Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (Psalm 79:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 79:3:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “They have shed blood like water
    surrounding the whole Jerusalem,
    and there is no one who is to put in the grave the dead people.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “There has been profuse bleeding like water all over Jerusalem.
    No one has survived even to bury the dead.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “They caused- the blood of your (sing.) people -to-flow like water that flooded the whole-of Jerusalem,
    and no one was-left/remains to-bury the dead.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “They poured the blood of your people who were
    like water that surrounded all Jerusalem,
    and no one buries them.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Wamemwaga damu yao kama vile maji,
    katika mji wote wa katika Yerusalemu,
    hayupo ambaye amebaki wa kuwazika.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “When they killed your people,
    your people’s blood flowed like water through the streets of Jerusalem,
    and there was almost no one left to bury their corpses.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 79:3 - 79:4

The slaughter was so terrible that “blood flowed like water” in Jerusalem. Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version begin verse 3 with They, which may be slightly ambiguous due to the references in verse 2 to the vultures and wild animals. The referents in verse 3 should be clear: They have refers to the enemies; their blood refers to the Israelites, and them are the dead Israelites. In languages where the degree of ambiguity would be increased, it will be better to begin verse 3 with the noun subject.

Round about Jerusalem does not mean outside the city but all through the city. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “through all Jerusalem.” Good News Translation has repeated the simile “like water” in connection with the killing of the people and its location in Jerusalem. This is not necessary. If the expression poured out … blood or “shed … blood” has the wrong meaning, it will be better to say “they have killed the people all around Jerusalem.” If the simile is to be kept, one may say, for example, “the blood of the dead has flowed like water in Jerusalem.”

Verse 3c emphasizes again the fact that so many Israelites were slaughtered that there were hardly any survivors to bury the dead.

Verse 4 is practically identical with 44.13, except that here God is not specifically the one who caused the mocking. Our neighbors are the surrounding heathen nations, often translated as “the other tribes” or “the tribes around us who do not worship God.”

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 .