26Then the sentinel saw another man running, and the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also is bringing tidings.”
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 18:26:
Kupsabiny: “Soon after, that guard saw another person running towards (them). He again called to (him) like this, ‘Another one is there running this way.’ The king said, ‘Even that one is bringing us news.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Then again the watchman saw another man coming, running alone. Then that watchman said to the guard down below at the gate, "Look, again another man is coming, running alone." The king said, "He must also bring good news."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “the one-who-watches saw still another man running also. He shouted below that there is still another man who is-approaching. The king said, ‘He also might have news.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then the watchman saw another man running. So he called down to the gatekeeper, ‘Look! There is another man running!’ And the king said, ‘He also is bringing some good news.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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.”
And: the common conjunction here introduces something that is somewhat contrary to expectation. It adds a new element as far as the watchman is concerned—something that he had not previously noticed.
To the gate: while the Masoretic Text has “to the gatekeeper” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Translation) or “porter” (Goldman), the Septuagint has the noun “gate,” which is the basis for the translations “to [or into, or toward] the gate” (An American Translation, Revised English Bible). And some ancient versions have “from the gate above” (compare New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible). In Hebrew the nouns “gate” and “gatekeeper” have the same consonants but different vowels. The general meaning is virtually the same in any case, but probably it is best to translate the meaning “to the gatekeeper” as recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {B} rating to that reading.
See: this reflects the same word that is often used as a focusing particle to call attention to what is about to be said. Here it calls attention to the new information that the watchman has noticed and then passes on to the king.
Alone: the two runners were not together, and so each one is described as being “alone.” However, the presence of two men may make it inadvisable to translate this word explicitly in the receptor language.
Tidings: see the comments in the previous verse.
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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