cardinal directions

The cardinal directions “east” and “west” are easy to translate into Maan here since the language uses “where the sun comes up” and “where the sun goes down.” For “north” the translator had “facing toward the sun rising to the left,” and for “south” she had “facing toward the sun rising to the right.” So the listener had to think hard before knowing what direction was in view when translating “to the north and south, to the east and west.” So, in case all four directions are mentioned, it was shortened by saying simply “all directions.” (Source: Don Slager) Likewise, Yakan has “from the four corners of the earth” (source: Yakan back-translation) or Western Bukidnon Manobo “from the four directions here on the earth” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo back-translation).

Kankanaey is “from the coming-out and the going-away of the sun and the north and the south” (source: Kankanaey back-translation), Northern Emberá “from where the sun comes up, from where it falls, from the looking [left] hand, from the real [right] hand” (source: Charles Mortensen), Amele “from the direction of the sun going up, from the direction of the sun going down, from the north and from the south” (source: John Roberts), Ejamat “look up to see the side where the sun comes from, and the side where it sets, and look on your right side, and on your left” (source: David Frank in this blog post ).

In Lamba, only umutulesuŵa, “where the sun rises” and imbonsi, “where the sun sets” were available as cardinal directions that were not tied to the local area of language speakers (“north” is kumausi — “to the Aushi country” — and “south” kumalenje — “to the Lenje country”). So “north” and “south” were introduced as loanwords, nofu and saufu respectively. The whole phrase is kunofu nakusaufu nakumutulesuŵa nakumbonsi. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. )

“West” is translated in Tzeltal as “where the sun pours-out” and in Kele as “down-river” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel).

In Morelos Nahuatl, “north” is translated as “from above” and “south” as “from below.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Matumbi cardinal directions are defined as in relation to another place. “East” for instance typically is “toward the beach” since the coast is in the eastern direction in Matumbi-speaking areas. “North” and “south” can be defined as above or below another place. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

The Hebrew text that gives instructions where to place items in the tabernacle with the help of cardinal directions (north and south) had to be approached in the Bambam translation specific to spacial concepts of that culture.

Phil Campbell explains: “There are no words in Bambam for north and south. In Exodus 26:35, God instructs that the table is to be placed on the north side and the lamp on the south side inside the tabernacle. The team wants to use right and left to tell where the lamp and table are located. In many languages we would say that the table is on the right and the lampstand is on the left based on the view of someone entering the tabernacle. However, that is not how Bambam people view it. They view the placement of things and rooms in a building according to the orientation of someone standing inside the building facing the front of the building. So that means the table is on the left side and the lampstand is on the right side.”

See also cardinal directions / left and right.

Isaac

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 18:1218:15) and also is the meaning of the Hebrew “Isaac” (Yitschaq — “he laughs”):


“Isaac” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Isaac .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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 .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

complete verse (Genesis 25:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 25:9:

  • Kankanaey: “His children Isaac and Ismael buried (him) in the place-where- Sara -was-buried in the cave at Makpela which was near Mamre, because that just the same was the land that Abraham had bought previously from Efron the child of Zohar who was Heteo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Macheplah which was in the field of Epron son of Zohar the Hittite near Mamre.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “His children Isaac and Ishmael buried him there at the cave of Macpela, in the east of Mamre, in the field that (was) formerly owned/[lit. his] by Efron the child of Zohar the Hithanon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried his body in the cave at Machpelah area, near Mamre, in the field that Abraham had previously bought from Ephron, one of the descendants of Heth.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 25:9

Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him: this brief statement says nothing about the ritual of handling the corpse nor of the burial rites. The focus is on placing the body in the cave that Abraham had purchased from the Hittites (23.17-20). The burial was probably done by wrapping the body in cloth, and laying it on the floor of the cave, and closing the entrance of the cave.

In languages that have terms for burying that refer to placing the corpse in a tree or on a raised platform, translators may need to use a more general expression such as “laid his corpse in the cave….”

For the expressions cave of Mach-pelah, field of Ephron, Hittites, east of Mamre, translators should refer to the wording used in 23.8-9, 17-20. Note that Good News Translation and others have shifted east of Mamre to follow “in the field” for a more natural style in English. The field of Ephron, if it is translated literally as in Revised Standard Version, may give readers the impression that Ephron was still the owner of the field. Good News Translation corrects this in English with the verb tense “which had belonged to Ephron.” In other languages some reference to past and present time may be required; for example, “the piece of ground that belonged at first to Ephron…, (10) but which later Abraham bought….”

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 .