fast (verb)

The Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “fast” in English is translated in Isthmus Mixe as “going without food to worship God,” in Lacandon as “leaving eating in order to talk to God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.), in Vidunda as “resting to eat” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), and in Kankanaey as “endure hunger” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation).

See also fast (Luke 5:33).

complete verse (2 Samuel 12:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 12:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “His workers asked him that, ‘What are you doing? When the child was alive you cried and made yourself not have food, and now the child is dead, you get up and eat.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “His servants asked him, "What is this? While the child was [still] alive you fasted and mourned, but now that he had died you get up and come to eat food."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “His servants said to him, ‘We (excl.) do- not -understand you (sing.). When the child was still alive, you (sing.) fasted and cried, but now that the child is dead already, you (sing.) rose-up and ate!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then his servants said to him, ‘We do not understand why you have done this! While the baby was still alive, you cried for him and refused to eat anything. But now that the baby has died, you are not crying any more! You got up and ate some food!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese honorifics (2 Samuel 12:21)

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, nakuna-rare-ru (亡くなられる) or “pass away,” ikite-rare-ru (生きておられる) or “living,” s-are-ru (される) or “do/make,” and nak-are-ru (泣かれる) or “cry” are used.

Other uses of honorifics in this verse include:

  • The usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by either using -san or –sama with the latter being the more formal title.
  • The Hebrew that is translated as “child” or “children” in English as o-ko-sama (お子様), a combination of ko or “child” and the honorific suffix title -sama.
  • The choice of a lexical honorific form, i.e., a completely different word with nasaru (なさる), the respectful form of suru (する) or “do.”

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 12:21

Then: the conjunction here need not be translated if the verse sounds natural without it.

His servants: as in verse 19, this refers to the court officials of David.

What is this thing that you have done? This is a way of expressing their surprise at the behavior of their king, since it was opposed to the normal practice for the people of Israel. In some languages it will be more natural to say “We do not understand what you are doing!” or “Why are you acting like this?”

The remainder of the verse is a summary of what has already been said in the text, but with past tense verbs in this context. Translators should try to make the words used here correspond to those found in the rest of the story.

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 .