Job

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Job” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign for “patience,” referring to James 5:11 and many other passages within the book of Job. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Job” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “suffering.”


“Job” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Job .

complete verse (Job 32:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 32:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “I listened very much but
    you were defeated when you did not agree with Job.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I have listened to your words, paying [close] attention.
    Look! No one has said that Job’s words are not true.
    None of you has offered a response to his arguments.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I listened to you (plur.) very carefully, but really none of you (plur.) has-proved that Job has-sinned; you (plur.) never have-answered his reasonings.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Job 32:12

Elihu says he found no refutation, no argument put forth by the friends to show Job that he was wrong. Job would no doubt agree with Elihu here, but since he never replies to Elihu, it is impossible to know what he thinks of Elihu’s speeches. None of the friends ever calls Job by his name. In contrast Elihu does so nine times during his long speeches.

I gave you my attention: Elihu is careful to emphasize that he paid close attention to the speeches of the friends. What he found was there was none that confuted Job: that is, “no one showed Job that he was wrong” or “and none of you has answered his arguments.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .