complete verse (1 Samuel 25:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 25:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “David sent five men to where Nabal was in that place of Carmel. David told those people that, ‘Go and greet for me Nabal” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Speaking like this he sent ten of his men, "Go to Carmel, and find Nabal and say that I send [my] greetings to him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So he sent ten men to Carmel. He commanded them to-say this message to Nabal: ‘Greetings! May-it-be that you (sing.) will-obtain a long life. And may-it-be that your (sing.) situation (will-be) good and the situation of your (sing.) whole household and all that (is) yours (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So David told ten of his men, ‘Go to Nabal at Carmel and greet him for me.” (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 Samuel 25:5

So: the common Hebrew conjunction is rightly translated to show the logical connection between David’s learning that Nabal was in the area and his sending the ten men to find him. Another way of showing this relationship is to follow the model of New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible, which make a temporal relative clause of verse 4 instead of a separate sentence. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, says “When David heard … he sent ten men….” But the transition word so will be better in many languages.

David’s words to his young men are cited in a direct quotation in verses 5-8. Within this quotation is a second quotation, consisting of the words that the young men are to say to Nabal in verses 6b-8. Good News Translation changes the first quotation into an indirect quotation in order to avoid an embedded quotation. This model will be helpful to other languages as well.

Throughout this section, both the young men who are with David and the young men who serve Nabal are called young men. Translators need to ensure that in the following verses it is clear when the reference is to David’s men and when the reference is to Nabal’s men (see, for example, verse 14).

Greet him: see the comments on 10.4.

In my name: that is, “for me.” But if indirect discourse is used, it may be more natural to say “for him.”

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 .