Absalom (image)

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.

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 .

complete verse (2 Samuel 3:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 3:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “(Then) Abigail produced Kileab. Maacah bore Absalom. The father of Maacah was Talmai, who was the ruler/king of Geshur.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “His second-born son was Kileab, his mother was Abigail, who was the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
    The third-born son was Absalom, his mother was Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The second was Kileab his child with Abigail formerly the wife of Nabal who comes-from-Carmel. The third was Absalom his child with Maaca the child of King Talmai of Geshur.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

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:

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  • 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 3:3

Second … third: see the comments on birth order in verse 2 above. Note that the word “son” is not explicitly stated but is certainly to be understood in both cases.

Chile-ab: at this point in the parallel passage (1 Chr 3.1), the name given is “Daniel.” Anchor Bible reconstructs the name here as “Daluiah,” and this reading has support from the ancient Greek version and possibly from the Dead Sea Scrolls. But many experts consider that there is so little textual evidence for anything other than Chile-ab that it should probably be retained. Neither Hebrew Old Testament Text Project nor Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament acknowledges the other possibilities. A footnote may be added to inform the reader of the problem and possible solutions, if translators think one is necessary.

Of Carmel: this may describe either Nabal or Abigail and is probably true for both, but in the light of 1 Chr 3.1 it is probably intended here to refer to the origin of Abigail. Some manuscript evidence omits the words the widow of Nabal altogether. They may have been added by a copyist from 2.2.

The son of: this idea is expressed in other words by Good News Translation, “whose mother was….” This changes the focus slightly, but the meaning is the same.

Talmai king of Geshur: translators should seek the most natural order of these three elements in their own language rather than blindly following the order of Revised Standard Version. Some will say “King Talmai of Geshur,” while others may render these words “the king of Geshur, Talmai.” Geshur was a small Syrian kingdom located northeast of the Sea of Galilee. The people who lived in the kingdom of Geshur are not the same as the Geshurites mentioned in 1 Sam 27.8. If translators consider this to be important, the information may be stated in a footnote.

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 .