Saul

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Saul” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign that depicts “sword in chest” (referring to 1 Samuel 31:4 and 1 Chronicles 10:4) and also “self-centered.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Saul” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Saul .

complete verse (2 Samuel 1:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 1:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “Oh, daughters of Israel,
    mourn for Saul
    who dressed you in beautiful clothes
    and bangles of gold.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Oh daughters of Israel, weep for Saul,
    who dressed you in luxurious bright red clothing,
    who, by putting gold ornaments on your clothing,
    made them twinkle and shine.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Women of Israel, you (plur.) mourn for Saul.
    Because of him you (plur.) were-able-to-wear expensive clothes and gold jewelries.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘You Israeli women, cry about Saul;
    He provided beautiful scarlet/red clothes for you
    and he gave you gold ornaments/jewelry to fasten on those clothes.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 2 Samuel 1:24

Daughters of Israel: in the culture of the Old Testament, it was primarily the job of women to mourn for the dead. Here they are called on to make a public display of their grief for Saul and are reminded of his goodness to them in the past. In most languages it will be unwise to translate the word daughters literally, since the reference is to women in general.

Clothed you: if a literal translation of the verb would give the impression that Saul actually dressed the women physically, then it should certainly be avoided. It may be more fitting to say “provided you with [beautiful red] dresses,” or “caused you to dress yourselves…,” or something similar.

Daintily: although Revised Standard Version has an adverb here, a good case can be made for translating the Hebrew word on which it is based as a second noun—another fabric or substance in addition to scarlet. New Jerusalem Bible and Osty-Trinquet speak of “fine linen,” New International Version of “finery,” and Moffatt has “jewels.” Similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible also uses a second noun that may mean either “finery” or “jewels.”

Scarlet: this was the color that was associated with luxury and well-being in Hebrew thinking. The precise shade is uncertain, but the dye was made from the eggs of certain insects that attached themselves to a kind of oak tree and produced a deep reddish-purple hue. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “purple,” while New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh speaks of “crimson.” What is important here is that the reader get the impression of richness and elegance.

Ornaments of gold: the words may actually mean either “jewelry of gold” or “jewelry and gold.” But since the Hebrew has no conjunction between the two nouns, most English versions accept the first interpretation.

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 .