complete verse (1 Samuel 27:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 27:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “But Achish trusted/relied on David and he said in his stomach (thought in his mind) that, ‘David has become a bad smell to the Israelites. So, he will be my servant for the rest of his life.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But Achish trusted David and spoke like this, "He has become a very bad person in the eyes of [lit.: before] the Israelite people, so he will have to be my servant for his entire life."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Akish really trusted David and he said to himself/[lit. his own self], ‘His fellow Israelinhon now bear-a-grudge against David, so he will-become my servant forever/until the end/[lit. until whenever].’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Achish believed what David told him, and said to himself, ‘Because of what David has done, his own people, the Israelis, must now hate him very much. So he will have to stay here and serve me forever.’” (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 27:12

And: the Hebrew conjunction is translated “But” in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version. Most modern versions, however, either leave the conjunction untranslated or translate it as “and,” as does Revised Standard Version. Bible en français courant begins this verse “That is why.”

The verb rendered trusted in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation is translated “counted more and more on” by La Bible du Semeur.

Thinking is literally an infinitive form of the verb “to say.” But the meaning seems to be “said to himself,” as in Good News Translation.

He has made himself utterly abhorred: the construction in Hebrew consists of reinforcing verbs (see page 20 and following). The root of the word translated abhorred has to do with emitting an unpleasant odor or smelling bad (see the comments on 13.4). Fox has “He has made himself reek, yes, reek so to his (own) people.” New International Version says “He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites….” Revised English Bible makes the whole quotation into indirect discourse: “[thinking] that David had made himself so obnoxious among his own people….”

Servant: this does not mean that David would take care of the daily needs of the king by serving in his court. Rather David had entered into a feudal arrangement in which the king of Gath provided land for David. In exchange for this land and protection by the king, David promised to give military service to Achish when needed. For this reason some translations render the Hebrew term with the technical term “vassal” (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible). Contemporary English Version, using less technical language, attempts to get at the same sort of meaning by having Achish say “From now on he will have to take orders from me!”

In languages where the direct quotation would be better rendered indirectly, the following model may be useful:

• So Achish trusted David and thought that the people of Israel were so angry with him that David would have to remain in his service permanently.

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 .