complete verse (2 Samuel 17:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 17:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, I will return his people to come to where you are, like the way a woman is returned who has run away (from home). Do you not want just one person to die and the others are left/spared? Is it not only one person you want to die?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I will bring all the men back to you, just as all the people had returned to David, the man whom you seek. Then all the rest will have peace."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “and I will-cause-to-return to you all his men like the returning/going-back of a wife to her husband. After-all, if only David is to-be-killed, his men will- no -longer-fight.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then we will bring back all his soldiers to you, like a bride/woman comes to her husband when she is married. You are wanting to kill only one man; so the other people will not be harmed.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 17:3

This verse contains a rather complicated textual problem that translators must deal with. The Masoretic Text here almost certainly contains errors, and its meaning is not clear. But Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, while recognizing that the Masoretic Text contains errors in this verse, recommends taking the text as it exists today and understanding it to mean the following:

• and I will return all the people to you, just as the entire had returned to the man [that is, David, namely after Saul’s and Ishbaal’s death] whom you seek, and all the people shall be untouched….

Other ways of translating the Masoretic Text include “I will bring all the people to you; when all have come back [except] the man you are after, all the people will be at peace” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “and I will return all the people to you, so that when everything is returned—the man whom you seek—all the people will be (in) peace” (Fox). Others translations attempting to follow the Masoretic Text here are New International Version, New American Standard Bible, and the Jewish Publication Society version.

The ancient Greek version has a different text here, which is followed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Other translations following the Greek include New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and New American Bible, as well as Anchor Bible and Anderson. If it is thought that the ancient Greek version reflects the Hebrew original better than the Masoretic Text does here, translators may follow the meaning found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament is probably right, however, in claiming that the Septuagint does not represent the original text. Translators are free to follow the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament or to follow the model found in Revised Standard Version.

All the people: this, of course, refers to those who had remained loyal to David and had accompanied him as he fled Jerusalem.

As a bride comes home to her husband: in some languages there is no special term for bride, and this expression may have to be rendered “as a woman comes home to her companion” or something similar. The image is possibly that of a woman coming home to her new husband. This would be in keeping with the fact that Ahithophel saw Absalom as the legitimate king.

You seek the life of only one man: this refers to David. If there is any possibility that this will be understood as referring to another person, the name “David” can be added here.

All the people will be at peace: this may mean either “the rest of the people will be unharmed” (Revised English Bible) or “This way there won’t be a civil war” (Contemporary English Version). But it is more likely that the meaning is that everyone but David will return safely to Jerusalem if the proposed course of action is followed.

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 .