Pharaoh

The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was used by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Pharaoh” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Pharaoh .

complete verse (Exodus 5:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 5:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “On that same day, that ruler sent a tough message to reach the people of Egypt who were in charge of slaves and also the Israelites who were in charge of other Israelites” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “On the same day, Pharaoh gave this order to the taskmasters and Israelite foremen:” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “On that very day, the king ordered/commanded the Egiptohanon who were-ruling-over the Israelinhon in work and the foremen who were-Israelinhon. He said,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Therefore on that day, the great chief of the Isip people made strong talk to the work leaders of the Isip people and to the Israel people’s spokespersons for the laborers and he said,” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “On that day, king said to chiefs of work like this” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the Israeli men supervising the slaves,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 5:6

The same day marks a change of scene and thus a new paragraph. It suggests that Moses and Aaron had left the palace, but that the king reacted immediately by issuing a new decree. Pharaoh commanded may be understood as “Pharaoh gave the order” (New Jerusalem Bible). He did not necessarily talk directly to all the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, although there is no indication how many there were. Some of them may have been in the palace at the time. (See the comment on “went out” at verse 10.)

The people, of course, were the Israelite laborers, and their foremen were most likely “Israelite foremen” (Good News Translation), as verse 14 suggests. Their is ambiguous. It may refer to the taskmasters, in the sense that the foremen had been appointed by them (verse 14). But it may also refer to the people in the sense that the foremen were their immediate Israelite supervisors. Their responsibility was to keep the laborers working and report to the Egyptian taskmasters how many bricks were produced each day. New Jerusalem Bible translates the word for foremen as “scribes,” which suggests that they were the ones recording the number of bricks produced. But they were also the immediate supervisors of the workers. A better way to express foremen is “Israelites supervising the slaves.” The taskmasters were obviously the “Egyptian slave drivers” who were directly responsible to “the king.” (They are described at 1.11a.) This distinction is shown to be correct in verses 14-21.

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 .