Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English means “taken out of the water,” “saved out of the water,” “a son.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 ). See also Translation commentary on Exodus 2:10.

It is translated in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language with a sign 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 (and Hungarian 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 Korean Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the arms held up by Moses to assure the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:11).


“Moses” in Korean Sign Language, source: Korean Sign Language Bible House

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 .

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Exod 4:14

The anger of the LORD was kindled is literally “the nose of YHWH became hot,” but the expression simply means “the LORD became angry” (Good News Translation). Some languages may be able to retain some of this graphic description with a similar expression: “When he heard Moses’ words the LORD’s heart became hot,” or “The LORD’s heart [or liver, or stomach] burned [or, pained] against Moses.” A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark, page 106, contains some other excellent figurative expressions for anger. Examples are “to have a cut heart” or “to have a swollen heart.” Against Moses goes naturally with kindled, but “with Moses” goes with “became angry.”

Is there not Aaron is another negative rhetorical question that calls for the obvious answer, “There is.” A declarative statement as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh may therefore be more natural. Your brother can mean either son of the same parents or distant relative, so a more general term can be used in translation. If one has to be specific, then Aaron should be understood as an elder brother, as indicated in Exo 7.7.

To refer to Aaron as the Levite, however, is strange, since both Moses and Aaron were from the tribe of Levi. In this verse, therefore, the term should be understood as a title rather than as a reference to his descent, reflecting the priestly role later assigned to him. As such it should be transliterated rather than translated. Another way to restructure the first part of this verse is “Your elder brother Aaron, the Levite! What do you think of [or, about] him?” He can speak well is emphatic in the Hebrew; it means that Aaron is able to speak readily, fluently, and with eloquence. Another way to render this is “He’s an orator.”

And behold suggests the idea of “In fact” (Good News Translation) or “As a matter of fact.” He is coming out to meet you is present progressive, for the idea is that “he is now coming to meet you,” or “he is already on his way” (New English Bible). Where he is coming from is not indicated, but the idea of coming out anticipates their meeting each other out in the wilderness, even at that very mountain. (See verse 27.) And when he sees you he will be glad in his heart simply means that he “will be glad to see you” (Good News Translation). It is not necessary to mention the heart; it was thought of as the center of the emotions, so the expression is idiomatic. However, in many languages glad will be expressed with figurative or idiomatic expressions using the heart, liver, or viscera; for example, “When he sees you his heart will feel good” (Thai Common Language 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 .