complete verse (2 Samuel 2:2)

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

  • Kupsabiny: “Then he got up with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail and went to Hebron.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So David went there with his two wives, the Jezreelite, Ahinoam and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Therefore David went there with his two wives Ahinoam who come-from-Jezreel and Abigail formerly the wife of Nabal who come-from-Carmel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So David went up there, taking his two wives, Ahinoam who was from Jezreel city, and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel city.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English means “beloved.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Elizabeth” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about David (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 2:2

So: the common Hebrew conjunction is rightly taken as a logical connector in this context by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other versions.

Up there: that is, to the town of Hebron. Some languages will require an object for the verb in this context.

Of Jezreel … of Carmel: these two names indicate the origin of the two wives of David. Jezreel was a town in the hill country of Judah (Josh 15.56) overlooking the Valley of Jezreel, where the Israelites camped before fighting the Philistines (1 Sam 29). Carmel was an ancient city assigned to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15.55), where Saul built a monument in memory of his conquest of the Amalekites (see the comments on 1 Sam 15.12). If ambiguous, of Jezreel and of Carmel may be better translated “[who was] from the town of…” in both cases.

Widow: literally simply “woman.” But the idea is that this woman had been married to Nabal, who died (see 1 Sam 25). Grammatically the words of Carmel go with Nabal, but by implication his wife was from the same place. See 1 Sam 27.3, where the feminine form of the name “Carmelite” occurs in reference to Abigail.

In some languages there are different words for “wife,” one indicating that the woman has borne children and one indicating that she has not borne children. At this point it seems that neither Ahinoam nor Abigail had borne children to David, since David’s firstborn son was born after they moved to Hebron (3.2).

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 .