The Hebrew in Genesis 43:30 that is rendered “for his heart yearned for his brother” in English versions is translated into Naro as “his heart burned.” This implies longing and affection. He was moved.
Joseph
The term that is transliterated as “Joseph” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that relates to a) the coat he wore (see Gen 37:3), b) the holding of his clothes by Potiphar’s wife (see Gen 39:12), and c) the many times Joseph experienced grief. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Joseph” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies “dream,” referring to Jacob’s dream at Bethel (see Genesis 28:10 and the following verses). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
“Joseph” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joseph .
For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .
mercy
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.
While the English mercy originates from the Latin merces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”
Here are some other (back-) translations:
- Ngäbere: “tender heart”
- Mískito: “white heart”
- Amganad Ifugao: “what arises from a kind heart”
- Vai: “purity of heart”
- Western Kanjobal: “his abdomen weeps”
- Kipsigis: “cry inside”
- Shilluk: “cry continually within”
- Navajo (Dinė): “feel great sorrow” (“with the connotation of being about to cry”)
- Kpelle: “see misery”
- Toro So Dogon: “know misery”
- Western Highland Purepecha: “be in pain for”
- San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “be very sorry for”
- Mezquital Otomi: “have increasing love for”
- Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “showing undeserved goodness” (“closely identified with grace”) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “pity-love”
- Central Mazahua: “very much pity people”
- Alekano: “help people who are suffering”
- Guhu-Samane: “feeling sorry for men” (source for this and three above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
- Warao: “kobe (= the abdominal region, including the heart) hurts” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. )
- Iloko: asi — also means “pity” and is used for a love of the poor and helpless (source: G. Henry Waterman in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 24ff. )
- Bilua: “forgiving love” (source: Carl Gross)
- Luang: “inside goodness” (source: Kathy and Mark Taber in Kroneman [2004], p. 533)
- Mairasi: “have good intestines” (see Seat of the Mind) (source: Lloyd Peckham)
- Bariai: “have a wounded interior” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Kera: “to do a good belly to someone” (“the person didn’t deserve it; he deserved the opposite”) (source: Jackie Hainaut)
See also steadfast love and Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions.
complete verse (Genesis 43:30)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 43:30:
- Kankanaey: “Upon his saying that, he suddenly left, because he was not able-to-restrain his extreme lonesomeness for his younger-sibling and he felt-like-crying. Therefore he went to his room and went and (not redundant) cried.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Newari: “Because his heart became ill at ease seeing his younger brother, he turned away from there, went into his own room, and wept.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Then Jose hurriedly went-out for as-if he would- now really -cry (due)-to his missing his younger-(sibling). He entered his room and there (he) cried.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “Joseph quickly left the room. He realized that he was about to cry because he was full of emotion about his younger brother/loved his younger brother so much. He went into his private room and cried there.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translation commentary on Genesis 43:30
Then Joseph made haste: Joseph’s haste is to get away from the brothers so that he could release his pent-up emotions.
His heart yearned for his brother is literally “his compassion grew hot for his brother.” New Revised Standard Version has revised Revised Standard Version to say “he was overcome with affection.” Revised English Bible has “Joseph, suddenly overcome by his feeling for his brother, ….” See Good News Translation. In some languages other figurative expressions are used; for example, “Joseph’s innermost became very heavy” or “Joseph’s liver began to shake.”
He sought a place to weep: the word place does not occur in the Hebrew, and a better translation is as in New Revised Standard Version, “He was about to weep.”
He entered his chamber and wept there: chamber refers to an inner room, of which there were many in houses like Joseph’s. New Revised Standard Version calls it “a private room.”
A model translation of verse 30 is:
• When Joseph had said that, he was so overcome by feelings for his younger brother that he was about to cry. So he quickly left and went into another room to cry.
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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