messenger

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).

steadfast love

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)
  • Hausa Common 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 Pijin tinghevi 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)

See also mercy and pain-love.

mercy

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, 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 English mercy originates from the Latin merces, 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.”

Here are some other (back-) translations:

See also steadfast love.

self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

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.)

complete verse (1 Chronicles 19:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 19:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then David said, ‘I will be friendly towards Hanun because his father listened to me.’ He sent his people to go to Hanun with condolences for the death of his father.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “King David said, "I must show loyalty to Hanun because his father Nahash was always loyal to me." So he sent messengers to offer condolences.
    When David’s messengers arrived in Aramea,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “David said, ‘I will-show kindness to Hanun because his father was kind to me.’ So David sent officers to show his oneness in the distress/grief of Hanun because of the death of his father.
    But when the officers of David arrived to Hanun there in the land of the Ammonhon,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When David heard about that, he thought to himself, ‘Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son.’ So David sent some officials there, to tell Hanun that he was sorry to hear that Hanun’s father had died.
    But when David’s officials came to Hanun in the land where the Ammon people-group lived,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 19:2

And David said …: The conjunction And simply indicates the continuation of the story and may be left untranslated in many languages, as in a number of modern English versions. There is no indication in the text as to whether the following quote was something David said to himself or to another person. Some versions here take it as a thought that David had (so New International Version, God’s Word, Bible en français courant). But in those languages that require an object here, it may be best to add “to those around him” or “to some people.” Even if this quote began as a thought, David must have eventually spoken it to others.

I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt loyally with me: These two clauses (having to do with both future and past actions) involve the same Hebrew expression rendered deal/dealt loyally with (compare 1 Sam 15.6; 20.8, 14; 2 Sam 2.5-6; 3.8; 9.1, 3, 7). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “keep faith with.” Other possible models are “show kindness to” (New International Version, King James Version, New American Bible), “express my loyalty to” ( NET Bible), and “keep up the same loyal friendship with” (Revised English Bible). The text does not say here or elsewhere in the Old Testament what acts of kindness or loyal friendship Nahash had shown David, although latter Jewish traditions developed to explain what Nahash had done.

So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father: So translates the common Hebrew conjunction. It was as a result of David’s thought about the kindness shown to him by Nahash that he took the action that follows. Bible en français courant shows this logical relationship by using the connector “therefore.” The Hebrew word rendered messengers has also been translated “envoys” (New American Bible), “a delegation” (New International Version, Bible en français courant), “representatives” (New Jerusalem Bible), “a mission” (Revised English Bible), and “some officials” (Contemporary English Version). These representatives sent to communicate the condolences of one king to another would not have been simple messengers.

And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites, to console him: David’s servants refers to the messengers mentioned in the previous sentence. This phrase is better rendered “David’s representatives” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “David’s officials” (Contemporary English Version) in this context. They were not menial domestic workers. The structure of this sentence has been altered by Good News Translation, which begins a new paragraph with a temporal clause introducing the events described in verse 3. Revised English Bible adopts a very similar structure. This may prove to be a helpful model for some other languages.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .