Absalom (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1972).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

See also Absalom.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Sam 19:6)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai translation uses the exclusive pronoun, excluding the king.

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 19:6

While Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew in continuing the sentence begun in the previous verse, it may be better in many languages to follow the model of Good News Translation and begin a new sentence at this point.

The terms love and hate are frequently used in the Old Testament for loyalty and disloyalty in a political sense. Contemporary English Version says “you’re more loyal to your enemies than to your friends.” See the comments on 1 Sam 16.21; 20.17.

The Hebrew verb translated you have made it clear simply means “to make [something] known.” Contemporary English Version reads “What you’ve done today has shown your officers and soldiers that they don’t mean a thing to you.”

Commanders and servants: these two terms refer to those who were leaders in battle and the men who followed their orders. In some languages translators may say “warrior chiefs and warriors” or “men who lead in battle and those who followed.”

Are nothing to you: in some languages it will be more natural to change the structure of this part of the verse to say “you care nothing at all about [the military leaders and soldiers].”

I perceive: this verb may be better rendered in some languages as “I think” or “I believe.” But others may easily say “see.” It may be better placed following the “if” clause rather than before it. On the other hand, the “then” clause may be moved forward in the verse in other languages. Some possible models are “If Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, then I believe you would be very pleased” or “I think you would be very happy today if Absalom were here and we had all died in battle.”

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 .