Ephraim

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ephraim” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “palm tree” referring to the palm of Deborah in the land of Ephraim (see Judges 4:5. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Ephraim” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

For Deborah, see here.

More information about Ephraim and the Tribe of Ephraim .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 27:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 27:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “Helez who came from Pelon and was of the clan of Ephraim was in charge of the seventh part who worked in the seventh month.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “For the seventh month Helez the Pelonite [of the sons of] Ephraim was the seventh captain. There were 24,000 men in his group.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Helez of/from-Pelon a descendant of Efraim was the commander of the soldiers for the seventh month. There were 24,000 soldiers in his group.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The commander for the following/seventh month was Helez, a member of the Pelon clan from the tribe of Ephraim.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 27:10

Helez the Pelonite, of the sons of Ephraim (verse 10): See 1 Chr 11.27. The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered the Pelonite is not known. The Targum says “who was from the family of Pelen.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “from the village of Pelon,” and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje says “from the city of Pelon.” In 2 Sam 23.26 Helez is called a “Paltite,” and some translations harmonize the text here in chapter 27 to read “Paltite” instead of Pelonite (so La Bible Pléiade, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). HALOT suggests that the Hebrew word refers to “someone or other, someone not known.” This is the basis for the rendering in New English Bible and Revised English Bible, which says that Helez was an Ephraimite “from a place unknown.” Of the sons of Ephraim may be translated “an Ephraimite” (Good News Translation), “a descendant of Ephraim” (New Century Version), or “from the tribe of Ephraim” (Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Peregrino.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .