Jacob

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Jacob” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “lentil,” referring to the soup he gave his brother in exchange for his birthright (see Genesis 25:34). Note that another Spanish Sign Language sign for Jacob also users the sign for Jewish. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

In German Sign Language it is a sign that shows the touching of the hip, described in Genesis 32:25:


“Jacob” in German Sign Language (source: Taub und katholisch )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the signs signifying “smooth arm” (referring to the story starting at Genesis 27:11). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Jacob” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

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

See also Esau.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jacob .

complete verse (Psalm 114:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 114:7:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Tremble before the Lord you earth,
    before the eyes of the God of Jacob,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “O earth, tremble before the LORD,
    tremble before the God of Jacob.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The earth shakes in the presence of the LORD the God of Jacob,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Earth, you tremble in front of the Lord,
    in front of God of Jacob,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Ee dunia, tetemeka mbele ya Bwana,
    utetemeke mbele ya Mungu wa Yakobo,” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I would reply that it was the presence of the Lord that caused those things to happen!
    Everyone/Everything on the earth should tremble in the presence of God, whom Jacob worshiped/the Israeli people worship!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

before / in the sight of / presence of (God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-mae (御前) or “before (God)” in the referenced verses. In some cases in can also be used in reference to being before a king, such as in 1 Samuel 16:16.

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

See also presence (Japanese honorifics) and before you / to you.

Translation commentary on Psalm 114:7 - 114:8

The verb translated Tremble may mean “dance” (as in 87.7; New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); most, however, take it to represent fright, not joy. In both lines of verse 7 the Hebrew says the presence of, which Good News Translation has represented in two different ways. It should be noticed that in line a the Hebrew has the title “Lord” (Good News Translation), not the divine name (Revised Standard Version LORD). Of Jacob may stand for the patriarch himself, or else for the people of Israel as a whole (see 20.1; 46.7, 11; 75.9; 76.6; and others). In this context the former is preferable. In languages in which the earth cannot be told to tremble, it may be possible to switch to a statement, that is, “when the God whom Jacob worshiped is near, the earth trembles.”

In verse 8b Good News Translation “solid cliffs” translates the Hebrew word for flint (which occurs only in four other places in the Old Testament); as a parallel for “rocks” in line a, however, the flint (Revised Standard Version) is not appropriate in the context. In this verse the psalmist is alluding to the events at Kadesh (Exo 17.1-7; Num 20.1-13; see also Psa 78.13-16, 20). Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible use the present tense for the verb in verse 8, as a description of Yahweh’s power; New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy use the past tense as a statement of what Yahweh had actually done, and this may be more appropriate. Verse 8 should be accompanied by a cross reference to assist the reader in understanding the allusion.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .