scoundrel

The Hebrew that is translated as “scoundrel” or “worthless person” or similar in English is translated in Vidunda as “troublemaker” and Kutu as “very evil person.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

formal pronoun: difference between Ziba and Shimei addressing David

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

In these verses, Ziba uses the respectful pronoun as he addresses David (2 Samuel 16:4) in the Tuvan translation, whereas Shimei uses the informal pronoun, compounding the insult given by his words (2 Samuel 16:7f.).

complete verse (2 Samuel 16:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 16:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “Shimei went on insulting David saying that, ‘Get out of this land! This murderer! This evildoer/sinner.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Shimei cursed David, speaking like this, "Go! Go! O [you] scoundrel, O [you] murderer!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This is his curse to David: ‘You do- not -enter into our (excl.) town, you murderer/one-who-kills and wicked man!” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Shimei cursed David and said to him, ‘Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 16:7

And: the common conjunction may be omitted in many languages or may be represented by beginning a new paragraph at this point as in Contemporary English Version.

The two verbs introducing the direct quotation are more literally “said … in his cursing.” In many languages a single verb will satisfactorily translate the meaning. But others may say “spoke in this way as a curse” or “cursed him using these words.” New Jerusalem Bible reads “the words of his curse were these….”

Begone: this archaic term has been replaced by “Out!” in New Revised Standard Version. In other languages there may be a special term used to chase away children or animals. But others will say simply “Go away” or “Get out of here” (Contemporary English Version).

Man of blood: these words are used to describe a person who has spilled the blood of others by killing them. A similar expression is found in plural form in the Psalms (55.23 and 139.19). It is probably best to translate it “murderer” (Knox, Good News Translation, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version). A literal translation would probably be misunderstood in most languages, and the rendering “criminal” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) seems too weak.

Worthless fellow: see the comments on a similar term (rendered “base woman”) in 1 Sam 1.16. This expression is hardly strong enough to reflect the meaning of the Hebrew. The exact meaning of the Hebrew word beliyaʿal is not clear, though it is clearly a term of contempt. Perhaps it is formed from two words meaning “without” and “worth.” In the Old Testament this word is used in contexts that suggest the idea of “evil”; by the time of the New Testament, it had become the name of the prince of evil (see 2 Cor 6.15). A literal translation (so King James Version) will have zero meaning. A translation such as “scoundrel” (New Revised Standard Version) or “you villain” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) seems correct in this context. An American Translation translates “vile scoundrel” and New American Bible has “wicked man.” Some versions combine the two expressions. Revised English Bible, for example, takes the two together to mean “you murderous scoundrel.” And Anchor Bible translates them as “you bloodstained fiend of hell!”

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 .