shepherd

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”

Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:

“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”

Other translations include:

  • Chuj: “carer” (there was no single word for “shepherd”) (source: Ronald Ross)
  • Muna: “sheep guard” (dhagano dhumba) (there was no immediate lexical equivalent) (source: René van den Berg),
  • Mairasi: “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: “sheep worker” (kookendjeriyang-yakina) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kwakum: “those-who-monitor-the-livestock” (source: Stacey Hare in this post )

See also I am the good shepherd, complete verse (Psalm 23:1), and sheep / lamb.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Shepherds in the Bible .

complete verse (1 Samuel 17:40)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 17:40:

  • Kupsabiny: “and got his walking stick and picked five stones from the river and put into the bag which he was using whenever he went to look after animals. After that, he took a sling and went towards that Philistine.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then he picked up his stick, [and] taking five smooth stones from the river, he put them in his pocket. Then, taking his sling shot in his hand, he went to fight the Philistine.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then he took his staff/cane, and picked-up five smooth/shiny stones from the place-where- water -flows and put-them-inside his leather/[lit. skin] container. He brought his sling/something-to-hurl-or-flick and came-near/approached Goliat.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then he took his walking/shepherd’s stick, and he picked up five smooth stones from the brook/stream. He put them in the pouch of his shoulder-bag. Then he put his sling in his hand and started walking toward Goliath.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 17:40

His staff: some languages may have a specific word for a stick used when herding animals. In other languages it will be helpful to indicate, as in Good News Translation, that this was his “shepherd’s stick.” This stick, along with the shepherd’s bag and his sling, were things that David was accustomed to. He used them every day when tending the sheep.

Brook: see the comments on this word in 15.5. Here New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and New American Bible render the term “the wadi,” while New Jerusalem Bible says “the river bed.” The five stones picked up would have been made smooth as a result of being in the stream over a long period of time.

Shepherd’s bag or wallet: the word rendered wallet occurs only here in the Old Testament. The more familiar Hebrew word rendered shepherd’s bag may have been added to the text later to explain to the Hebrew reader the meaning of the rare word wallet. New Jerusalem Bible shows that these two words refer to the same object by placing the second in apposition: “in his shepherd’s bag, in his pouch.” Revised English Bible is similar: “in a shepherd’s bag which served as his pouch.” A different interpretation of the relationship between these two words is found in New American Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which say “in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag.”

The sling that David used was probably in the form of a leather pouch with strings on each end. It was swung over the head and then the strings on one end were released, propelling the stone in the direction of the target. It will therefore be inaccurate to use a word that refers to a more modern “slingshot,” consisting of a forked stick to which pieces of rubber are attached. The words his sling was in his hand mean that he was ready for action.

The Philistine: see the comments on verse 16.

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 .