feel (terror / pain / suffering / anxiety / thirst)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety, thirst)” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in association with the verb kumva or “hear,” “as if the feeling is heard in the ear.”

In Psalm 115:7 the stand-alone “feel” is also translated as “hear.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also angry

self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)

complete verse (2 Samuel 1:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 1:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “(Then) he said to me, ‘Come and finish me, because I have been wounded, and I myself have agreed/accepted to die.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then he said to me, ‘Come over here and kill me. Up to now I am still alive, but I am about to die.’ ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then he said to me, ‘Come here and kill me, for it-seems I’m now about to die (because) of my severe wound.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then he said to me, ‘Come over here and kill me. I am still alive, but I am enduring a lot of pain.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 1:9

Stand beside me: literally “Stand, I pray, over me.” This is a request or an appeal for the soldier to come closer to the king. He is further commanded to kill Saul. The untranslated particle of entreaty almost seems to put the helpless king in a position of begging. Some languages will begin the appeal with words like “I beg you….”

For: the particle used here introduces the reason for Saul’s request to be killed.

Anguish has seized me: the Hebrew of the remainder of this verse is unclear. The word here translated as anguish, which occurs only here in the Old Testament, has been variously rendered “convulsions” (New Revised Standard Version), “dizziness” (Fox), “confusion” (An American Translation), and “the throes of death” (Revised English Bible). And the phrase as a whole has been taken to mean “I am in agony” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “I am in great suffering” (New American Bible).

Moffatt and Anchor Bible follow the lead of the ancient Greek translation as well as the authorized version of the Syrian Church in rendering the questionable word as “dizziness.” Similar is the idiomatic translation in New Jerusalem Bible, “My head is swimming.”

And yet my life still lingers: translations of this expression range from “I am barely alive” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) to “yet fully alive” (New American Bible) or “I still have all my strength” (New Jerusalem Bible). Given the context, it seems more likely that the meaning is something like “I am still hanging on to life.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translates the last half of this verse “Now I am dead, even though I am still breathing.”

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 .