complete verse (Genesis 28:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 28:19:

  • Kankanaey: “And he named the town where-he-was Betel, because Luz was its name previously.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He named that place Bethel. Formerly that place had been named Luz.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jacob named that place Betel. But before/in-time-past Luz was the name of that place.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He named that place Bethel, which means ‘house of God’. Previously its name was Luz.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 28:19

He called the name of that place Bethel: as both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation footnotes show, Bethel means “house of God.” However, translators may prefer to include this meaning in the text as does Bible en français courant, which says “He called this place Bethel, which means House of God.” For Bethel see 12.8.

But the name of the city was Luz at the first: see Judges 1.23. We may translate, for example, “The town there was earlier called Luz.” Good News Translation places this information in parentheses. Translators may do likewise if such marks are known by readers.

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 .