The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 19:15:
Kupsabiny: “Then, David started the journey to return back to Jerusalem. Many people of Judah had come up to Gilgal to welcome the king and helped (him) to cross the river of Jordan.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “So the king came back to the Jordan. Then the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to take the king across to the other side of the Jordan river.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “While David was-returning, he was-met by the people of Juda there at the River Jordan. These people gathered at Gilgal to help David to cross-over the river.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So the king and his officials started back toward Jerusalem. When they reached the Jordan River, the people of Judah came there to Gilgal to meet the king, and to bring him across the river.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Hebrew, Greek and Ge’ez that is translated as “Jordan” means “descending (rapidly),” “flowing down.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the river bordering Jordan and Israel, along with the general sign for river. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Jordan river” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )
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.”
David was on his way to Jerusalem, so it may give a false impression to say literally that the king came back to the Jordan, since that was not his final destination. The point is that he had started back to Jerusalem, and when he reached the Jordan River, he met the people of Judah. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch states “So the king began his way back toward Jerusalem….” It will be important in some languages to add the word “river” to Jordan and “town” to Gilgal to make the meaning clear. The Hebrew is literally “And the king returned and he came as far as the Jordan.” The sense is better expressed in Anchor Bible, “So the king started back and reached the Jordan…” (similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).
Judah: that is, the people of the tribe of Judah. Translators should be careful to avoid giving the impression that one individual is intended here.
Gilgal: this city, located at the beginning of the territory of Judah, was between the Jordan River and Jericho. The people of Judah had apparently gathered there in preparation for meeting David and his men at the Jordan River, which was only about eight kilometers (five miles) away. Compare Josh 4.19 and 1 Sam 7.16.
The repetition of the king may be intended to emphasize the fact that David was once again considered king of the whole of Israel and Judah. But in some languages it may be more natural to translate the second occurrence by a pronoun.
A model for this verse as a whole is as follows:
• King David started back to Jerusalem. And when he came to the Jordan River, the people of Judah met him there. They had [previously] assembled at the town of Gilgal because they wanted to accompany [or, help] him across the river.
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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