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)

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 Psalm 144:9 - 144:11

In these verses the psalmist promises that, if God gives him the victory he prays for, he will, in the Temple, praise God with a new song and play upon a ten-stringed harp to him. For the language see 33.2-3; and for the instrument see 33.2; “harp” in 92.3. The verb in verse 9b may mean simply to play an instrument, or else to sing, accompanied by an instrument (so Good News Translation).

In verse 10 God is spoken of as the one who gives victory to kings and rescues David (his) servant. The kings, of course, are kings of Israel; whether David means King David himself or a king of the Davidic dynasty is a matter of dispute. Givest victory to kings may have to be adjusted in some languages to say, for example, “defeats the enemies of the kings of Israel.”

In the ver1 Biblia Hebraicaver1* the second line of verse 10 ends with “David his servant”; the next line begins with “from the evil sword,” after which verse 11 begins with the verb form “Save me.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (also New American Bible, New English Bible, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) join the verb “Save me” to “from the evil sword” as the first line of verse 11 (disregarding the verse division of the ver1 Biblia Hebraicaver1*); Bible de Jérusalem and New Jerusalem Bible also make this one line but place the verse number 11 before “from the evil sword” (see also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible join “from the evil sword” to the end of verse 10, which is possible (see New Jerusalem Bible “who rescue His servant David from the deadly sword”). It seems better, however, to do as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have done. (It is interesting to notice that the Targum interpreted “from the evil sword” to mean “from the evil sword of Goliath.”)

Verse 11b-d repeats verses 7c-8.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .