silent / quiet / keep peace

The Hebrew that is translated “silent,” “quiet,” or “keep peace” or similar in English is emphasized in the interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) with the ideophone phee. (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 105)

Philip Noss (in The Bible Translator 1976, p. 100ff. ) explains the function of an ideophone: “The ideophone may be identified with onomatopoeia and other sound words frequently seen in French and English comic strips, but in [many] African languages it comprises a class of words with a very wide range of meaning and usage. They may function verbally, substantively, or in a modifying role similar to adverbs and adjectives. They describe anything that may be experienced: action, sound, color, quality, smell, or emotion. In oral literature they are used not only with great frequency but also with great creativity.”

brother (older brother)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “brother” in English is translated in Kwere as sekulu, in Elhomwe as mbalaawo´, and in Mandarin Chinese as gēgē (哥哥), all “older brother.”

Note that Kwere also uses lumbu — “older sibling” in some cases. (Source for Kwere and Elhomwe: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext; Chinese: Jost Zetzsche)

In Lama it is translated as “older or younger brother.” (Source: Neal Brinneman)

See also older brother (Japanese honorifics).

Absalom (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1972).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

See also Absalom.

Absalom

The Hebrew that is transliterated as “Absalom” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs depicting “hair + caught” referring to 2 Samuel 18:9. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Absalom” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Absalom (image).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Absalom .

complete verse (2 Samuel 13:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 13:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Absalom saw his sister going around crying, he said, ‘Girl, has your brother Amnon humiliated you? Keep quiet, for he is your brother. Let this word/thing not become heavy on you.’ So, Tamar lived in the house of her brother Absalom like an abandoned/deserted woman.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Her brother Absalom, seeing her, asked, "What! Has Amnon raped you or what? [My dear] younger sister, do not feel sad, taking that matter to heart. He is your stepmother’s son. Don’t tell anyone about this matter." Tamar went to live in Absolam’s house, and she lived alone in distress as an abandoned woman.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “She was-seen by her brother Absalom and was-asked, ‘Is there something-bad that Amnon did to you? Do- not -tell this to others, for he is your sibling on (side of) father. Just do- not keep thinking of what happened to you.’ And Tamar lived there now in the house of Absalom, but she was always by-herself and was-being-sad.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Her brother Absalom saw her and said to her, ‘Has your half-brother Amnon forced you to have sex with him ? Please, my sister, do not tell anyone, and do not become depressed/sad.’ So Tamar went to live in Absalom’s house, and she was very sad and lonely.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with low register (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 second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 13:20

Her brother Absalom: it is not known whether Absalom was older or younger than Tamar, but in some languages translators must decide. If a decision is forced it will probably be better to use the term for “older sibling” to describe the relationship of Absalom to Tamar.

Has Amnon your brother been with you? Good News Translation again drops the words your brother, presumably for the sake of naturalness in English, but this provides an emphasis that is important to the story. The use of the expression “to be with” is to be taken as a euphemism for sexual relations, as may be surmised from the statement in the story of Joseph (Gen 39.10). Most English versions translate this euphemistic expression literally, but in many languages it may be misleading to do so. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh leaves the reader to imagine that there was some obvious physical evidence of what had happened to Tamar as it translates this question “Was it your brother Amnon who did this to you?” New Century Version is even more direct: “has Amnon, your brother, forced you to have sexual relations with him?”

The form of the name Amnon in Hebrew at this point is different from other references to him in this passage. In the mouth of Absalom the diminutive form is taken by some interpreters as a sign of his contempt for his half brother. One scholar has even suggested translating “Amnon your little brother.” But this will almost certainly be misleading in many languages, since Amnon was the oldest son of David (3.2). Most translations either ignore the diminutive form or mention it only in a footnote.

Hold your peace: this may be understood in two very different ways: (a) “Stop your crying” or “Be quiet now” (New International Version), and (b) “don’t tell anyone what happened” (Contemporary English Version). Many translations retain the ambiguity, but in view of Absalom’s plan to get revenge, perhaps it is better to follow the second interpretation, “keep quiet about it” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Note that Good News Translation reverses the order of elements at this point.

He is your brother: as indicated in Good News Translation, Amnon is actually her half brother, but this repetition underlines the importance of their close relationship.

Do not take this to heart: the idiom “take something to heart” really means “to worry about something.” Absalom is telling his sister not to worry about what had happened to her; “Don’t let this upset you so much” (New Century Version). Compare 13.33 and 1 Sam 21.12, where Hebrew forms that are slightly different from that here express the same meaning.

A desolate woman: some scholars take this expression to refer to the fact that Tamar remained unmarried, and point to Isa 54.1, where a desolate woman is used in contrast with one that is married. But others leave this implicit while focusing on the fact that she was “sad and lonely” (New Century Version as well as Good News Translation) or “inconsolable” (New Jerusalem Bible). The basic sense is that Tamar was removed from contact with other people.

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 .