28His eldest brother Eliab heard him talking to the men, and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David. He said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down just to see the battle.”
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “anger” in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied).”
Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)
Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
“Sheep are known throughout most of the world, even though, as in Central Africa, they are a far cry from the fleecy wool-producing animals of colder climates. Where such animals are known, even by seemingly strange names, e.g. ‘cotton deer’ (Yucateco) or ‘woolly goat’ (Inupiaq), such names should be used. In some instances, one may wish to borrow a name and use a classifier, e.g. ‘an animal called sheep’. In still other instances translators have used ‘animal which produces wool’, for though people are not acquainted with the animals they are familiar with wool.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida)
In Dëne Súline, it is usually translated as “an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCAM, p. 70)
Note that the often-alleged Inuktitut translation of “sheep” with “seal” is an urban myth (source Nida 1947, p. 136).
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.)
David’s oldest brother Eliab was introduced in verse 13 above. He becomes upset with his younger brother for getting involved in the business of the older men.
Anger was kindled: see the comments on 11.6.
Few sheep: for some unknown reason Good News Translation has omitted the word few, which is clearly present in the Hebrew and should be retained in translation.
The wilderness: this word, often translated “desert” (New International Version, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible), may refer to dry, barren country, but it may also refer to land used for pasture rather than for farming, as in Psa 65.13.
I know your presumption: the word translated presumption is elsewhere translated “pride” (Pro 11.2; Jer 49.16) and “insolence” (Pro 13.10). Languages have a wide variety of ways of expressing this idea. There is even a difference between British and American English in the translation of this verse. The British edition of Good News Translation has “you cheeky brat” where the American edition says “you smart aleck.” Contemporary English Version has “You spoiled brat,” while New International Version says “I know how conceited you are.” Translators should feel free to use whatever wording they would commonly use to express the insolence of a young person in the presence of his elders.
Several translations combine the expression your presumption and the evil of your heart into a single phrase. Good News Translation says “You smart aleck” (or, in the British edition of Good News Translation, “you cheeky brat”), and Revised English Bible reads “you impudent young rascal.” If translators keep both expressions, other ways of expressing the second include “your evil intentions” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or “what wicked things you have in mind.”
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 .
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