complete verse (1 Kings 1:1)

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

  • Kupsabiny: “King David had become very old, to the extent that even when several clothes were piled on him, it would no longer make him warm.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “King David had become a very old man. No matter how many blankets he covered himself with, his body could not keep warm.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “King David was now very old, and even if he was-covered with thick blankets he still was-feeling-cold.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When King David was very old , even though his servants put many blankets on top of him, he was unable to become warm.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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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 (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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

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 Kings 1:1

Now translates the common Hebrew conjunction, which is often rendered “and” (see the comments on this conjunction in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” page 13). In some languages it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction since the beginning of a new section and a new paragraph will indicate the beginning of a new thought. The division between 2 Samuel and 1 Kings is artificial (see the comments in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” page 6), and the Hebrew conjunction should be seen as connecting this verse with 2 Sam 20.26.

Was old and advanced in years is literally “was old, entered into days.” The words advanced in years are in apposition to was old. The Hebrew idiom “entered into days” occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament (for example, Gen 18.11; 24.1). Good News Translation has united these two expressions into the single expression “was now a very old man.” According to 2 Sam 5.4, David was thirty when he began to rule and he ruled for forty years. This corresponds to the normal life span indicated in Psa 90.10.

And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm: The second half of this verse in Hebrew is literally “and they covered him with the clothes and it was not warm for him.” The context clearly indicates that the sense is “despite the fact that they covered him, he could not get warm.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation correctly express this sense with the word although. The fact that the third person plural verb they covered has no clear subject may be a problem in some languages. Probably the reference is to some unnamed household servants as the Good News Translation translation suggests. But the reference could be to the officials mentioned in the following verse.

It is possible to understand the English translations in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation as referring to a single occasion when David was covered with blankets. The form of the final Hebrew verb, however, suggests that this was something that happened more than once. Anchor Bible therefore translates “they would cover him with clothes.” In certain languages this will be better translated by a habitual verb form to show the repeated nature of the action.

The Hebrew word translated clothes is a general word used of clothes and garments. It may refer, for example, to a king’s robe (1 Kgs 22.10), to the covering of the Covenant Box (Num 4.6, translated “cloth” in Revised Standard Version), or to bedclothing, as the context here requires. It is certainly legitimate here to translate “bedclothes” (Moffatt, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “covers” (New American Bible), or “blankets” (Contemporary English Version).

Instead of using the negative form he could not get warm, translators may prefer a positive statement of the same idea; for example, “he always felt cold” (Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .