine David wearing a thirty-four-kilogram crown on his head for any length of time.

The spoil of the city: the word spoil refers to whatever items the Israelite soldiers may have found in the city and considered valuable. Some languages may translate this “many treasures,” “a great quantity of plunder” (New International Version), or “many valuable things.”

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 .