The Hebrew that is transliterated as “Samson” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs for “headband” referring to his long hair and likely use of a headband. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 14:7:
Kupsabiny: “Then, Samson went to speak to that girl. He loved that girl very much.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Then he went down and talked with that woman. That woman was very pleasing to Samson.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Then Samson went to the woman and talked-(with-her). He became- deeply -in-love/pleased with the woman.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When they arrived in Timnah, Samson talked with the young woman, and he liked her very much. And his father made arrangements for the wedding.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Then he went down and talked with the woman: After killing the lion, Samson goes calmly to talk to the Philistine woman who interests him. Then is a good rendering of the Hebrew waw conjunction here. For the key Hebrew verb rendered went down, see verse 14.1. Here the verb is singular, which suggests that Samson is alone, visiting the woman he is attracted to. Many languages will simply say “went” (Good News Translation). Talked renders the general Hebrew verb (dabar) meaning “speak.” Previously Samson seems to have only seen the woman who interested him, but here he has a conversation with her. Talked with may be rendered “spoke to” (Revised English Bible). The Hebrew word for woman cannot mean “wife” here, since they are not married yet (see verse 14.2).
And she pleased Samson well is literally “and she was straight in the eyes of Samson,” or as Boling states it: “She was, in Samson’s eyes, the right one.” This same idiomatic expression is used in verse 14.3 (see comments there). Now that he has had a chance to talk with her, Samson is not just pleased with this woman’s beauty, but also her personality. The use of the proper name Samson shows that this clause is a conclusion, so there can be a paragraph break at the end of this verse, as in New International Version and Revised English Bible.
Translation models for this verse are:
• Then he went and talked with the woman, and he was very pleased with her.
• After that Samson found the woman and spoke to her, and in his eyes, she was just the right one.
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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