The Hebrew that is translated as “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness” (Goldingay 2018: “commitment”) or similar in English is translated in a number of ways:
Vidunda: “love of enduring” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Bura-Pabir: “love which cannot be-changed” (hyirkur na a palidzi wa)
HausaCommon Language Bible “his love without changing” (kaunarsa marar canjawa) (source for this and above: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Elhomwe: “love that does not finish” (echikondi yoohisintheya) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Nyamwezi: chelu, combining “love,” “faithfulness,” “loyalty,” and “kindness” (source: James Lundeen)
Newari: dayāmāyā (दयामाया), a compound word made from two Sanskrit-derived terms: dayā (दया) or “compassion, mercy, kindness” and māyā (माया) or “love, affection” (source: Newari Back Translation)
In Pijintinghevi long or “think heavy about” is used. “The Pijin expression ‘think heavy about’ is very much within the domain of committed relationships. The relationship between father and child, husband and wife, God and His people. There is a very strong element of ‘loyalty’ in this expression.” (Source: Bob Carter)
In Latvian the term žēlastība is used both for “steadfast love” and grace.
In a number of languages, the terms for for “steadfast love” and mercy are used interchangeably.
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Saul” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign that depicts “sword in chest” (referring to 1 Samuel 31:4 and 1 Chronicles 10:4) and also “self-centered.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.
While the Englishmercy originates from the Latinmerces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”
In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 9:1:
Kupsabiny: “There was a day when David asked like this, ‘Is there anyone who is still alive in/from the house of Saul? If there is, I want to show love because of Jonathan.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “David asked, "Is there anyone in Saul’s family who has been spared, [anyone] to whom I can show love for Jonathan’s sake?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “One day, David asked, ‘Is-there anyone still left in the family of Saul to whom I can-show kindness because of Jonatan?’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “One day David asked, ‘Is there anyone who is a descendant of Saul to whom I can be kind?’ He asked this because he wanted to honor Jonathan.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Unlike much of 2 Samuel, this story has no parallel in 1 Chronicles or elsewhere. 1 Sam 20.14-17 provides the background for the events in this chapter. Good News Translation begins with “One day….” This merely reflects the common conjunction in Hebrew, but it makes the transition to the next episode smoother in English. Other languages may require a similar transition at the beginning of a new story.
Said: the original text does not say to whom he spoke. Some scholars suppose that the following quotation is more like a thought that occurred to David rather than a question directed to anyone. Contemporary English Version translates “David thought, ‘I wonder….’ ” Otherwise translators may be required by their language to provide an indirect object such as “said to someone” or, more probably, “said to himself.”
House of Saul: that is, in the family of Saul. It may be more natural to speak of “relatives of Saul” or “descendants of Saul” in this context.
Show him kindness: this same expression is rendered “showed loyalty” in 2.5. See also comments under 1 Sam 15.6 and Ruth 1.8.
For Jonathan’s sake: in some languages it is difficult to express the idea “for the sake of….” Some may prefer to say more directly “because of my esteem for Jonathan,” “in honor of Jonathan,” or, using a verbal expression, “because I loved Jonathan [so much].”
In the receptor language what David said may be divided into two parts, separating out the question (“Is there anyone left of the family of Saul?”) and the statement of his plan (“I would like to show that person kindness for the sake of Jonathan”).
It is also possible to translate the whole verse without a direct quote:
• One day David wondered whether there was anyone left of Saul’s family, and decided that if he found any relatives he would be kind to them because of his great love for Jonathan.
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 .
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