complete verse (Genesis 36:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 36:22:

  • Newari: “The sons of Lotan — Hori and Heman. Timna was Lotan’s younger sister.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan had a sister/[lit. sibling linker female] who (was) Timna who was another wife of Elifaz.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman and Lotan’s sister was Timna.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 36:22

Verses 22-28 list the descendants of each of the clan founders (clan ancestors) named in verses 20-21 in the same order given there.

The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman: sons is not to be taken as literal “sons” but as ethnic and political groups that we have called “clans.” Hori and Heman are therefore the names of the clans that descended from the clan founder, who was Lotan. See Good News Translation for translation.

Lotan’s sister was Timna: this is treated as parenthetical by Good News Translation. Timna is used as a personal name and not that of a group. Timna is the name of the concubine of Eliphaz in verse 12.

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 .