The name that is transliterated as “Martha” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “hostess” (referring to Luke 10:40). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
The name that is transliterated as “Simeon” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “heard” (referring to Luke 2:26). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
The name that is transliterated as “Thomas” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “doubt” (referring to John 20:25). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
The name that is transliterated as “Enoch” in English means “initiated,” “initiating,” “teacher,” “dedicated,” “consecrated.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “taken away” (referring to Genesis 5:24). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
Following is the back-translation of Luke 7:1-10 from Finnish Sign Language (FiSL). One of the ways that distinguishes FiSL is by an intense way of using a spatial component via a signing space. Click or tap here to see more.
(Note: For a video of this passage in Finnish Sign Language, see below.)
Numbers attached with glosses refer to locations in signing space.
The English text gives a rough back translation of the FiSL behind the glosses.
Luke 7:1
JESUS TELL HUMAN GROUP HEAR>5
Jesus spoke and people listen
READY JESUS GO-1>2 CAPERNAUM INDEX>6
After he had finished Jesus went to Capernaum
(break)
Luke 7:2
ONE SOLDER LEADER OWN>6 SERVANT SICK NEARLY DIE
A servant of a military leader was sick and dying
LEADER INDEX>6 SERVANT PERSON-1 RESPECT
That leader respected his servant
(break)
Luke 7:3
INDEX>6 HEAR>5 JESUS
He heard about Jesus
PERSONx>5 ASK JEW HIGH-POSITION HUMANx-6 BRING-5>1 JESUS
He asked the respected Jewish men to bring Jesus to him
SERVANT PERSON-6 SAVE
to save the servant
(break)
Luke 7:4
JEW HIGH-POSITION HUMANx-6 JESUS MEET>5
The respected Jewish men met Jesus
BEG>5 SAY>5
Begging and asking:
(break)
ASK MALE INDEX>6 NEED OWN>5 HELP
Please, that man needs your help
(break)
Luke 7:5
WE HUMAN GROUP INDEX>6 LOVE
He loves our people
ALSO WE OWN>1 JEW CONGREGATION
For our Jewish congregation
INDEX>6 ALREADY BUILD HOUSE
He has built a house [= synagogue]
(break)
Luke 7:6
JESUS WITH TOGETHER-3>6 HOUSE-6 NEAR-3>6
Jesus approached the house together with others
LEADER SEND-4>5 OWN>6 FEW FRIENDx
The leader sent some of his friends
MEET-4>5
To meet Jesus:
(break)
LEADER INDEX>6 SAY
This leader says:
LORD INDEX>5 TROUBLE CLOSE-5>1 DO-NOT>5
Lord, do not trouble to come to me
Luke 7:7 (no break)
ALSO INDEX>1 CLOSE-1>5 CANNOT
As I did not come to you
(break)
[the rest of the verse moved to the end of verse 8]
Luke 7:8
COMMAND INDEX-h3>1 INDEX>1 OBEY
I am subject to command from above
ALSO SOLDER INDEX>2 INDEX>1 COMMAND INDEX-1>2
And I command solders
INDEX-2 OBEY
And they obey
(break)
OWN-1 SOLDER INDEX-2 INDEX-1 SAY
If I say to this solder of mine:
INDEX-2 GO>2
Go!
COMPLETE LEAVE-1>2
He will leave
INDEX-5 COME-5>1
Or to another: Come!
COMPLETE COME-5>1
He will come
(break)
ALSO SERVANT PERSON-2 INDEX-1 SAY
And if I say to this servant:
DO INDEXx-2
Do this!
COMPLETE DO
He will do it.
(break)
ANDx ALSO OWN>1 SERVANT PERSON-6 INDEX-5 ORDER-5>6
So, please, order this servant of mine
HEAL
And heal him.
(break)
LEADER INDEX-6 WELCOME-6>5
The leader asked Jesus to do this to him
Luke 7:9
JESUS SURPRISE>6
Jesus was surprised
TURN-6>5 HUMAN GROUP
He turned to people
SAY
And said:
LEADER OWN>6 FAITH COMPARE SAME JEW HUMAN GROUP INDEX-1 NEVER SEE-1>d
I have never seen the same faith among Jews than this leader has
(break)
Luke 7:10
FRIEND INDEXx-2 BACK-1>2>1 HOUSE-6 NEAR>6
When the friends returned to the house of the leader
SERVANT PERSON-6 ALREADY HEAL
That servant was already healthy.
The town name that is transliterated as “Bethlehem” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the signs signifying “manger + town” (referring to Luke 2:7). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
In American Sign Language it is translated with the signs for “bread” and “house,” referring to the original meaning of “Bethlehem” as “house of bread.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Bethlehem” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The name that is transliterated as “Jacob” in English means “he will supplant,” “he that follows after,” “a heeler,” “one who trips up,” “takes hold by the land.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It 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)
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)
