18The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven hundred chariot teams and forty thousand horsemen and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there.
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated into English as “chariot” is translated into Anuak as “canoe pulled by horse.” “Canoe” is the general term for “vehicle” (source: Loren Bliese). Similarly it is translated in Lokạạ as ukwaa wạ nyanyang ntuuli or “canoe that is driven by horses.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Other translations include:
Chichicapan Zapotec: “ox cart” (in Acts 8) (ox carts are common vehicles for travel) (source: Loren Bliese)
Chichimeca-Jonaz, it is translated as “little house with two feet pulled by two horses” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
HausaCommon Language Bible as keken-doki or “cart of donkey” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 10:18:
Kupsabiny: “The soldiers of David killed seven thousand Arameans who were moving in chariots and other forty thousand who were moving on foot. Shobach who was leader of the Aramean army died in that war. When the Aramean army had been defeated, they ran away.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But the Arameans went running away from the Israelites. And David killed 700 of their charioteers and 40,000 soldiers. And he even killed Shobach, commanding general of the Arameans and he died there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But the Arameanhon fled from the Israelinhon. David and company have-killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 horsemen. They also killed Shobach, the commander of the soldiers.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But the soldiers of Syria ran away from the Israeli soldiers. David and his army killed 700 of their chariot-drivers and 40,000 other soldiers. They also wounded Shobach, their commander, and he died there.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”
This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.
And: depending on how the end of the previous verse is translated, a conjunction like “But” may be more appropriate here. The Syrians first attacked but then retreated. This reversal of fortune may be highlighted by the transition word chosen here.
The men of seven hundred chariots: literally “seven hundred chariot.” The word “chariot” is singular but is used collectively to refer to groups of chariots. The ancient Syriac version speaks of “a thousand seven hundred charioteers,” but no modern translation consulted follows this evidence. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 19.18 has “the men of seven thousand chariots.” However, there is no evidence for such a reading here in 2 Samuel. Translators are advised to translate the meaning found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. While New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible speak of “seven hundred chariot teams,” most versions take this to mean seven hundred individual chariot drivers. Both interpretations are possible, and translators may follow either.
Forty thousand horsemen: following the Masoretic Text, Revised Standard Version has horsemen and Good News Translation has “cavalry.” Some manuscripts of the Septuagint, as well as the parallel passage in 1 Chr 19.18, have “foot soldiers.” This reading of the Septuagint is followed by New American Bible and New International Version. New Jerusalem Bible avoids the problem by saying simply “forty thousand men.” However, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament argues that horsemen is the original reading, and that the reading “foot soldiers” is the result of harmonizing the text to the reading in 1 Chronicles. The Masoretic Text should be followed.
Wounded … so that he died: the wording of both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation seems to suggest that there was a lapse of time between the injury and the death that resulted from it. The verb translated wounded means “strike down.” Depending on the context the verb in this form may mean either “to kill” or “to wound.” The Hebrew grammar is most naturally understood as expressing two different actions, the one occurring after the other, as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. It is possible, though not likely, that the grammar should be understood as expressing one single action: he was struck down—that is, he died there.
The adverb there refers to the field of battle where the foregoing events took place. New American Bible and Revised English Bible translate this adverb by the prepositional phrase “on the field.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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