Joseph

The term that is transliterated as “Joseph” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that relates to a) the coat he wore (see Gen 37:3), b) the holding of his clothes by Potiphar’s wife (see Gen 39:12), and c) the many times Joseph experienced grief. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Joseph” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies “dream,” referring to Jacob’s dream at Bethel (see Genesis 28:10 and the following verses). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joseph .

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

complete verse (1 Chronicles 7:29)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 7:29:

  • Kupsabiny: “Their land was near to that of the clan of Manasseh who had the cities of Beth-shan with its villages, Taanach with its villages, Megiddo and its villages, and Dor with its villages. So, the descendants of Joseph son of Jacob lived in those cities.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their surrounding cities. In these cities lived the descendants of Joseph son of Israel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The descendants of Manase were the ones-who-owned the towns of Bet Shan, Taanac, Megido, and Dor, and including the barrios around it.
    Those were the towns where the descendants of Jose the child of Israel lived.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Along the border of the area where the descendants of Manasseh lived were these towns: Beth-Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, and the nearby villages.
    The people who lived in all those places were descendants of Jacob’s son Joseph.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 7:29

The writer returns to the tribe of Manasseh (verses 14-19). The cities listed here are named together also in Josh 17.11 and Jdg 1.27.

Also along the borders of the Manassites is literally “and by the hands of the children of Manasseh.” The words “by the hands of” may be understood in two different ways as the translations in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation indicate:

• (1) They may mean “next to,” so the verse is saying that the Ephraimites controlled these cities along the borders of the land belonging to the descendants of Manasseh (so Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Moffatt, who says “also, along the frontier of Manasseh”). Compare also “Along the borders of Manasseh’s land” (New Century Version; similarly New International Version, New Living Translation).

• (2) Or these words may mean that the places mentioned were “controlled” by the descendants of Manasseh rather than the descendants of Ephraim. Knoppers has “And under the control of the descendants of Manasseh” (similarly American Bible), and Revised English Bible says “In the possession of Manasseh” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Compare also “The sons of Manasseh possessed” (Nouvelle Bible Segond). Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente expresses this phrase as “in the hands of the descendants of Manasseh” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible Pléiade).

Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach … Megiddo … Dor …: The information that these places are “cities” may be made explicit (so Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Beth-shean (meaning “house of Shan”) was located where the Jezreel and Jordan valleys meet (see Josh 17.11-13; Jdg 1.17). This name is spelled as two separate words in Good News Translation and New International Version. Like Revised Standard Version, other versions have a hyphen between the two words. But what is important is that translators use the same form consistently throughout the Old Testament even though there is a slightly different spelling in other places.

Regarding the words its towns, see the comments on the previous verse. Rather than repeat the words its towns several times as the Hebrew does, some English translations state this at the end of the list for reasons of style (so Good News Translation, New Living Translation).

Taanach and Megiddo are located in the Jezreel Valley. Both are still known by the same names in modern times. Dor is usually located north of modern Tantura. It is located on the Mediterranean seacoast south of Mount Carmel.

In these dwelt the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: The demonstrative pronoun these refer to all the places mentioned in verses 28-29. The sons of Joseph were Ephraim and Manasseh (Josh 16.4). As has been noted earlier, Good News Translation regularly uses the name “Jacob” when the writer is referring to the individual patriarch, even though the Hebrew has Israel.

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 .