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 .

can't control oneself

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as some form of “can’t control oneself” in these verses in English is translated in the the widely-used Mandarin Chinese Union Version with a historical Chinese idiom: qíng bù zìjīn (情不自禁) or “couldn’t help myself.”

Note that in 1 Corinthians 7:5 the idiom above is juxtaposed with yet another historical idiom: liǎngxiāng qíngyuàn (兩相情願 / 两相情愿) or “by mutual agreement.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

brothers

“Brothers” has to be translated into Naro as “younger brothers and older brothers” (Tsáá qõea xu hẽé / naka tsáá kíí). All brothers are included this way, also because of the kind of plural that has been used. (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)

This also must be more clearly defined in Yucateco as older or younger (suku’un or Iits’in), but here there are both older and younger brothers. Yucateco does have a more general word for close relative, family member. (Source: Robert Bascom)

complete verse (Genesis 45:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 45:1:

  • Kankanaey: “Upon Jose’s hearing that, he was not able-to-control his feelings in front of his slaves, so he commanded them that they all leave. So it was that Jose and his siblings were alone when-he-made- himself -known to them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When Joseph was no longer able to control his heart, he expelled all the workers from there. When only his elder brothers remained, he told his elder brothers who he was.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jose could- no-longer -control himself, so he had- his servants -go-out. And when the other people with Jose were no-longer (there), he made- (himself) -to-be-recognized/known by his siblings/(brothers).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Joseph was not able to control his feelings any longer. He did not want to cry in front of his servants, so he said to them loudly, ‘All of you go outside!’ After they went outside, there was no one else there with Joseph when he told his brothers who he was.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 45:1

Joseph, who has listened in silence to Judah’s plea, sees that the brothers have passed the test he put them through—whether or not they would abandon Benjamin as they had done with him. During all of this time Joseph’s emotions have been welling up within him as he struggles inwardly with the desire to be reconciled with them.

Then Joseph could not control himself: Then, which translates the Hebrew connective, signals that the action in this verse follows directly from the end of chapter 44. It may be necessary, however, to show the close link in time with the end of chapter 44 by opening chapter 45 with “When Judah had finished speaking,” “At the end of Judah’s speech,” or “When Joseph heard this, he….” For control himself see 43.31. In this context could not control himself is expressed in some translations as “felt he was going to cry” or “was beginning to cry.”

All those who stood by him refers not to the brothers but rather to his servants, officials, or people of his retinue. These are people who would not understand the emotional overtones of the conflict in Joseph’s family.

Make everyone go out from me: we may assume these words were addressed to those who worked for Joseph and so were spoken in Egyptian, which his brothers probably did not understand. Since everyone does not include the brothers, we may need to make this clear by saying, for example, “Joseph was unable to hide his feelings in the presence of his servants and so he ordered them to leave the room.” Revised Standard Version translates this order as direct speech, which may be preferred in some languages. In that case it may be necessary to adapt what Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says: “Let all the Egyptians leave the room.” If Joseph’s order for everyone to leave was said in the Egyptian language, then the servants would understand it as addressed exclusively to them. In that case we may translate, for example, “Joseph said in the Egyptian language, ‘Everyone leave the room.’ ” In some languages it is more natural for Joseph to speak directly to the Egyptians; for example, “So he said to his servants, ‘You all go outside.’ ”

So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers: no one means “no one else” or “no one but his brothers.” Another way this may be expressed is “So Joseph was alone with his brothers….” For made himself known see Good News Translation. This statement is best taken as a reference to what Joseph told his brothers in Gen 45.3. It simply summarizes in advance the situation described in Gen 45.3.

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 .