11The next day Saul put the people in three companies. At the morning watch they came into the camp and cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day, and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Saul” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign that depicts “sword in chest” (referring to 1 Samuel 31:4 and 1 Chronicles 10:4) and also “self-centered.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “survive,” “escape,” “save,” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in these verses with pulumuka, describing someone whose life was in danger but who has freed himself or herself. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 11:11:
Kupsabiny: “Early in the morning, Saul with his soldiers reached there. He had divided those soldiers into three camps. Then, they rushed towards the Ammonites and fought (them) cutting (them) to pieces. The remaining Ammonites dispersed to unknown destinations.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The next day Saul put the men into three groups. Early in the morning they went into the Ammonite cantonment, and they killed the Ammonites during the day while the sunlight was until day grew hot. After that [they] were all scattered so that no two living beings were in the same place.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When it (was) still dark the next day, Saul divided his men into three groups. And when it was-now morning, they went-inside the camp of the Ammonhon and killed them until (it-became)-noon. Those (who) survived them fled one-by-one.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But before the sun rose the next morning, Saul and his army arrived. He divided them into three groups. They rushed into the camp of the soldiers from Ammon, and attacked them. By noontime they had killed most of them, and those who were not killed scattered. Each of them who ran away ran away alone.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
In Hebrew this verse begins with the verb that is often translated “And it came to pass” but is literally “And it was, [that … ].” It serves as a discourse marker in the original, but it is difficult to reproduce naturally in many other languages.
On the morrow: for the Israelites the day began and ended at sundown. So the “next day” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) for them would be what is called “That night” (Good News Translation) in modern English. This may also be the case in a number of other languages. The fact that the attack occurred at daybreak is a further indication that Saul’s preparation of his army must have been done at night.
The people: in this context, as often in 1 Samuel, this may be translated “his troops” (New American Bible) or “the army” (New Jerusalem Bible).
Companies translates a noun that often means “head.” Here, as in 13.17-18, it refers to military units or formations.
They came into the midst of the camp: that is, they “invaded the camp” (New American Bible) of the Ammonites, during the morning watch (Exo 14.24 also refers to the morning watch). The night was divided into three periods, and the morning watch was the third and final period, lasting from about two o’clock in the morning until dawn. Attacking at this time would provide the maximum advantage for Saul’s army due to the element of surprise.
Cut down: the same verb is elsewhere rendered “slew” (4.2) or “smote” (4.8). Using more modern language in this context, it may be translated “killed” (Klein), “massacred” (Revised English Bible), or “slaughtered” (New International Version).
Until the heat of the day: that is, “until high noon” (New Jerusalem Bible).
Those who survived refers to the surviving Ammonites, not to the Israelites.
No two of them were left together is another way of saying that they were scattered, that is, that each of the survivors was alone. This emphasizes both the sparseness and the disarray of the remaining Ammonite soldiers. It may also be translated as “every person that escaped was alone.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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