37Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own town, near the graves of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king and do for him whatever seems good to you.”
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 19:37:
Kupsabiny: “Please let me go back and die at our home and be buried where all our family is buried. Here is my son Kimham. Go and help him the way you accept/like.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Let command your servant return. and I will spend my spare time in my city near the graves of my mothers and fathers. Here is still your servant Kimham to serve you. Please take him with you to the other side, and whatever is suitable to your honor, please do like that for him."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I will- just -go-home, so-that if I die, I die there in my own town, where my parents had-been-buried. But here is my child Kimham who will-serve you. Take him, Beloved King, and do to him what is good for you.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then please allow me to return to my home, because that is where I want to die, near my parents’ grave. But here is my son Chimham. Your Majesty, allow him to go with you and serve you, and do for him whatever seems good to you!’” (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 important aspect of addressing someone else in one’s or someone else’s family is by selecting the correct word when referring to them. One way to do this is through the usage of an appropriate title within a conversation as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
When the speaker humbly refers to his or her father in the presence of respected interlocutor(s), chichi (父) is often used as in the case of Jacob’s sons referring to their father before Joseph (in Genesis 43:28). This form is very appropriately chosen as they refer to their father as “your servant” and bowed down before Joseph the prime minister.
In some conversations, archaic honorific forms for “father” are chosen that also contain chichi (父) and typically indicate a greater level of respect. These are o-chichi-ue (お父上) (only in Genesis 48:1), and chichi-gimi (父君) in few occasions (2 Samuel 10:3, 2 Samuel 13:5, and 1 Chronicles 19:3).
Yet another, ore often-used term is chichi-ue (父上) (see addressing one’s or someone else’s father respectfully in Japanese (父上)). An interesting contrast can be found in the message sent from Asa the king of Judah to Ben-hadad the king of Aram (1 Kings 15:19). In this utterance, commonly translated as “my father and your father” in English, Asa humbly refers to his father as chichi (父) but respectfully refers to Ben-hadad’s father as chichi-ue (父上). Similar contrasts can be found in 1 Kings 20:34 and 2 Chronicles 16:3 as well.
While chichi can carry this humbling effect in reference to the speaker’s father, in some types of dialogues/utterances such as in poetry, including prayers (e.g. Jesus teaching how to pray in Matthew 6:9) and proverbial teachings (e.g. “honor your father and mother” in Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16 et al.), chichi is used without the humbling effect. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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 important aspect of addressing someone else in one’s or someone else’s family is by selecting the correct word when referring to them. One way to do this is through the usage of an appropriate title within a conversation as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
When the speaker humbly refers to his or her mother in the presence of respected interlocutor(s), haha (母) is often used as in the case of Abraham referring to his mother before Abimelech (Genesis 20:12). This form is very appropriately chosen as Abraham is speaking to Abimelech the king of Gerar. While haha can carry this humbling effect in reference to the speaker’s mother, in some types of dialogues/utterances such as in poetry (Song 3:4) and proverbial teachings (e.g. “honor your father and mother” in Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16 et al.), haha is used without the humbling effect. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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 either using -san or –sama with the latter being the more formal title. These titles are distinct from nominal titles such as “teacher” or “king.” This is evident in the Shinkaiyaku Bible from forms such as ō-sama (王様) “king” which is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.
Other uses of honorifics in this verse include:
The choice of a benefactive construction. Here, -sete (せて) or “let/allow (for me)” 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).” Also, goran (ご覧) or “see/behold/look” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる) and em>nasatte (なさって) or “do” in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる)
The usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, omow-are-ru (思われる) or “think/consider/will” is used.
When the referent is God or a person or persons to be greatly honored, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) are used, as here in go-ran (ご覧), a combination of “behold / see” (ran) and the honorific prefix go-.
The choice of an imperative construction with the honorific form kudasai (ください) reflects that the action is called for as a favor for the sake of the beneficiary. This polite kudasai imperative form is often translated as “please” in English. While English employs pure imperatives in most imperative constructions (“Do this!”), Japanese chooses the polite kudasai (“Do this, please.”).
Lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words. In this verse, nasaru (なさる), the respectful form of suru (する) or “do” and mairu (参る), a humble form of kuru (来る) or “come” are used.
Pray let your servant return: in this case your servant is used by Barzillai to refer to himself. But translators must be careful, since the same words are used by the same person in the next sentence to refer to Chimham. The request to return home is made in very polite and respectful terms. And the same degree of politeness should be evident in the receptor language if at all possible.
In my own city: that is, “at home,” “in my hometown,” or possibly “at the place where I came from.”
Here is your servant: literally “behold your servant” (compare King James Version). In this case your servant refers to Chimham and not to Barzillai. This is a way of presenting Chimham to David. Translators should look for the most natural way for someone to present a servant or worker to a person in authority. In some cases one may say “I am giving my servant Chimham to you…” or “here is my servant Chimham. He now belongs to you.”
Scholars often take Chimham to be Barzillai’s son, but this is not clearly stated in the Bible. It would, however, be normal for an elderly person to offer his son to do something for a king when the older person is unable or unwilling to do what the king requests. Also, the “sons of Barzillai” are particularly recommended by David to his son, Solomon, at the end of his life (1 Kgs 2.7). Some manuscripts of the Septuagint say “my son Chimham,” and this is the basis for the rendering “Here is my son Kimham” (Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant). Other translations such as Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, and Nueva Biblia Española also say “my son,” but it seems that this addition is based on an interpretation of the Hebrew text rather than on the Septuagint. Such an interpretation is probably correct and may serve as a model for other translations.
The verb go over means more than merely crossing the river. In this context what is involved is accompanying David all the way to Jerusalem and continuing to serve him after arriving there.
Whatever seems good to you: literally “whatever good in your eyes.” Some other renderings are “whatever pleases you” (New International Version) and “as you see fit” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Compare the similar expression in verse 18.
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 .
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