18(Now she was wearing an ornamented robe with sleeves, for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in earlier times.) So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 13:18:
Kupsabiny: “Then that servant chased Tamar and locked the door. (Tamar had put on a cloth/dress that had long sleeves and reached to the feet, because in those days that is how the daughters of kings who had not yet married were dressed.)” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The servant cast her out, shut the door, and bolted it. Tamar was wearing a dress with full sleeves, a dress unmarried princess wear.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So the servant sent- Tamar -out and closed the door. Tamar was-wearing that-time a beautiful and long clothes/garment for that-was what the daughters of king(s) were-wearing that time-period.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So the servant put her outside and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with long sleeves, which was the clothing that was usually worn by the unmarried daughters of the king at that time.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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.”
The order of the ideas in this verse may have to be shifted in languages where it is more natural to speak first of the fact that Tamar was put out of the house immediately, and then to describe what she was wearing.
Now: the conjunction used here serves only to connect the narrative with this parenthetic description of the kind of clothing Tamar was wearing. It need not be translated if the receptor language requires no transition word in this context.
A long robe with sleeves: the exact meaning of the two Hebrew words so translated is uncertain. The first Hebrew noun refers to a long, shirtlike tunic. But the exact sense of the second term is not clear. Some understand this to be a long tunic that reached to the ankles. Compare New American Bible, “a long tunic.” These same words are found in the story of Joseph (Gen 37.3, 23, and 32), where the same problem of meaning exists. The traditional rendering in both cases gives the impression of a “garment of divers colours” (King James Version) and is based on the ancient Greek rendering of these words. Essentially the same meaning is retained by New International Version, “a richly ornamented robe,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, “an ornamented tunic.” But a slight majority of modern versions prefer the idea expressed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Others, however, insist that the words are not intended to provide a description of the robe but to underline the social status of the person wearing it. So Traduction œcuménique de la Bible speaks of “a princely tunic,” and Knox has “the long robe of a princess.” Since the precise meaning is not clear, translators may wish to follow the example of Knox or Traduction œcuménique de la Bible.
For thus were the virgin daughters of the king clad: the verb form used here should indicate habitual action. It was the normal custom for daughters of the king to wear such clothing before they were married. In languages which have a special word for “daughters of a king” (such as “princesses”), that term should probably be used here.
Of old: the Hebrew actually has the word “[with] garments [or, robes]” here, and this is recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text. But several modern versions adopt the modified reading as in Revised Standard Version. By changing the vowels of the Hebrew word, the meaning “long ago” is attained. This is followed by New Revised Standard Version (“in earlier times”), New American Bible (“in olden days”), and New Jerusalem Bible (“in days gone by”). Translators are urged to follow the recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh may serve as a model: “She was wearing an ornamented tunic, for maiden princesses were customarily dressed in such garments.”
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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