complete verse (Genesis 45:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 45:14:

  • Kankanaey: “When Jose said that, he-abruptly-hugged Benjamin and cried while also Benjamin cried in hugging him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Speaking like this he embraced his younger brother Benjamin and wept. Benjamin also embraced him and wept.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Jose embraced his sibling/(brother) Benjamin and wept; also Benjamin too, he also was weeping while embracing Jose.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then he threw his arms around his younger brother Benjamin’s neck and cried. And Benjamin hugged him and cried.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 45:14

Verse 13 ends with Joseph speaking and verse 14 begins with Joseph welcoming his brothers with hugs, kisses, and tears of joy and reconciliation. Therefore it may be necessary to provide a transition at the beginning of verse 14; we may say, for example, “Then Joseph went over to Benjamin and put his arms around him….”

Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept: for the idiom fell upon his … neck, see 33.4.

And Benjamin wept: in some languages this is best combined with the previous clause and expressed as something the two brothers did together: “Then Joseph put his arms round Benjamin, and they cried together.”

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 .