17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel; a female slave used to go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 17:17:
Kupsabiny: “At that place/time, Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting where it is called En-rogel because it was hard to enter that town because they would meet with serious/fierce matters. There was a girl who was sent all the time to go and explain to those people what was happened so that those ones could go to tell (it) to king David.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Jonathan’s son of Abiathar, and Ahimaaz, son of Zadok were staying at En-rogel, Whatever happens inside the city, a girl continually be giving the news to them and they would give message to David. Because they did not have the courage to let people see them going into the city.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “That time, Jonatan the child of Abiatar and Ahimaaz the child of Zadok were-waiting at En Rogel, for they do- not -want to-be-seen coming-out-and-coming-in of Jerusalem. They are- just -sending a servant girl to tell them what is-happening, and then they are-telling it to David.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The priest’s two sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were waiting at En-Rogel Spring, outside Jerusalem. They did not dare to enter the city, because if someone saw them, he would report it to Absalom. While they were at En-Rogel, a female servant of the two priests would frequently go to them and report to them what was happening, and then they would go and report it to King David.” (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.”
Good News Translation makes it clear that Abiathar and Zadok were the fathers of Jonathan and Ahima-az. See 15.27, where Jonathan and Ahima-az are first identified.
En-rogel: the first letters of this name in Hebrew, ʿeyn, mean “spring.” This refers to a water source located in the Kidron Valley near the place where it joins the Hinnom Valley to the southeast of the city of Jerusalem. While most English versions transliterate the two parts together as a single name, it will probably be better to translate the meaning of at least the first part, “the spring of Rogel” (Knox) or “Rogel Spring” (Contemporary English Version). The meaning of the word rogel is thought to be “fuller,” a person who shrinks and thickens wool cloth by moistening, heating, and pressing; therefore New Jerusalem Bible and Bible en français courant translate both parts, “the Fuller’s Spring.” Compare also Josh 15.7 and 1 Kgs 1.9, which refer to this same spring. Another possible way to translate this name is to transliterate the Hebrew name and then include the meaning of the name in parentheses following the name (so Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Like Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Fox keeps both the Hebrew and the translated meaning of the name by saying “Ein Rogel/Fuller’s Spring.”
Maidservant: the word found here is usually used of a female slave. See chapter 14, where the term is frequently used. Compare also Ruth 2.13 and 1 Sam 1.18; 8.16.
The verb forms used to go and tell … and they would go indicate habitual or repeated action on the part of the woman and the two messengers. In languages that have habitual verb forms, they should be used here.
The structure of this verse may need to be modified in some cases. The part that says for they must not be seen entering the city comes at the end of the verse in the Hebrew text. But this is an explanation of why Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at the Rogel Spring, and for this reason it has been shifted forward in Good News Translation and a few other English versions. This will probably be more logical in most other languages as well. Remarkably, even King James Version does this! It may also be wise to state the name of the city, as in Good News Translation, even though the Hebrew does not.
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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