brothers

“Brothers” has to be translated into Naro as “younger brothers and older brothers” (Tsáá qõea xu hẽé / naka tsáá kíí). All brothers are included this way, also because of the kind of plural that has been used. (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)

This also must be more clearly defined in Yucateco as older or younger (suku’un or Iits’in), but here there are both older and younger brothers. Yucateco does have a more general word for close relative, family member. (Source: Robert Bascom)

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 (Genesis 50:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 50:8:

  • Newari: “All of Joseph’s household, his brothers and his father’s affinal kin also went. Only their children, the cows, sheep and cattle were left behind there in Goshen.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Joined also (were) the household of Jose and the household of his siblings/(brothers), the whole household of Jacob. The (ones who)-were-left in Goshen (were) their small children and their animals.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “His own family’s small children and their sheep and goats and their cattle stayed in the Goshen region. But all the rest of Joseph’s family and his older brothers and younger brother and his father’s family went with him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 50:8

All the household of Joseph refers to Joseph’s own family. His brothers are the sons of Jacob. His father’s household refers to the members of Jacob’s family. Because his brothers are part of this group, Good News Translation says “and the rest of his father’s family.” It is likely that all is a literary exaggeration in this verse also, and that there were probably some of the women and some of the servants who did not make the journey, besides the children mentioned in the next sentence.

Only their children: the word rendered children is a collective noun that generally refers to small children; it is related in Hebrew to a verb that means to take little steps. These small children and the animals were left behind in Goshen. We must assume that there were servants and others to take care of them; some translations make this clear by saying “Only the small children and some servants, with the animals….” A different understanding of the Hebrew word is followed by New Jerusalem Bible, which takes it to mean in this context people who were not fit to make the long journey: “The only people they left behind … were those unfit to travel.”

Flocks means sheep and goats, and herds refers to cattle.

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 .