The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Zebulun” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “boat” referring to Genesis 49:13. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 46:14:
Newari: “Zebulun’s sons — Sered, Elon and Jahleel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Zebulun and his children who (were) Sered, Elon and Jaleel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Here is/I will now give you a list of the names of the members of Jacob’s family who went with him to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son; Reuben’s sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; Simeon and his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, who was the son of a Canaan people-group woman; Levi and his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; Judah and his sons, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (his other sons, Er, and Onan, had died in Canaan); Perez and his two sons Hezron and Hamul; Issachar and his sons Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron; Zebulon and his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel; (Those were the sons of Jacob and Leah, and their daughter Dinah, who were born in Paddan-Aram/Mesopotamia: There were 33 of them, altogether.) They had Gad and his sons Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli; Asher and his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and their sister Serah; Beriah’s sons Heber and Malkiel; (Those were the children and grandchildren of Jacob and Zilpah, the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah: There were 16 of them, altogether.) Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel; (Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph’s two sons. They did not go down to Egypt because they were already in Egypt. They were sons of Asenath, the daughter of On, who was the priest in the temple in On city.) Benjamin and his sons Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard; (Those were the sons and grandsons of Rachel and Jacob: There were 14 people altogether.) Dan and his son Hushim; Naphtali and his sons Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. (Those were the sons and grandsons of Jacob and Bilhah, the slave girl whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel: There were seven people altogether.)” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Iob: note that Good News Translation has “Jashub.” src The Samaritan Pentateuchsrc* and the Septuagint as well as the Hebrew text of Num 26.24 have “Jashub.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project considers Iob (Hebrew consonants ywb) to be a scribal error in which one letter has dropped out, and which should be yshwb, “Jashub.”
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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