complete verse (2 Samuel 13:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 13:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “But when Tamar wanted to give him food, her brother quickly grabbed her and told her that, ‘Let us sleep together.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But when Tamar gave [him] the bread, Amnon, taking her hand, spoke like this, "O my sister, come and sleep with me."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But while she is-feeding- Amnon -by-hand Amnon hugged her and told-(her) that they should-lay-down/[implied have-sexual-relations].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, ‘Come to bed with me!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

come (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In these verses, the Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “come” or similar in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-ide (おいで), combining “come” (ide) with the respectful prefix o-. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 13:11

But: because the events that follow are very different from what Tamar had expected, some languages will mark this by a conjunction like But or “However.” Nevertheless what happens is not contrary to what the reader or hearer of the story is expecting. So in other languages the conjunction may be better translated “Then,” simply showing the next step in the series of events.

Took hold of her: the words used here indicate clearly that significant force was involved. Several versions use the English verb “grabbed” (New International Version and New Century Version as well as Good News Translation). Some other renderings are “caught hold of” (Knox) and “seized her” (New American Bible, Bible en français courant, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Lie with me: see the comments on 11.11 and 12.11. The same imperative form is used in Gen 39.7 and 12, where Potiphar’s wife attempts to force Joseph into a sexual relationship. But note that there the roles are reversed.

Good News Translation omits the words my sister. While it may seem unnatural to have this as a part of the direct quotation, it is so pertinent to the story that some translators may choose to introduce the quotation by saying “said to his [half] sister” instead of simply said to her.

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 .