complete verse (Exodus 33:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 33:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “It was when Moses was entering into that tent that each person would come out from his/her home and stand at the entrance looking at Moses until he went inside that tent.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When Moses went out all the people stood at the entrance of their tent and kept looking till Moses entered inside of tent.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Whenever Moises enter the Tent, the people would-stand at the door/entrances of their tents. They watch Moises until he will-be-able-to-enter the Tent.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Always when Moses left the camp and then went to that shelter, the people arose and stood at the openings of their shelters and so were looking at Moses go and enter into that shelter.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “When Moses be going to tent, many people be arising, standing at door of house their, looking [at] him until he be going enter [that direction] its inside.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Whenever Moses/I went out to the Sacred Tent, all the people would stand at the entrances of their tents and watch him/me until he/I had entered the Sacred Tent.” (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 33:8

Whenever Moses went out to the tent is literally “And it was according to the going out of Moses to the tent.” This expresses the “frequentative” sense in a different way. All the people rose up means that they stood up. And every man stood at his tent door is literally “and they stationed themselves a man [at] opening of his tent.” These two short clauses may be combined, “the people would stand at the door of their tents” (Good News Translation). And looked after Moses, literally “and they gazed after Moses,” simply means that they watched him. Until he had gone into the tent means “until he entered the tent” (New International Version).

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 .