David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)


“Elizabeth” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about David (source: Bible Lands 2012)

king

Click here to view graphically

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:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 12:16

The rebellion in view here was a continuation of tension between the tribes of the north and the south. Earlier, at Sheba’s urging, the northern tribes had rebelled against David, and the words of the people here are nearly the same as those of Sheba in 2 Sam 20.1.

All Israel in this context clearly refers to the people of the northern kingdom. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch correctly says “the men of the northern tribes,” and Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie say “the Israelites of the North.” In a footnote on this phrase, La Bible du Semeur says “That is, the Israelites of the North.” But readers often do not read such footnotes, and those who only hear the text read cannot see the footnote, so it will be better to follow the model of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch or Bible en français courant.

The verb saw may be translated “realized” (Contemporary English Version) or “became aware” since the reference here is not so much to a literal seeing as to an awareness of a fact.

Answered the king is literally “returned [to] the king a word saying.”

As noted above, the words of the people are nearly the same as those of Sheba in 2 Sam 20.1. This suggests that these words are traditional material. For this reason they are placed in poetic format in some modern translations (for example, Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Peregrino, De Vries).

What portion have we in David?: The first words of the people are in the form of a rhetorical question. But they may be better translated as an emphatic statement in certain languages, such as “We have no portion in David” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “David is none of ours” (Knox).

We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse: The words in the son of Jesse are parallel to in David in Hebrew. A literal translation may give the false impression that two distinct persons are referred to here. Modern translations provide several different models that avoid this problem. Good News Translation replaces the words the son of Jesse with the pronoun “they.” But another solution is followed in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, which says “we have nothing to do with that son of Jesse.” The words “that son of Jesse” obviously refer to David.

The first person plural pronouns (we) in this quotation are clearly to be rendered as exclusive in those languages that distinguish inclusive and exclusive pronouns. The people of the northern tribes have no kinship ties to David, and therefore they have no obligations to him or any claims to benefits from him.

To your tents, O Israel! may be taken as a call to the tribes of northern Israel to go back home or to go to war. The same kind of expression occurs again at the end of the verse where it describes what the people actually did (Israel departed to their tents). So it probably has the same meaning. Good News Translation takes the first expression as a call to return home and the second one as a statement about rebellion. It is probable that the meaning in both cases has to do with going home rather than going to war.

Look now to your own house, David: Several things need careful attention here. The verb Look and pronoun your are second person singular; and the people were, of course, not addressing David, but are rather speaking to Rehoboam and by implication, to his descendants. Good News Translation omits any reference to David by saying “Let Rehoboam look out for himself!” Contemporary English Version is similar with “Rehoboam can rule his own people.” However, the reference to David may be kept, while the meaning is made clear. Compare “And you descendant of David, take care of your kingdom” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) and “Let David’s son rule his own people!” (New Century Version).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .