grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

brother (older brother)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “brother” in English is translated in Kwere as sekulu and in Mandarin Chinese as gēgē (哥哥), both “older brother.”

Note that Kwere also uses lumbu — “older sibling” in some cases. (Source for Kwere: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

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)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 17:17

And Jesse said to David his son: the common Hebrew conjunction loosely connects this verse with preceding events. Good News Translation and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente use an indefinite temporal connection, “one day.” Since David has already been introduced earlier in this chapter as one of Jesse’s sons, it may be unnatural in some languages to repeat the words his son. The Hebrew has the particle of entreaty here at the beginning of Jesse’s words to David. Fox expresses this as “Pray take to your brothers….”

An ephah is a measurement for dry substances and is equivalent to a “bath,” which was used for measuring liquids. An ephah is approximately equivalent to three-eighths to two-thirds of a U.S. bushel. In the metric system this is expressed as “ten kilos” (Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) and “twenty kilos” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The note in Osty-Trinquet states that this is the equivalent of a little more than 35 liters. Where precise measurements are not feasible, one may say “this sack [or, bag] of roasted grain” (so Bible en français courant, Contemporary English Version,Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) or “this measure of roasted grains” (La Bible du Semeur), although the latter hardly seems natural.

Parched grain: probably wheat or barley. The same food, which was quite common in the Middle East, was offered to Ruth by Boaz (Ruth 2.14). See also 25.18 and 2 Sam 17.28, where the same Hebrew word is found.

Ten loaves: the loaves are specifically loaves of bread. In many languages it will be fitting to include this information in translation.

To the camp of your brothers may be more naturally expressed as “to your brothers in the place where they are camped” or, as Contemporary English Version has it, “to your brothers at the army camp.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .