Rachel

The Hebrew that is transliterated as “Rachel” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies the eyelashes, referring to “beautiful eyes” as the opposite of Leah (see Genesis 29:17). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

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

See also Leah.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Rachel .

Jacob

The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is transliterated as “Jacob” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “lentil,” referring to the soup he gave his brother in exchange for his birthright (see Genesis 25:34). Note that another Spanish Sign Language sign for Jacob also users the sign for Jewish. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

In German Sign Language it is a sign that shows the touching of the hip, described in Genesis 32:25:


“Jacob” in German Sign Language (source: Taub und katholisch )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the signs signifying “smooth arm” (referring to the story starting at Genesis 27:11). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Jacob” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign signifying Jacob grabbing the heel of Esau during their birth (referring to Genesis 25:26). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia )


“Jacob” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

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

See also Esau.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jacob .

Esau

The name that is transliterated as “Esau” in English means “covered with hair,” “hairy.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Finnish Sign Language and American Sign Language it is translated with the signs signifying “hairy forearm” (referring to the story starting at Genesis 27:11). (Source: Tarja Sandholm, Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

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

See also hairy (like Esau).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Esau .

complete verse (Genesis 33:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 33:1:

  • Newari: “Jacob saw Esau coming with 400 men. So he divided up the children, putting them in the care of Leah, Rachel, and the two maid servants.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, when Jacob looked-up, he saw Esau approaching with 400 men. So he had- his children -gathered to their respective/[lit. each to each] mother.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Jacob joined the rest of his family. Later that day* Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and there were 400 men with him. Jacob was worried because of that, so he separated the children. He put Leah’s children with Leah, Rachel’s children with Rachel, and the two female slaves’ children with their mothers.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 33:1

Chapter 32 ended with an explanation of a dietary taboo. In 32.31 Jacob was limping away from the ford at the Jabbok river. At the beginning of chapter 33 our attention is still on Jacob, who now sees Esau approaching. In order to pick up the thread of the story from 32.31, it may be necessary to open chapter 33 by saying, for example, “As Jacob was going out…” or “When Jacob was leaving that place….”

And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked: for lifted up his eyes see 18.2.

And behold, Esau was coming: behold signals here something of surprise, or that something was noticed. No doubt Jacob expected to meet Esau in the open country and not so close to his camp. The element of surprise is well brought out in New International Version “Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with….”

It is possible to treat the first part of this verse as a time clause; for example, “When Jacob saw Esau coming … he divided….”

So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids: words for divide in some languages may mean that Jacob divided the children so that each mother would have an equal number; but this is not the sense here. What Jacob did was to assign each child to accompany its own mother, as the next verse makes clear. We may translate, for example, “he placed the children with their mothers, who were Leah, Rachel, and the two servant mothers” or “he divided the children into three groups with their own mothers.” Taking this clause with the next verse, some translations say “he told the children to stand with their mothers; then he told the two servant women to go first with their children….”

Good News Translation calls the two maids “concubines.” For a discussion of this term, see 22.24.

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 .