The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Rahab” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “prostitute” referring to Joshua 2:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Latin that is transliterated as “Obadiah” in English means “a servant of the LORD,” “a worshiper of YHWH.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign referring to the struggle between soul and body. The figure of Obadiah and his prophetic ministry exemplify faithfulness, courageous stance, and steadfastness. In the book of Obadiah, the struggle between soul and body appears as the contrast between pride and humility: “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?'” (Obadiah 1:3). The struggle between soul and body is also manifested in how we relate to those who suffer. The body would choose selfishness, while the soul chooses compassion: “You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction” (Obadiah 1:12). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Obadiah” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Obadiah,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts the book of Obadiah as the shortest book in the Old Testament.
Pakaluk (2021, p. 249) explains the meaning of this name: “This name means ‘Son of Abba,’ that is, ‘Son of the Father.’ John tells us only that Bar-Abbas was a robber, which is enough to establish that he was a criminal who deserved to be in prison. In the Marian spirit that pervades his Gospel, John does not add that Bar-Abbas was also a brigand and a murderer. What matters is that the innocent Son of the Father took the place of this guilty ‘Son of the Father’ and allowed him to go free.”
The Greek that is transliterated as “Barabbas” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign depicting for “thief or “delinquent.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Latin that is transliterated as “Micah” in English is translated in Hungarian Sign Language with a sign that suggests that the prophet directly interprets the word of God to the people. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Micah” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Micah,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “humility” or “obey,” referring to Micah 6:8. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The name “Hagar” or “Abataza” means “flight” and derived from that “fugitive,” “immigrant,” “sojourner.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
The term that is transliterated as “Hagar” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter H and “escaped,” referring to Genesis 21:14. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Hagar” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines “Egypt” and “servant,” referring to the fact that Hagar was a slave from Egypt (see Genesis 16:1). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Latin that is transliterated as “Nahum” in English is translated in Hungarian Sign Language with a sign that is derived from the meaning of his name and refers to divine comfort. The name Nahum means “comforter,” “comforted,” or “consolation.” The name originates from the fuller form Nahumyah, which means “Yahweh consoles or comforts.” (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Nahum” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Nahum,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting “punish a place,” especially referring to Nahum 1 and 3. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Greek that is transliterated as “Silas” or “Silvanus” in English means “lover of words,” “of the forest” (source: Cornwall / Smith 1997).
The Greek form of Silvanus (Σιλουανός) likely reflects the Latin spelling (Silvanus) of a more typical Greek name Silas (Σιλᾶς). Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire, whereas Greek was the lingua franca used in most parts of the ancient world. It was very common for a person with wide travel experience in New Testament times to have more than one name; Paul would be another example (Saul and Paul). Ancient Latin pronounced “v” as “w” in modern English; because the Greek used in New Testament times did not have a letter with “w” sound, the diphthong “ου” (pronounced as “oo”) would be its closest equivalent. This explains the relationship between the spelling Σιλουανός and its Latin equivalent Silvanus. (Source: Simon Wong)
In Spanish Sign Language both names are translated with a sign depicting “chains falling off,” referring to Acts 16:26. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
