וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שָׁל֥וֹם לַנַּ֖עַר לְאַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחִימַ֡עַץ רָאִיתִי֩ הֶהָמ֨וֹן הַגָּד֜וֹל לִ֠שְׁלֹחַ אֶת־עֶ֨בֶד הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ יוֹאָב֙ וְאֶת־עַבְדֶּ֔ךָ וְלֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי מָֽה׃
29The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great tumult when the king’s servant Joab sent your servant, but I do not know what it was.”
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.
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 .
(Click or tap here to see details)
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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).
The verb said may be better translated “asked” in some languages, since what follows is a question.
The question Is it well with the young man Absalom? is more literally “[Is there] peace to the young man Absalom?” where the name Absalom is very similar to the word for peace. The name Absalom actually means “father is peace.” But it was common to ask “Is it well with…” when inquiring about the welfare of another person (compare Gen 29.6; 2 Kgs 4.26). However, in many languages it will be more natural to say “Is the young man Absalom safe?” or “How is the [welfare of] young man Absalom?” or possibly “What is the news of the young man Absalom?”
The phrase translated When Joab sent your servant in Revised Standard Version is difficult to understand. As the footnote in Revised Standard Version indicates, the Masoretic Text literally says “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant” (so King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, Fox, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The following questions must be answered before these words can be translated: (1) Does the Masoretic Text refer to one person or two persons? (2) If two different persons are intended, which person or persons are referred to by these two expressions?
Some interpreters think that both expressions refer to the same person. Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version, for example, understand the second expression, “your servant,” to be in apposition to the first expression, “the king’s servant.” If this interpretation is followed, then Ahimaaz is referring to himself, and in many languages it will be much more natural to translate this by the first person singular pronoun, “me.” One possible translation is “When Joab sent me, your servant.”
The Hebrew text has the sign of the direct object before both “the king’s servant” and “your servant.” If, however, the Hebrew text is corrected by omitting the first occurrence of the sign of the direct object, then the words “the king’s servant” may refer to Joab. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, for example, says “when Your Majesty’s servant Joab was sending your servant off.” This approach is also taken by Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and by Good News Translation, which renders it more dynamically as “your officer Joab.” New Jerusalem Bible, based on a correction of the text, is similar, with “when Your Majesty’s servant Joab was sending your servant off.”
Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, recommends a different interpretation of the Hebrew words “the king’s servant” and “your servant.” The words “the king’s servant” refer not to Ahimaaz (as in Revised Standard Version) or to Joab (as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), but to the Cushite, whose title is “servant of the king” (see the comments on verse 21). And the words “and your servant” refer to the speaker, who is Ahimaaz. Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, which makes clear that “your servant” is the speaker and that “the king’s servant” is the Cushite: “When Joab sent us, me and the other soldier….” If the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament is followed, this may be translated more dynamically as “When Joab sent both the Cushite, who is your personal servant, and me….”
Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides a good model for the translation of this entire verse, including the translation recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project for this part of the verse:
• “What has happened to my child, to Absalom?” asked David. “Is he safe?” Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a big crowd around him when Joab sent your Ethiopian personal servant [or, valet] and me on the way. I don’t know what happened.”
A great tumult: the Hebrew word here rendered tumult is sometimes translated “outcry” (1 Sam 4.14) and sometimes “multitude” (2 Sam 6.19). Here it contains the ideas of noise and of a crowd of people—probably with the added notion of confusion. In some languages the most natural rendering will be something like “a great palaver” or “much confusion.”
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 .
No comments yet.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.