complete verse (Genesis 27:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 27:16:

  • Kankanaey: “She also took the skin of the goats and used-them-to-wrap-around his hands and back-of- his -neck.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “[She] stuck skin from the sacrificial lamb to the places on Jacob’s hands and neck that had no hair.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “She put- the skin of the goat -on the arm of Jacob including his neck which (was) not hairy.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 27:16

The skins of the kids she put upon his hands: skins is the same word as used in 3.21, where animal skins are used to make clothing. For kids see Gen 27.9. Put translates the causative form of the verb to dress, the same as in verse 15. It is not said how Rebekah put these skins on Jacob’s hands. The word rendered hands refers to both the arms and hands. In translation it may be necessary to be more concrete and say something like “she tied the skins to his hands” or “she covered his arms with these skins.” The narrator gives the impression that the kid skins had just been taken from the animals and so were soft, and still wet on the under side.

Smooth part of his neck: smooth is the same word as used in verse 11. This may require adjusting in translation to something like Biblia Dios Habla Hoy: “on the part of his neck that had no hair.”

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 .