20For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, see, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
The term that is transliterated as “Joseph” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that relates to a) the coat he wore (see Gen 37:3), b) the holding of his clothes by Potiphar’s wife (see Gen 39:12), and c) the many times Joseph experienced grief. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Joseph” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies “dream,” referring to Jacob’s dream at Bethel (see Genesis 28:10 and the following verses). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 19:20:
Kupsabiny: “I know I have sinned, but I came first among the people of Israel of the north so that I welcome you.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “For I have sinned, but look, today I am the very first person of all of Joseph’s clan to come to meet you."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I acknowledge that I have- indeed -sinned, Beloved King. That-is why I am the first who came here (rather)-than the other tribes from the north to meet you.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Because I know that I have sinned. Look, I have come today, the first one from the northern tribes to come here to greet you today, Your Majesty.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
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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 to do this is through 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 using –sama. Here, ō-sama (王様) “king” is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.
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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, goran (ご覧) or “see/behold/look” (itself a combination of “behold/see” [ran] and the honorific prefix go- — see behold / look / see (Japanese honorifics)) is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”
Your servant: this is once again a self-reference, showing respect and submission to the king. But it will be better translated by the first person singular pronoun in many languages. Nevertheless it will be appropriate to use other forms to indicate proper respect for the royal authority. Good News Translation attempts to do this by using the respectful word “sir.”
Therefore: this translates the common Hebrew conjunction, which may be better rendered in this context as “but” (New International Version) or “yet” (New American Bible), since there is an implied contrast between what might be expected (that Shimei would flee from David) and what is actually happening (that Shimei is the first to appear before the king).
Behold: the particle used here serves to focus attention on the statement that follows. Shimei is making an important point of the fact that, in spite of his past behavior, he is ahead of all others from his area to come and pay homage to the king as he returns to Jerusalem.
The first of all the house of Joseph: usually the expression the house of Joseph refers to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. But Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, so in this context it is almost certainly intended to suggest “the northern tribes” in general or “all the other northern Israelites” (Bible en français courant). Compare Ezek 37.16 and Psa 78.67, where the name “Joseph” is similarly used.
My lord the king: on this way of referring to the king, see the comments on the previous verse.
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 .
2Sam 19.:21
Since Shimei is speaking directly to the king in verses 19 and 20, the reader may have expected that David would be the one who answers and not Abishai. For this reason Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch adds the implicit information, “Before the king could answer, Abishai responded….”
Answered: literally “answered … and said.”
Abishai is mentioned frequently (including 16.9 and 1 Sam 26.6-9). Since he is often identified as the son of [his mother] Zeruiah, it may not be necessary in some languages to repeat that information here.
The form of Abishai’s comment is a question, but the intent is to state that Shimei should be killed for having cursed David. Some translators may prefer to translate the meaning more directly without resorting to a question.
Cursed: see 16.5, 7, 13.
The LORD’s anointed: or “the person the LORD has chosen to be king.” See 1.14, 16; 1 Sam 2.10; 16.6.
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 .
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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mairu (参る), a humble form of kuru (来る) or “come” is used.
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