drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

complete verse (1 Samuel 30:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 30:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “As they were travelling along the road, they met an Egyptian man. When they met that man, they caught (him) and took (him) to David. When they had taken that man there, he was fed (given food) and given water to drink.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “And in the field they met an Egyptian and they brought him to David. They gave him some food to eat and some water to drink.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, the men of David saw a Egyptian in a field, and they brought him to David. They gave him water and bread” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “As David and the 400 men were going, they saw a man from Egypt in a field; so they took him to David. They gave the man some water to drink and some food to eat.” (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 30:11

Those who found an Egyptian were the four hundred men who continued traveling with David, not the two hundred who stayed behind. This should be made clear in translation, since the pronoun They at the beginning of this verse may be misunderstood.

An Egyptian: the Hebrew text does not state here that this Egyptian was a young man. That information is not given until verse 13. Good News Translation, however, has moved this information forward to verse 11.

Bread is often used to refer to food in general. This is very likely the intended meaning here (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and others).

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 .