complete verse (Genesis 33:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 33:19:

  • Newari: “He bought that place from the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem by giving [him] one hundred pieces of silver.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “And the land where they erected the tents was-bought by Jacob from the children of Hamor for a price of 100 pieces of silver. Hamor was also the father of Shekem.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “One of the leaders of the people in that area was named Hamor. Hamor had several sons. Jacob paid the sons of Hamor 100 pieces of silver for the piece of ground on which they set up their tents.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 33:19

And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father: sons refers to the descendants of Hamor, a name meaning “donkey.” Shechem’s father is understood in two ways by interpreters: (1) as the father of the son named Shechem, who rapes Jacob’s daughter Dinah in chapter 34; and (2) as referring to Hamor as the ancient founder of the town called Shechem. The latter idiom is paralleled in 1 Chr 2.50-51, where we read, for example, “Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim” and “Salma the father of Bethlehem.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation understand Shechem’s father in the first sense, while Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant, New American Bible, Moffatt take the expression to have the second meaning. Although both interpretations are acceptable, there is an advantage for the reader to think of the Hamor in the story as the father of the young man called Shechem, as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

He bought for a hundred pieces of money: he refers to Jacob. Pieces of money translates a Hebrew word that occurs elsewhere only in Josh 24.32 and Job 42.11. Its equivalent value in modern terms in unknown. Some of the ancient versions, however, translate it “lambs,” and Revised English Bible translate “a hundred sheep.” In translation it is best to use a general expression, as in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

The piece of land on which he had pitched his tent: piece of land is literally “that part of the field.” We should not think of this as the small space required to put a tent on. We know from 25.27, 29; 27.3 that “field” is sometimes used for the uncultivated open countryside in contrast to fields for cultivating crops. It is the former sense that should be translated here. Note that Good News Translation arranges the wording of verse 18 so that pitched his tent is not required a second time here.

Translators may find it necessary to restructure some of the elements of verse 19. For example, “Jacob bought the land where he had camped for a hundred pieces of silver. He bought it from the family of Hamor, Shechem’s 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 .