Absalom (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1972).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

See also Absalom.

Absalom

The Hebrew that is transliterated as “Absalom” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs depicting “hair + caught” referring to 2 Samuel 18:9. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Absalom” 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 .

See also Absalom (image).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Absalom .

complete verse (2 Samuel 17:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 17:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then/At that point a boy saw those people. That boy went and told Absalom what he had seen. After Jonathan and Ahimaaz had known/learned that they had been seen, they escaped/fled to the town of Bahurim. Then when they reached there, they went to a certain home. The owner of that home had a well of water which was big in his courtyard. Those people entered that well.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But at this time a young man saw them. Then he went and told Absalom. So, feeling that it was urgent, both of them went to the house of a person in Bahurim and stayed [there]. It happened that there was a well in front of that house and they went into that well.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But now, there was a young man who saw them, and told Absalom about them. So the two of them left quickly, and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. This man has a well in his courtyard, and Jonatan and Ahimaaz went-down into this well to hide.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But a young man saw them, and went and reported it to Absalom. They found out what the young man had done, so both of them left quickly and went to stay in the house of a man in Bahurim. That man had a well in his courtyard; so the two men went down into the well to hide.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 17:18

But: the conjunction here is taken as marking something contrary to expectation in the story and is therefore translated in this way.

Lad: this term often refers to a boy up to the age of adolescence, but it is also used of older “young men” such as Absalom (14.21). The underlying Hebrew term is often translated simply “child” (1 Sam 1.24; 2 Sam 12.16), “boy” (1 Sam 2.11), or “young man” (2 Sam 1.5), but sometimes it means “servant” (1 Sam 2.13; 2 Sam 9.9).

Saw them: the pronoun here probably refers to Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but possibly the servant woman was included. In Hebrew the form is third person masculine plural, but the masculine plural may be used of men only or of groups including both men and women. However, since the slave girl had not been banished from the city, it would not have been significant that she was seen. In languages that use different pronoun forms for men, women, and mixed groups, the masculine pronoun should probably be used here. Certainly it is only the two men, without the woman, who go to Bahurim.

The implied information here is that the boy told Absalom what he had seen, and that Jonathan and Ahimaaz somehow learned that Absalom was aware of their activities and that he was looking for them.

Bahurim: according to 16.5 David had only recently passed through this place. It was apparently friendly to David and his men. This town is mentioned also in 3.16.

Well: in some languages the translation of this term may require a longer expression like “a place where people draw water” or something similar.

In his courtyard: this may have to be translated “near his house” in languages that do not have a special word for courtyard.

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 .