complete verse (Genesis 42:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 42:20:

  • Kankanaey: “But it is necessary that you accompany your youngest younger-sibling here to thereby confirm the truth of what you said so I will not kill you.’ They agreed-to (lit. yessed) that-aforementioned that Jose said” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “However, do not fail to bring your youngest brother. Only then will I be able to know whether what you have said is true or not. Then you will also be spared. They said ‘Good.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Afterwards, bring here to me your (pl.) youngest-sibling so-that I can-prove that you (pl.) are- not -lying and so-that I will- not -have- you (pl.) -killed.’ And they did this.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But if you come back here again, you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that you can prove that what you told me is true, and as a result I will not have you executed.’ So they agreed to do that.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on Genesis 42:20

And bring your youngest brother to me: that is, “then bring … to me.”

So your words will be verified: that is, “so that I will know that you [plural] are telling the truth” or “that way I will know … truth.”

And you shall not die: their deaths will happen if Joseph will decide they are spies and have them executed. If they will prove they are honest men, they will not be executed.

And they did so: this appears to mean “They did like so,” or as Anchor Bible says, “They made (the) yes (sign),” which he and others take to mean “They agreed” or “They accepted.” Jacob used the same expression in 29.28, when he agreed with Laban to complete the week of the marriage celebrations with Leah. Bible en français courant translates more fully “The brothers accepted this proposal.”

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 .