Pharaoh

The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was word by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Pharaoh” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Pharaoh .

complete verse (Exodus 10:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 10:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “and they will fill your (sing.) houses and those of your leaders/officials of your land. They will also fill the houses of all the Egyptians, this is something that your fathers or your ancestors/grandfathers have never seen in the years they lived there.’ ’ And when Moses had finished that talk, he turned his back to (him) and went.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They will fill your palace and the houses of all your officials and of all the Egyptians. Never have your forefathers seen such a thing. Not from the beginning of the earth till now has such a happening been seen. Then Moses turned and went out from Pharaoh’s place.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Your palace will-be-filled with locusts and the houses of your officials and people. Nothing has- ever -been-seen like this in the land of Egipto since your (plur.) ancestors/[lit. old-ones] arrived here until now.’ ’ After-(he)-said this they now left.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “The grasshoppers will fly and go occupy your (sing.) house and the houses of your leaders and all your people. Previously, [when] your fathers and ancestors were living in Isip and up until today, grasshoppers hadn’t become numerous like that.’ ’ Okay, Moses talked like that and was finished and then he turned himself and then left the great chief of the Isip people and went.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “It will crowd house your, and house of servants your, and house of Egyptians all. Amongst fathers your and ancestors your, during years which they lived [at eye], there is no one who before had seen type of many that locust.› »
    And Moses left from king.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “They will fill your houses, and the houses of all your officials, and the houses of all the rest of the Egyptians. There will be more locusts than you or your parents or your grandparents have ever seen, from the time your ancestors first came to this land until the present time!’’ Then he/I turned and Aaron and I left the king.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 10:6

They shall fill your houses (Good News Translation “palaces”) suggests that the king had more than one house (your is singular). And the houses of all your servants means “all your officials.” And of all the Egyptians includes all the people of Egypt, but it may imply that the houses of the Israelites would be spared.

The word as (or “which”) is a relative pronoun that may refer either to the locusts themselves (Good News Translation “They”) or to the destruction the locusts will bring. New Revised Standard Version helpfully places a dash here, followed with “something that,” so that the following clause refers to the entire event described in verses 4-6 (so also New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and New International Version).

Neither your fathers nor your grandfathers means all the “ancestors” of the Egyptians, although the pronoun your is singular. Translator’s Old Testament has “None of your ancestors saw anything like it.” (On “ancestors” see the comment at 2.1 and especially at 3.6.) From the day they came on earth to this day is understood in some translations to refer to when the Egyptians first settled in that land (New International Version, New American Bible). More likely the expression means exactly what Revised Standard Version has, simply adding emphasis to the idea of “never.” Good News Translation omits the entire phrase, depending perhaps too much on the word “ever” to convey this emphasis. In a number of languages it will be necessary to show that the great number of locusts is more than any of the Egyptian ancestors have seen, and translate “more locusts than have ever been seen in this country” or “more locusts than your ancestors have ever seen.”

Then he turned is singular, referring only to “Moses.” There is no reference to Aaron here as there is in verse 3. And went out from Pharaoh uses the verb “to exit,” which complements the verb “to enter” in verse 3. Turned will sound strange in some languages. In such a case one may express this final sentence as “After that Moses left the palace.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .