The term that is transliterated as “Hagar” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter H and “escaped,” referring to Genesis 21:14. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Hagar” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines “Egypt” and “servant,” referring to the fact that Hagar was a slave from Egypt (see Genesis 16:1). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The name that is transliterated as “Isaac” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and French Sign Language with a sign that is linked to his mother’s laughter when she hears that she will be pregnant with him (referring to Genesis 18:12 – 18:15) and also is the meaning of the Hebrew “Isaac” (Yitschaq — “he laughs”):
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Sarai” and “Sarah” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign depicting coins on a headband, referring to women from the Middle East and North Africa who wear a headband decorated with small coins. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The name that is transliterated as “Abraham” in English is translated in the vast majority of sign languages, including American Sign Language with the sign signifying “hold back arm” (referring to Genesis 22:12).
In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with a sign for that demonstrates his new destiny. Previously, he had been called to wander from his home, and the name “Abram” reflected this movement (see here). The new sign name is in one location and stays there, showing Abraham will be given a land to call his own. At this time, Abraham was in the southern part of Canaan, which is shown on the base arm by the location near the elbow. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)
“Abraham” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL
In Tira it is transliterated as Abaram. The choice of this, rather than the widely-known “Ibrahim,” as used in the Tira translation of the Qu’ran, was to offset it against the Muslim transliteration which originates from Arabic. (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Click or tap here to see two short video clips about Abraham (source: Bible Lands 2012)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 21:9:
Kankanaey: “Whereupon Sara saw the child of Abraham and Hagar the one-from-Egipto laughing-at Isaac” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “One day Sarah saw Ishmael, son of Hagar making fun of her son Isaac.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “One day, Sara saw that Ishmael was-teasing Isaac. (Ishmael was a son of Abraham with Hagar the Egiptohanon.)” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “One day/During the feast Sarah noticed that Hagar’s son Ishmael was making fun of/playing with Isaac.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian: But is not an adequate discourse opener for English and many other languages. Accordingly it may be necessary to begin this episode with something like “One day when,” “It happened later that,” “After the feast was over.” If verse 8 is taken as opening this episode, the best transition here may be “During the course of the feast”; or it may be quite satisfactory to follow Revised Standard Version as it stands. Saw is used here in the sense of “notice,” “observe.” The narrator avoids Ishmael’s name and focuses on Ishmael’s mother and her origin. Good News Translation, however, names the son.
Playing with her son Isaac: a note in Revised Standard Version says that “with her son Isaac” is lacking in the Hebrew text but is found in the Greek Septuagint and the Vulgate translations. The verb translated playing was rendered by the Septuagint translators by a verb meaning “mocking,” and this has been followed by some recent versions. However, the Hebrew word is not followed by a preposition, as it is in other cases where the sense is clearly “mocking,” and so the meaning is better taken as “playing,” which is supported by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. The Hebrew verb expresses the intensive form of the root from which Isaac’s name is derived. This is another example of a play on the name Isaac. It is highly unlikely that this play on words can be reproduced in translation. It is the sight of young Ishmael playing as an equal with Isaac that causes Sarah to become jealous and angry.
In some languages translations of this verse simply say “Sarah saw that other son of Abraham, the son of Hagar the Egyptian woman, playing.” But in other languages playing is an activity that two or more children do together; a common rendering is “Sarah saw that other son of Abraham … playing with her son Isaac.” One translation expresses this as “One day Sarah saw her son Isaac and Ishmael the son of … Hagar playing together.”
Translators may find that the whole of verse 9 may be translated as a time clause and verse 10 as the main clause. For example, Speiser translates “When Sarah noticed that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian…, she turned on Abraham, ‘Cast out….’ ”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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