The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
David
The name that is transliterated as “David” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language 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 )
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)
king
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 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 5:11
Following the Hebrew, Revised Standard Version follows the order: name, title, and area of rule, but the Good News Translation translators felt that it is more natural in English to speak of “King Hiram,” putting the title first. Naturalness in the receptor language should be the determining factor in deciding the order of these elements.
Tyre was the leading city of Phoenicia. David—and later Solomon—established treaties with Hiram, who supplied material and craftsmen for construction (see 1 Kgs 5.12-18; 1 Chr 14.1; 2 Chr 2.3-12).
Messengers: the word so translated may also mean “angel” or “ambassador” (so Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). In this context these representatives of King Hiram were more than mere messengers. They were closely related to the sending of builders and building materials. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “sent envoys with cedar logs.” For this reason Good News Translation speaks of a “trade mission.” But this may be difficult to translate into other languages. Some models bearing the same meaning may be “representatives to talk about trade” or “agents to negotiate agreements between their two countries.”
Cedar trees: if the receptor language uses different words for live trees and logs, it should be made quite clear that logs are intended here. Compare Num 24.6; Psa 37.35; 92.12.
Carpenters and masons refer to people who worked on two different aspects of construction. Carpenters built with wood while masons used stones. In Hebrew these people are called “carvers [or, craftsmen] of wood” and “carvers of stone walls.” In some languages it will be necessary to say “men who built with wood and those who built with stones.” In some languages the word “carpenters” is translated “hammerers” or “people of the hammer.”
In the Septuagint this verse says “craftsmen of stone”; and in a manuscript from Qumran they are called “craftsmen of walls.” It is possible that the reading in the Masoretic Text is not original but combines two separate readings, “craftsmen of stone” and “craftsmen of walls.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text. Regardless of which reading is followed, the idea is that the second group of craftsmen worked with stones.
A house: this was clearly more than a mere house. It was to be a palace. The word “palace” is used in many English versions (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version, and New Century Version, as well as Good News Translation), although others have the literal rendering of Revised Standard Version (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). Translators should look for words that give the idea of a large and rather luxurious residence.
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 .