The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 9:13:
Kupsabiny: “So, Mephibosheth that person whose legs were crippled lived/stayed in Jerusalem and he ate with the king all (the) days,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem because always sitting at table with the king he would eat with the king. He was crippled in both feet.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Mefiboset who was lame lived there now in Jerusalem for he always eats with King David.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “And Mephibosheth, who was still crippled in both of his feet, started to live in Jerusalem, and he always ate at the king’s table/with the king.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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.”
So: this introduces a final summary of the story of Mephibosheth. The most natural transition word in the receptor language should be used here.
Ate … at the king’s table: see verses 7, 10, and 11. Translators should be careful in rendering the word always. The translation should not give the impression that Mephibosheth was always eating. Rather the idea is that each time he ate a meal, it was at the king’s table.
Lame in both his feet: while the lameness of Mephibosheth has been mentioned twice already (4.4 and 9.3), in this case the writer emphasizes that the lameness affected both his feet. This emphasis should be carried over into the receptor language if it is natural to do so. It should also be noted that the word used for lameness here is different from the one in 4.4 and 9.3. The word used there means “smitten,” or “broken down.” The word found here is the same as in 5.6, 8, which may be translated lame or “limp.” But since the meaning is essentially the same as in verse 3, if translators are unable to find adequate synonyms, it will be possible to use the same word in translation.
The structure of this verse has been modified by Good News Translation, making the statement about Mephibosheth’s lameness into a relative clause, but this may not be necessary in other languages. Naturalness in the receptor language will determine the kind of structure that should be used.
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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