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 15:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 15:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Absalom did like that for every Israelite who came to the home of the king wanting to have his complaint listened to. Then the behavior of Absalom pulled the minds/thoughts of the people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Absalom related well to all the Israelites who came to the king’s place to request judgment. In this way they all loved him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This is what Absalom does to all Israelinhon who go to the king to settle their case. Therefore he had-taken-the-sympathy/stole-the hearts/[lit. brought] of the Israelinhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Absalom did this to everyone in Israel who came to the king because of having a dispute with someone. In that way, Absalom persuaded all the Israeli people to be more pleased with him than they were pleased with David.” (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, 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 15:6

Thus Absalom did: the verb “do” may be so general as to be meaningless in some languages. Translators may consider the following models: “Absalom behaved in this way…” (New International Version) or “This is the manner in which Absalom acted….”

To all of Israel: the meaning of this expression as well as the men of Israel at the end of the verse is directly related to the question of whether Absalom was appealing only to the northern tribes or to the whole of Israel and Judah. The expressions here seem to be all-inclusive and should be so translated. In most cases it will be better to say “people of Israel” instead of men of Israel.

Stole the hearts: this English idiom has its basis in the Hebrew original. The affection that people had had for King David was taken from him and given to Absalom. This points out the success of Absalom’s intrigue. There may be a wide variety of ways in which this idea may be expressed in other languages. As in Contemporary English Version it may be possible to say “Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.” Moffatt uses the verb “beguiled.” In other languages the following models may be considered: “convinced [the people of Israel] to believe in him,” “seduced … into following him,” or “persuaded … to give their allegiance to him.”

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 .