village

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “village” or “town” in English is translated in Noongar as karlamaya or “fire (used for “home“) + houses” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Elhomwe it is typically translated as “place.” “Here in Malawi, villages very small, so changed to ‘places,’ since not sure whether biblical reference just to small villages or also to bigger towns. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Ishmael

The term that is transliterated as “Ishmael” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter I and the sign signifying “stubborn” (also similar to “donkey”), referring to Genesis 16:12. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Ishmael” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts shooting bow and arrow, referring to the fact that Ishmael was skilled with his bow (see Genesis 21:20). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Ishmael” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

More information on Ishmael .

complete verse (Genesis 25:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 25:16:

  • Newari: “These were the sons of Ishmael. These were the leaders of the twelve tribes. Their [tribes] were named after the villages where they lived.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They were the children of Ishmael, and they became leaders/[lit. heads] of twelve tribes of the descendants of Ishmael. Their names were the-(ones-that) were-named/given-names to the places where they had-lived.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The twelve sons of Ishmael became the leaders/chiefs of people-groups that had those names. They each had their own settlement and campsite.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 25:16

These are the sons of Ishmael: These represents the same word used in verse 12, where it pointed ahead to the names. Now it points back to the same names. If translators use a pointing term here, it should be one that indicates what has already been mentioned. Good News Translation says “They,” which refers to the names of Ishmael’s sons. There are twelve names listed, as is stated at the end of this verse. Accordingly some translators shift that information forward to say “These are the names of the twelve sons of Ishmael.”

And these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments: Revised Standard Version retains the Hebrew word order, which obscures the sense. The meaning is that the names of Ishmael’s sons became the names of villages, or the villages were named after Ishmael’s sons. In many languages it will be necessary or desirable to say that it was “people” or “their descendants” who actually named the settlements. In one translation, for example, this part of the verse is expressed as follows: “The descendants of these twelve sons of Ishmael took the names of their ancestors, and they gave the names of their ancestors to their villages and camping places.”

Villages translates a noun that refers to a settlement, a cluster of dwellings without a protecting wall. In translation the term should denote a group of dwellings or structures that are not intended to be permanent. Encampments refers to an enclosure, especially a circular arrangement of nomadic shelters, often in the form of tents. An encampment is even less permanent than a village or settlement, as described above.

Twelve princes according to their tribes: in 17.20 God promised Abraham that he would bless Ishmael and make him the father of twelve princes. For discussion of prince see 17.20. The word used to translate prince in 17.20 should also be used here. According to their tribes means that each of the sons was leader of his own group. Tribes translates a little-used word here that refers to a division of the Ishmaelite people, the descendants of Ishmael. Various English translations use “tribe,” “people,” “groups,” “clan.”

Verse 16 may be translated as in Good News Translation; however, Good News Translation used “prince” in 17.20 but does not do so here. A similar translation that follows the order of Revised Standard Version says “These were the names of the sons of Ishmael; and people gave those names to the villages and places they lived in. Those twelve were the leaders of twelve tribes.” Another satisfactory model is Bible en français courant: “Such were the twelve sons of Ishmael. Each one was the chief of a clan; they gave their names to their villages and to their encampments.”

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 .