Sarai / Sarah

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)


“Sarai” and “Sarah” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Sarah .

complete verse (Genesis 24:36)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 24:36:

  • Newari: “Our master’s wife, Sarah had not given birth to a child until she became an old woman. Still, after becoming an old woman she gave birth to a son. Our master has given him all his property.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Even-though Sara his wife was- already very -old, she still was-able-to-give-birth. And this son of theirs will-be-the-one who will-inherit all his possessions.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “My master’s wife, Sarah, bore a son for him when she was very old, and my master has given to his son everything he owns.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“demising/conceding”)

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, yuzutteo-rare-ru (譲っておられる) or “demising/conceding” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Genesis 24:36

Verse 36 introduces Isaac as Abraham’s heir, the one who will possess Abraham’s wealth when he dies.

Sarah … bore a son: that is, “gave birth to a son” or “gave him [Abraham] a son.” Sarah has died before the events of this chapter take place, and in some languages translators will have to take this into account in referring to her; for example, “Sarah, that dead wife of my master, left behind a son. She had that son when she was an old woman.”

When she was old: in 21.2 a similar statement is made, in which Sarah gives birth “in his [Abraham’s] old age.” Here in verse 36 the Septuagint has “in his old age.” However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the Hebrew text as {A}, “in her old age,” and recommends the wording of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

And to him he has given all that he has: the masculine singular pronouns may need to be clarified by saying, for example, “And Abraham [my master] has given his son all that my master has.” The underlying message is that Laban and Bethuel would be wise to form an alliance through marriage with the heir of Abraham’s great wealth.

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 .