35Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).
Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was word by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 41:35:
Kankanaey: “Give them moreover their authority to gather-together that-aforementioned fifth so-that they will store-it and guard-it in all-the-towns.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “Within the seven years that are about to come soon, collect the harvest, bring it, store [it] in storehouses of the city and give authority to guard it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “In those years, [you (sing.)] have- them -gather-up all that you (pl.) can-collect from the harvest. And under your (sing.) ruling, [you (sing.)] have- them -keep the harvest in the storehouses of the city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “They should collect this amount of grain during those seven years that are coming, when there will be plenty of food. You should supervise them as they store it in the cities.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
And let them gather: the overseers are to collect the food. Food in this story does not refer to perishable food but rather to produce from the fields, principally grain or wheat, which can be stored for long periods of time.
Lay up grain under the authority of the Pharaoh for food in the cities: that is, “give them authority to gather grain and store it in the cities.”
And let them keep it: keep here means to “watch,” “preserve,” or “protect.” See Good News Translation “and guard it.” One translation that states this clearly says “and there must be soldiers to guard it.”
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 .
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