complete verse (Genesis 31:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 31:9:

  • Newari: “God has snatched all the cattle of your father and given [them] to me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “God has-taken the livestock/[lit. animals] of your (pl.) father and has-given (them) to me.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “In that way, God has taken away the livestock that belonged to your father and has given them to me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

respectful form of "give" (kudasaru)

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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 of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, kudasaru (下さる), a respectful form of kureru (くれる) or “give” is used.

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

See also respectful form of “give” (tamawaru) and give (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:9

Thus God has taken away …: Thus, which translates the common Hebrew connective, is used to show this statement to be a consequence of the events in Gen 31.8. Or it may have the meaning of “In this way.” Note that Good News Translation does not use a special marker. Taken away translates a verb form that has the sense of snatch away, like prey taken from the mouth of an animal in 1 Sam 17.35 (“delivered”); Amos 3.12 (“rescues”). In reference to property and wives, it is used in 1 Sam 30.18, 22 (“recovered”). Speiser gives it the sense of “salvaged” and translates “reclaimed,” as does also New Jerusalem Bible. Most English versions are similar to Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Cattle translates the Hebrew term that refers to all kinds of livestock or domestic animals, not only cows. See 4.20. Cattle of your father means the animals or flocks that belonged to your father.

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 .