Awwabun

38:17
اصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
Isbir AAala ma yaqooloona waothkur AAabdana dawooda tha alaydi innahu awwabun

RK translation: Be patient in the face of their utterances, and remember our servant David, the resourceful; he was obedient.

38:30 - 
وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
Wawahabna lidawuda sulaimana niAAma alAAbdu innahu awwabun

RK translation - To David we granted Solomon; a good and obedient servant.

38:44
وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًا فَاضْرِبْ بِهِ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَاهُ صَابِرًا نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
Wakhuth biyadika dighthan faidrib bihi wala tahnath inna wajadnahu sabiran niAAma alAAbdu innahu awwabun

RK translation - Now, you shall travel the land and preach the message, to fulfill your pledge." We found him steadfast. What a good servant! He was a submitter.


 in relation to the above verses. i am particularly interested in the arabic - innahu awwabum - which  is the last phrase on the above verses.

 but the translation is different.


 Or
38:19
وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوَّابٌ
Waalttayra mahshooratan kullun lahu awwabun
RK translation - Also the birds were committed to serve him; all were obedient to him.


 even interesting is from the arabic - on verses 30+44  niAAma alAAbdu et all is similar to both verses - but it is translated differently.

in the arabic corpus dictionary - the root A, wao, and ba - for awwab .. arck see for yourself
http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Awb

The triliteral root hamza wāw bā (أ و ب) occurs 17 times in the Quran, in four derived forms:

• once as the form II verb awwibi (أَوِّبِ)
• six times as the nominal awwāb (أَوَّاب)

• Verb (form II) - to repeat

  (34:10:7) awwibī

  Repeat praises

  يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ

  Nominal

  (1) Noun

  (17:25:11) lil'awwābīna	to those who often turn (to Him)	إِنْ تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا
  (38:17:11) awwābun	repeatedly turning	وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
  (38:19:5) awwābun	repeatedly turning	وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوَّابٌ
  (38:30:7) awwābun	(was) one who repeatedly turned	وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
  (38:44:14) awwābun	repeatedly turned	إِنَّا وَجَدْنَاهُ صَابِرًا نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ

  (2) Adjective

  (50:32:5) awwābin

  who turns

  هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍ

  i am rather interested by this all.