exuberant joy

In Gbaya, the notion of exuberant joy is emphasized in the referenced verses with the ideophone yoŋgolo.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many Central African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

For Judith 16:20, see Translation commentary on Judith 16:20.

Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

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 Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

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 .

Translation commentary on Baruch 2:23

This verse is very close in wording to Jer 7.34 (where the wording of Good News Translation is not as successful as here).

From the region about Jerusalem is a possible interpretation of the Greek text here, but the word rendered from the region about is probably only a poetic variation on the similar word translated from in the expression from the cities of Judah. So Good News Translation may well be correct with “in Jerusalem.” The author surely does not wish to exclude Jerusalem at this point.

In a number of languages it will be difficult to translate I will make to cease … the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. In such cases some restructuring will be needed for this verse; for example:

• I will cause the people in the towns of Judah and the city of Jerusalem to stop laughing and celebrating. Even the bridegrooms and brides won’t rejoice. The whole land will be desolate with no people living in it.

The quotation from “the prophets” ends with this verse.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.