complete verse (2 Samuel 3:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 3:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Palti followed his wife behind while crying until the town of Bahurim. When (he/they) arrived there, Abner shouted at him like this, ‘Return/Go back home!’ (Then) Palti returned back home.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Until Abner said to him "Go home." Palti came following Michal weeping up to Bahurim.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Paltiel followed Mical weeping all-the-way to Bahurim. Abner said to Paltiel to go-home. So he went-home.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Abner turned and said to him, ‘Go back home!’, so he did.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 3:16

But: the transition word here is dropped by Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible. There is no strong reason for giving an overt representation of the Hebrew conjunction in this case.

It will be more natural in some languages to use the name “Paltiel” in place of the words her husband, as Good News Translation has done in this verse.

Bahurim: since this place name will be unfamiliar to many readers, it will probably be wise to add the classifier term “town” as in Good News Translation.

Then Abner said: the writer does not tell how Abner suddenly appears in the story. Apparently Abner took Michal to David, but it is not clear whether this trip is the same as that in verse 20.

Go, return: the use of the direct quotation in this context may be difficult to imitate in some languages. It will be equally faithful to the meaning to translate it indirectly as, for example, “When Abner told him to go back home, he did” or “Abner told him to stop following them. So he went back home.”

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 .