concubine

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “concubine” in English is translated in Kutu as “slave made to be his woman” or “female slave he married.”

Similarly, in Kwere it is translated as “slaves who were like wives.” The translation team explained: “We discussed how concubines are different from prostitutes (there is a word for that) in that they have a similar status to wives (they live with the man often and are provided for physically) and so we decided not to use the word for prostitute which is a loose woman or someone engaging in sexual immorality. But since concubines were an accepted part of the society and culture, this would give wrong meaning.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

king

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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:

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  • 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 2 Samuel 19:5

Then: the common conjunction is rendered in Good News Translation and several other modern versions by simply beginning a new paragraph. This may be the best approach in many other languages.

Came into the house to the king: it is uncertain what the house refers to in this case. Possibly David remained where he was when he first heard the news of Absalom’s death. There is no mention of his going elsewhere. In this case the house seems to refer to the room over the gate described in 18.33. But other interpreters think that he had returned to “his residence” (New American Bible) or “his quarters” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Others, however, take the whole expression to be less specific, meaning that Joab simply went “indoors to the king” (Anchor Bible) or “inside to the king” (New Jerusalem Bible). This seems somewhat more likely.

Covered with shame the faces of all your servants: the Hebrew verb may be translated simply “shamed” or “caused shame” rather than covered with shame. The face is often associated with feelings of shame (compare Psa 83.16 and Ezek 7.18). But it may be quite unnatural to include the word for faces in the translation of this expression. Some languages may say “You have caused all your soldiers to see [feel] shame” or “All your soldiers have become ashamed because of your mourning.”

It is quite possible that there is a certain amount of exaggeration in Joab’s statement. It is doubtful whether Absalom would have killed all the people mentioned, even if he had been completely victorious. But it was not uncommon for rebel leaders to kill the entire royal family of the deposed (compare 1 Kgs 15.29-30; 16.11; and 2 Kgs 10.6-7). However, the point is that the men loyal to David had risked their lives to save him and those close to him. But they were now feeling ashamed rather than proud.

On the translation of concubines see the comments on 3.7 and 5.13.

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 .