Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the helmet the Philistine warriors wore was decorated with feather-like objects. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Philistines” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Philistines (source: Bible Lands 2012)

complete verse (1 Samuel 4:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 4:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “You our Philistines, be courageous. Be firm/Stand like men, if not, you will become slaves to the Hebrews as they were when they were under us. So you our people, fight!’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O Philistines, Be strong and courageous! Work like mighty men, otherwise, just as we did to our Hebrew servants and maids, we might have to become maids and servants of the Hebrews. Fight like mighty men!"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But let- us (incl.) -be-courageous, for if not, we (incl.) will-become slaves of the Hebrews just-as when we (incl.) had-enslaved them. So let- us (incl.) -fight hard!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You Philistine men, be courageous! Fight very hard! If you do not do that, they will defeat us, and then you will become their slaves, just like they have been our slaves previously!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

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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 choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 4:9

Take courage: the basis of this translation is a reflexive form of the Hebrew verb meaning “be strong.” This form may be translated “strengthen yourselves” or “brace yourselves” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Or, since this verse represents what the Philistines are saying to each other, it may be more natural to say “Let’s be strong” or “Let’s brace ourselves.”

Acquit yourselves like men: literally “be men” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The phrase occurs twice in this verse. It is an appeal by the Philistine speaker to other Philistines to fight hard in order to be victorious over the Israelites. The notion that men are better fighters than women or children is assumed in the various cultures of the Old Testament. In cultures where this idea is shared, the reference to men may be translated literally. But it is conceivable that some other image may be more appropriate in some languages.

Lest: the Hebrew conjunction so translated is often very difficult to reproduce in other languages. It contains the idea of purpose and negation at the same time: “in order not to [do something]” or “so that [something will] not [happen].” Some may express this idea by saying “for fear that….” But in other cases it may be better to begin a completely new sentence, saying something like “you [we] are in danger of becoming slaves” or “we risk becoming slaves.”

The Hebrews: see the comments on verse 6 above.

Lest you become … as they have been to you: since a Philistine is speaking, it will be more natural in some languages to say “lest we become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to us.”

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 .