wild animal

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated in English as “wild animal” or similar is translated in Newari as “animal that lives in the jungle.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

birds of the air

The Greek and Hebrew phrases that are often translated as “birds of the air” in English “refer to the undomesticated song birds or wild birds, to be distinguished in a number of languages from domesticated fowl. In Tzeltal these former are ‘field birds’.” (source: Bratcher / Nida)

Q’anjob’al also uses an established term for non-domesticated birds. Newberry and Kittie Cox (in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ) explain: “Qʼanjobʼal has two distinct terms, one to identify domesticated birds and the other non-domesticated birds. The additional descriptive phrase ‘of the air’ seemed entirely misleading, for Qʼanjobʼal speakers had never heard of such creatures. Actually, of course, all that was necessary was the term for non-domesticated birds, for that is precisely the meaning of the Biblical expression.”

See also birds of the air / fish of the sea and birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

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 17:44

The context may require a more colorful rendering of the ordinary verb said. Some may prefer “shouted” (Contemporary English Version) or “cried out” where Good News Translation has “challenged.” La Bible du Semeur, on the other hand, translates “he added,” since this is really a continuation of what Goliath started to say in verse 43.

Come to me: this may be translated “Keep on coming” or “Come close” (Knox) in some languages, since the text has already indicated that David was approaching Goliath (verse 40).

Your flesh: this refers to the physical part of a person as opposed to the spiritual. It may be translated “your body” as in Good News Translation and New Century Version or simply by the pronoun “you” (Contemporary English Version). Some languages may even say “I will give what is left of you to the animals and birds.”

Birds of the air … the beasts of the field: the Hebrew does not state explicitly why Goliath would give David’s dead body to the birds and animals. Good News Translation makes this explicit, “to eat.” Good News Translation also omits of the air and of the field as redundant and unnatural. This threat of Goliath echoes the words of Deut 28.26.

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 .