was gathered to his people

The Hebrew that is translated as “was gathered to his people” or similar in English is translated in Mwera as “he went and was united with his ancestors.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Abraham

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).


“Abraham” in American Sign Language (source )

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

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

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)

See also our ancestor Abraham and Abram.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Abraham .

complete verse (Genesis 25:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 25:8:

  • Kankanaey: “As for Abraham, he had already reached extreme old age (id. horned his knee), because he yeared one-hundred and seventy and five, then he died. And his spirit (ab-abiik = human spirit only) went and joined the spirits of his ancestors.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Having lived a right life span, having become an old man, he died. Then he was gathered to his ancestors.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He died in very old-age, and he was-joined to his relatives who have- now -died.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He died at a very old age, joining his ancestors who had died previously.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 25:7 - 25:8

Note that Good News Translation combines verses 7 and 8 into one brief statement. Translators may wish to follow this model.

These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life: These points forward to the number of years Abraham lived before he died. As with “days” in 5.5, the sense of the idiom days of the years is “Abraham lived to be,” “Abraham reached the age of,” “This is how long Abraham lived.” Abraham was seventy-five years old when he entered Canaan (12.4), and he spent one hundred years there before he died.

Abraham breathed his last and died: breathed his last translates a verb used here and in verse 17 meaning to “expire,” “die.” The use of the two verbs “expire” and “die” together is found in poetic contexts. Good News Translation says only “died.” However, Revised English Bible make breathed his last part of verse 7: “Abraham had lived … years when he breathed his last.” If it is natural in the language of the translation, we may say, for example, “Abraham took his last breath and died.”

In a good old age means “when he was very old,” “at a great age,” or “after having lived a long life.”

An old man and full of years is a double repetition of the previous thought.

And was gathered to his people: in 15.15 the expression is “go to your fathers.” It is generally accepted that the two expressions are equivalent. However, there are different interpretations of the meaning. Note that Good News Translation takes this expression to mean the same as “died,” and considers gathered to his people as a repetition of breathed his last and died. Another view is that gathered … people refers to being placed in the burial place with those who have died before. Others take it to refer to being in Sheol, the place of the dead in the deep parts of the earth. Still others understand it to refer to being remembered by the living as one of the honored ancestors. With the possible exception of Good News Translation, all the major modern translations in English retain some form of this expression.

Because it is expressed as a passive construction, it may be necessary to shift to the active and say, for example, “He died and united himself with his kinsmen,” or “He died and joined his dead kinsmen.” In some languages it is important to make clear that the kinsmen or relatives are dead ones: “He died and joined his relatives who had died before him.”

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 .