complete verse (1 Samuel 26:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 26:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “What wrong have I done to you? Or what sin have I done to you?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Why, has my Lord relentlessly chased his servant? What have I done? What evil work have I done [that] I have become guilty?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Why are- you (sing.) -pursuing/chasing me your (sing.) servant? What evil have- I -done?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then David added, ‘Sir, why are you pursuing me ? What wrong have I done ?” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God (“chase/pursue”)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, ow-are-ru (追われる) or “chase/pursue” is used.

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

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 26:18

The introductory words And he said may again be considered redundant, as in verse 10, since David is still the speaker here. They are omitted by Contemporary English Version.

David continues to speak, addressing Saul as my lord and referring to himself as the servant of Saul. In many languages it will be necessary to substitute or at least add personal pronouns to make the meaning clear. But the element of politeness involved in the use of these third person expressions is not to be overlooked. Good News Translation adds the pronouns “you” and “me” but retains “sir” for my lord and transforms his servant into “your servant.”

The question What guilt is on my hands? should probably not be translated literally. The idea is “For what wrong am I condemned?”—essentially a repetition of the first question, what have I done? In some languages the last two questions in this verse may be translated as categorical statements: “I have done nothing wrong at all! I am not guilty of evil doing!”

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 .