drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

complete verse (Genesis 24:54)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 24:54:

  • Newari: “After that Abraham’s servant and all who came with him ate and drank. And they stayed the night there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then the servant and his companions ate. And they slept there that night. When they woke-up in the morning, the servant said, ‘I will- now -go-home to my master.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then they ate a meal together. The men who were with Abraham’s servant also slept there that night. The next morning, the servant said, ‘Allow me now to return to my master.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese benefactives (-sete)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Translation commentary on Genesis 24:54

In verse 54 the servant and his men return to their meal that was interrupted in verse 33. It may be important to mark the opening of verse 54 as a new paragraph and with a transition; for example, “After all that,” “When the giving of gifts was completed,” “When all the talk was finished.”

Ate and drank describes the eating of the evening meal by these special visitors. If the expression ate and drank is unnatural, it may be possible to say “had their meal” or “ate their supper.”

Spent the night is as in 19.2

They arose refers to the servant and his men.

Send me back to my master: the servant has completed his mission and now asks for permission to leave for Canaan. This request should be formulated in a manner that is appropriate for a servant to speak to Abraham’s relatives. Note Good News Translation‘s rendering, or say, for example, “Please allow us to go back now to my master.” The servant is indicating that he wants to depart immediately. However, the customary thing was to remain for a time.

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 .