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 .

complete verse (Ezekiel 4:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 4:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, Ezekiel, take a brick and place it in front of you and then carve on top how the city of Jerusalem stayed/was.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The LORD still said to me, ‘Now, you (sing.) man, you take a brick and set it in-front of you, and draw Jerusalem there.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Yahweh also said to me, ‘You human, take a large clay tablet/brick and put it in front of you. Then on the clayengrave/draw on it lines that represent Jerusalem.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 4:1

And you, O son of man …: God is addressing Ezekiel here. Since this verse begins a new chapter and paragraph, that may not be clear to some readers, so translators may begin with “God said” (Good News Translation). For son of man, International Children’s Bible translates “human being.”

Take a brick: God tells Ezekiel to “get a brick” (Good News Translation), perhaps a new brick suitable for building the wall of a house, or perhaps an old brick that had been used in a wall that had been broken down. A brick is a flattish square or oblong block, made of clay and dried in the sun or in a heated oven (compare Gen 11.3). For those cultures where bricks are unknown as a building material, some local material such as a piece of wood or a stone can be used in the translation instead, although a descriptive expression such as “dried clay for building” is even better. The brick was large enough for the people to recognize that the drawing on it represented Jerusalem. This clause may be rendered “take a brick for building” or “take a builder’s brick.”

And lay it before you may be translated “put it down in front of you” (similarly Good News Translation).

And portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem: On this brick God tells Ezekiel to portray, that is, “scratch” (Good News Translation) or “draw” (New International Version, New Century Version), the ground plan of the city of Jerusalem. Some scholars think that it was a new clay brick that was still soft, in which case it would have been easier to draw the city on it. In any case, the verb “draw” will be acceptable. This clause may be rendered “and draw a plan [or, picture] of the city of Jerusalem on it.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .