angry

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “(was or became) angry” in English is translated in Kwere as “saw anger.” In Kwere, emotions are always paired with sensory verbs (seeing or smelling or hearing). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Bariai it is “to have grumbling interiors” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also anger and feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Sam 19:42)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding the people of Israel.

Judah, Judea

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)


“Judah” and “Judea” 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 Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (2 Samuel 19:42)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 19:42:

  • Kupsabiny: “The people of Judah replied those people of Israel that, ‘Oh, we did like that because, the king is our relative. But even then, why do these words/matters pain you? Is there anything that we have eaten from the king? Or there is something the king has blessed us with?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then all men of Judah responded, "Because the king is our own flesh, why are you angry? What! Have we eaten the king’s wealth? What! Have we taken any gift for ourselves?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The people of Juda answered the people of Israel, ‘We (excl.) have-done this because the king is our (excl.) blood-relative. So why are you (plur.) very angry? Have- we (excl.) -received food or whatever gift from him? None whatsoever!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The soldiers from Judah replied, ‘We did it because the king is from Judah. So why are you angry about that?/you should not be angry about that. The king has never paid for our food, and he has never given us any gifts.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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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:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 19:42

It may be impossible or very strange sounding in the receptor language to begin a sentence with the word because, as Revised Standard Version does at the beginning of the direct quotation. If this is the case certain implied information should be added for the sake of clarity and naturalness. What follows in the text is an explanation of why the army of Judah was accompanying David. So translators may introduce the statement with “We are escorting him because…” or simply “We did it…,” as in Good News Translation.

The king is near of kin to us: “the King is closely related to us” (Anchor Bible) or “We are the king’s relatives” (Contemporary English Version). What is in focus here is the division between the southern tribe of Judah, to which David belongs, and the remaining tribes of the north. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente may provide a better model for expressing this, “The men of Judah replied to the Israelites of the north, ‘Because the king is from our tribe….’ ”

The Hebrew says literally “the king is near of kin to me.” Fox translates “All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel: Because the king is closely-related to me!” That is, in the Hebrew the quotation is what each individual person replied, but in translation it may be better to follow the example of Revised Standard Version and say to us. The following question, Why then are you angry…? is also addressed to each individual northern Israelite, since the pronoun you is singular. But again for translation reasons it may be more natural to use a plural in the receptor language.

As earlier in the discourse of Barzillai, the last two questions in this verse are intended to make strong statements to the effect that the people of Judah had not benefited in any material way from their relationship to King David. The questions may be rendered as emphatic statements, saying “You have no reason to be angry with us about this matter. We have never eaten at the king’s expense. He has never given gifts to us.”

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 .