In Bauzi “swear” can be translated in various ways. In Hebrews 6:13, for instance, it is translated with “bones break apart and decisively speak.” (“No bones are literally broken but by saying ‘break bones’ it is like people swear by someone else in this case it is in relation to a rotting corpse’ bones falling apart. If you ‘break bones’ so to speak when you make an utterance, it is a true utterance.”) In other passages, such as in Matthew 26:72, it’s translated with an expression that implies taking ashes (“if a person wants everyone to know that he is telling the truth about a matter, he reaches down into the fireplace, scoops up some ashes and throws them while saying ‘I was not the one who did that.'”). So in Matthew 26:72 the Bauzi text is: “. . . Peter took ashes and defended himself saying, ‘I don’t know that Nazareth person.'” (Source: David Briley)
The name that is transliterated as “Abraham” in English is translated in the vast majority of sign languages, including American Sign Language with the sign signifying “hold back arm” (referring to Genesis 22:12).
In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with a sign for that demonstrates his new destiny. Previously, he had been called to wander from his home, and the name “Abram” reflected this movement (see here). The new sign name is in one location and stays there, showing Abraham will be given a land to call his own. At this time, Abraham was in the southern part of Canaan, which is shown on the base arm by the location near the elbow. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)
“Abraham” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL
In Tira it is transliterated as Abaram. The choice of this, rather than the widely-known “Ibrahim,” as used in the Tira translation of the Qu’ran, was to offset it against the Muslim transliteration which originates from Arabic. (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Click or tap here to see two short video clips about Abraham (source: Bible Lands 2012)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 24:9:
Kankanaey: “So then that-aforementioned slave laid-his-hand-on the thigh of Abraham his master (same word as for sir/lord) and he swore that he would do what he had instructed him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “Then the servant promised, ‘Whatever you have said, all [that I] will do.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Therefore the servant put his hand between the two thighs of Abraham his master, and he swore that he would-fulfill what-had-been-commanded to him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So the servant put his hand between Abraham’s thighs and made a solemn promise about the matter.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
So the servant put his hand under the thigh: So introduces a consequence. The servant’s fears are set aside, and therefore he agrees to take the oath. Put his hand … thigh should be rendered here as it was in Gen 24.2.
Abraham his master: master should be rendered by a term that a servant would use to refer to his master, owner, or chief. In languages in which the servant-master relationship does not exist, we may need to say, for example, “Abraham, who was the one he worked for.” In some languages this is “Abraham, his big boss.”
Swore to him concerning this matter: for swore see Gen 24.3. Concerning this matter is the narrator’s way of referring to the details of verses 3-8. Some translations say simply “to do as he said.” However, in some languages it may be necessary to say “swore to him to do what Abraham had demanded,” or as Bible en français courant says, “swore to carry out his orders.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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