bear child / give birth

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bear (a child)” or “give birth to” is translated in Mairasi as “go to the forest,” reflecting the traditional place of childbirth for Mairasi women. (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Spanish it is translated as dar a luz, literally “to give to light.” Likewise, in Portuguese (dar à luz) and Italian (dare alla luce). (Source: Mark Terwilliger)

See also in childbirth / travail and birth.

complete verse (1 Kings 3:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 3:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “One of those women said, ‘Lord, I live in one house with this woman. I delivered my child while I was with her in the house.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “One of them said, "O Great King! This woman and I live in the same house. While she was there with me I gave birth to a son.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “One of them said, ‘Beloved King, I and this woman are-staying in one house. And while she is there in the house I gave-birth.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “One of them said, ‘Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there in the house.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

request / beg (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The concept of “requesting” is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-negai (お願い), combining “request” (negai) with the respectful prefix o (お).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 3:17

Oh, my lord translates a fixed Hebrew formula used for beginning a conversation with someone of higher rank or social standing. It is an abbreviated form of saying “Let the harm our conversation might do come upon me, my lord!” It may be translated “Pardon me, your Majesty” or “Excuse me, your Majesty.” Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation capture the force of the Hebrew. New Revised Standard Version is better with “Please, my lord” (similarly Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

This woman and I is literally “I and this woman.” Most English translations reverse the order for reasons of English style. Translators in other languages should feel free to use whichever order is most natural in this context.

The words I gave birth to a child render a single Hebrew verb, meaning “I gave birth.” Since verse 20 states that the child was a son, Good News Translation brings this information forward to verse 17.

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 .