confused / dismayed

In Gbaya, the notion of confusion or dismay is emphasized in the referenced verses with yelem, an ideophone that expresses becoming confused, not knowing what to think.

Note that for 1 Maccabees 10:74 the Gbaya translators interpreted along the lines of the French Traduction œcuménique de la Bible which has “he was completely shaken by it” ( il en fut tout ébranlé) instead of the New Revised Standard Version, updated edition‘s “his spirit was aroused.”

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (2 Samuel 4:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 4:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Ishbosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had been speared in Hebron, he became afraid, and fear/anxiety came upon all the people of Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At the time Ishbosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had been killed in Hebron at that time he became very much afraid, and all the Israelites also became afraid.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When- Ishboshet the child of Saul -heard, that Abner was-killed at Hebron, he became- very -afraid including all the people of Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Saul’s son Ishbosheth heard that Abner had been killed at Hebron, he realized that he might also be killed. He became discouraged, and all the Israeli people trembled/became afraid.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 4:1

Note the difference in order at the beginning of this verse between Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. It must be determined for each language whether it is more natural to put Ishbosheth’s name before or after the statement about who his father was. It is clear that Saul is the better known name of the two. The Hebrew text, in fact, does not even have the name Ish-bosheth but only “the son of Saul.” There is even some textual evidence for “Mephibosheth,” but this is clearly a mistake. In view of these textual problems, the name is omitted altogether by New Jerusalem Bible and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible. Fox similarly has “When … the son of Shaʾul.” American Standard Version (American Standard Version) puts the name in italics, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh places it in brackets.

His courage failed: literally “his hands fell [weakened]” or “his hands hung loose.” Fox reads “his hands grew-slack.” The Hebrew is an idiomatic expression used to describe a person who had lost confidence and hope. The same idiom in 17.2 is translated “discouraged” in Revised Standard Version. Many languages have unusual idioms to express a similar idea. For example, some may say something like “his heart was up [or, down]” or “he completely lost his spirit.”

All Israel: that is, “all the people of Israel” (as in Good News Translation), or “all the Israelites.”

Dismayed: the root word here has to do with physically trembling, but in this context a more figurative sense is probably intended. All the people of Israel were upset and disturbed as a result of the news of Abner’s death.

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 .