Canaan

The term that is transliterated as “Canaan” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign loosely referencing the act of hiding/covering one’s face in shame. The association of “shame” with the name “Canaan” comes from Genesis 9, specifically verse 9:25. This sign was adapted from a similar sign in Kenyan Sign Language (see here). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Canaan” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Canaan in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

complete verse (Numbers 32:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 32:30:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if they refuse, they shall not live in their country that has been given to (them) in the East of Jordan, but they shall get their portion in the country of Canaan like any other clan.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If they do not take weapons and go with you across the Jordan they will come to have land with you in Canaan."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But if they indeed will- not -cross-over with you (plur.), so/well they should receive the land with you (plur.) there in the land of Canaan.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But if they do not take their weapons and go with you prepared to fight, they will not receive this land. They will need to accept some land in Canaan, like the rest of you will do.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 Numbers 32:30

But if they will not pass over with you armed: Moses summarizes the conditions in the previous verse to introduce how the Gadites and Reubenites will be punished if they do not fulfil them (compare verse 23). Translators may begin a new sentence here.

They shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan: This clause specifies the punishment. If the Gadites and Reubenites fail to keep the covenant, their request for land east of the Jordan will be denied (so Ashley, page 614). Instead, they will receive land in Canaan with the other tribes. In many languages Revised Standard Version‘s literal rendering of this clause will not sound like a punishment. If so, the following models may be helpful: “they must accept their possession with you in Canaan” (New International Version), “then they must accept land with the rest of you in the land of Canaan” (New Living Translation; similarly Nueva Traducción Viviente), and “then they must content themselves with a piece of [left-over] land among you [in Canaan]” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .