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 name that is transliterated as “Absalom” in English means “father of peace,” “my father is peace.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It 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 13:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 13:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “Absalom pleaded until David accepted Amnon to go with the rest of the sons.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But again Absalom insisted. So David said that Amnon and all the king’s sons were to go with him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But Absalom really pressed (the issue), so David now just had- Amnon -go-with, and his other male children as-well.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David’s other sons to go with Absalom.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 13:27

But: instead of answering the question, Absalom continues to insist (see verse 25 on pressed; the same correction of the Hebrew verb is necessary here also). For this reason, a conjunction indication something contrary to expectation is required here.

Let … go: literally “sent” (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

All the king’s sons: since Amnon was a son of David, it will be better to follow the Good News Translation model and say “all his other sons.” Revised English Bible and New American Bible say “and all the other princes.” If the receptor language has a special term for referring to the sons of a king, that term may be used here.

Some ancient manuscripts have an additional sentence here that is not found in Revised Standard Version. The Septuagint adds “And Absalom made a banquet according to the banquet of a king.” This is reflected in Good News Translation, “Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king.” New Jerusalem Bible says “Absalom prepared a royal banquet.” These words were accidentally omitted by a scribe. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends this longer reading, giving it an {A} rating, as do the commentaries of Anderson and Anchor Bible. It is also adopted by many translations (for example, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nueva Biblia Española, and Contemporary English Version). Revised English Bible includes these words at the beginning of verse 28 rather than at the end of 27.

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 .