complete verse (2 Samuel 13:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 13:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Amnon finished his words/things, he hated his sister very much. He hated Tamar more than how he loved at first, and he chased like this, ‘Get away from here!’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then Amnon hated Tamar intensely. Amnon’s current hatred became greater than his former love. Amnon said to Tamar, "Get up quickly and get out of here [lit.: and go out]!"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Amnon was- very -angry with her, and his anger is more than his love to her before. Amnon said to her, ‘You rise-up and get-out!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Amnon hated her very much. He hated her much more than he had desired her. He said to her, ‘Get up and get out of here!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 13:15

Then: that is, following the successful completion of his goal of sleeping with his half sister. The conjunction here simply marks the next in a series of events.

Hated her with very great hatred: the repetitious use of a noun and a verb having the same root serves to make the statement more emphatic. The text also contains two other words (translated very great) that serve to intensify the meaning here. The statement could hardly be made any stronger. This very emphatic meaning should somehow be reflected in translation.

So that …: the Hebrew word so translated may be better rendered “In fact” (New International Version) or “indeed” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version, and Anderson). But some prefer to leave it untranslated (Revised English Bible and Good News Translation).

The rather awkward-sounding sentence the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her may be said in a much more natural way in most languages. The idea is something like “His love for her had been very strong. But now his hatred for her was even stronger” or “He had loved her very much, but now he hated her even more.”

Arise, be gone: these two verbs, both in imperative form, may be rendered “Get up and get out!” (New International Version). However, the first verb, “to rise up,” is often used in connection with a second verb as an incitement to action rather than a command in itself. For this reason it is possible to translate simply “Get out!” as in Good News Translation and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh.

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 .