as the LORD lives

The Hebrew and Greek that is often translated as “As the Lord lives, (I swear)” in English is translated in Dan as “I swear before the true living God” to “not to imply that God could die, contrasting with the dead false gods.” (Source: Don Slager)

Similarly, In Elhomwe it is translated as “before the Lord.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also in the name of / on the account of his (or: my) name and The LORD lives.

anger

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The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)

complete verse (2 Samuel 12:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 12:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “When David heard those words, he became very annoyed/angry and said, ‘Surely, that person who did those words/things should die.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “David became very angry with the man, and said to Nathan, "As surely as LORD lives, the man who does this kind of work is deserving of death.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “David was- very -angry with the rich-man and he said to Natan, ‘I swear to the living LORD that a man who did that should be-put-to-death.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When David heard that, he was very angry about what the rich man had done. He said to Nathan, ‘I solemnly declare that the man who did that should be executed!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 12:5

Then: this marks the next episode after the end (or interruption?) of the prophet’s story. The transition here may be marked by the beginning of a new paragraph or by the introduction of a word that marks the completion or interruption of a story. Possibly Nathan would have continued the story, but King David was so indignant about the injustice described that he cried out his opinion of the situation. Some other possible transition markers are “At that,” or “Suddenly,” or “Immediately.”

Anger was greatly kindled: the expression used here is quite strong. The image of anger as burning may be carried over into some languages. But others may find a different image such as, for example, “flew into a rage” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New Jerusalem Bible). Still others will translate the meaning without any special figurative language, as Good News Translation and several other modern versions have done. Anchor Bible has “was incensed,” while Anderson says “became very indignant.”

Against the man: if this is translated literally there may be a question in some languages as to whether David’s anger was directed against the rich man or his guest. Translators should make sure that it was the rich man who was the object of David’s anger.

A literal rendering of the verb said may not be adequate in this context. Something more emotional would be more appropriate. Revised English Bible translates “he burst out.”

As the LORD lives: on this way of swearing see 4.9 and 1 Sam 14.39.

Deserves to die: literally “is a son of death,” which Anchor Bible translates “is a fiend of hell.” And according to the comment in Anchor Bible, David was “characterizing the man’s behavior, not condemning him to death.” If this is the case, there is no contradiction between this statement and the requirement of restitution in the following verse. However, most English versions translate the meaning found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Compare also 1 Sam 20.31 and 26.16, where the same kind of expression is found.

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 .