complete verse (Exodus 17:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 17:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “Whenever Moses lifted up his hands, the Israelites defeated Amalekites, and when he lowered (them), the Amalekites started to defeat.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, whenever he rested his hand , the Amalekites were winning.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “And as-long-as Moises held-up/raised his hand, the Israelinhon were-winning, but if he lowered his hand, the Amaleknon were-winning.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Always when Moses lifted up his arms, the Israel people surpassed the Amalek people in the fight. But when his arms went down, the Amalek people surpassed the Israel people.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Whenever Moses was lifting hand up, that is when people of Israel were pushing back people of Amalek. But, whenever Moses was returning hand down, that is when people of Amalek were pushing them.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Whenever Moses/I lifted up his/my arms, the Israeli men started to win the battle. And whenever he/I lowered his/my arms, the Amalek people-group started to win.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Translation commentary on Exod 17:11

Whenever Moses held up his hand may be understood as “As long as Moses held up his arms” (Good News Translation). The word for hand may also mean “forearm,” but probably Moses raised his entire “arms” (Good News Translation) in order to be seen by the Israelites in the valley below. Hand, however, is singular in the Hebrew, but the following verse uses the plural. Most translations now use the plural here as well.

Israel prevailed means that “the Israelites won” (Good News Translation), or better, “were winning” (New International Version). The word means to excel or to accomplish something. Revised English Bible has “Israel had the advantage,” and Contemporary English Version has “The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms.” Whenever he lowered his hand uses a verb that means to settle or take a rest. Amalek prevailed means that “the Amalekites started winning” (Good News Translation), or “were winning” (New International Version). Here again, Revised English Bible has “the advantage passed to Amalek.”

It should be noted that Moses’ upraised arms do not indicate an attitude of prayer, as suggested by later Jewish and Christian interpreters. Rather, the upraised hand indicated power, so this posture was a sign of Yahweh’s power being channeled through Moses to the Israelites as they fought. The translation should therefore not suggest that Moses was praying.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .