clothes

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “clothes” or similar in English is translated in Enlhet as “crawling-in-stuff” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ) and in Noongar as bwoka or “Kangaroo skin” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Genesis 44:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 44:13:

  • Kankanaey: “The siblings abruptly-tore their clothes because-of their sorrow/pain of thoughts. Then they again loaded the sacks on their donkeys and they returned to the city.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Seeing this they tore their clothing. And loading the sacks on the donkeys, [they] came back into the city.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When the siblings/(brothers) saw it, they tore their clothes due-to their bad feelings. Then they loaded again their sacks on the donkeys and returned to the city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The brothers tore their clothes because they were so dismayed. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 44:13

The shock of the discovery cannot be expressed in words but only in a desperate gesture of grief.

Rent their clothes: see 37.29. In this context the action expresses the emotion of grief or horror: “… because they were very upset.”

The text does not say if the steward took the cup. Furthermore nothing is said about the money in the sacks. With dismay and disbelief the brothers load their animals and return, probably under the threatening scrutiny of the steward, to the city and to Joseph’s house.

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 .