29When the time of Israel’s death drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor with you, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal loyally and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt.
The name that is transliterated as “Joseph” in English means “may God add,” “he shall add,” “increasing.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It 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)
The Hebrew that is translated as “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness” (Goldingay 2018: “commitment”) or similar in English is translated in a number of ways:
Vidunda: “love of enduring” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Bura-Pabir: “love which cannot be-changed” (hyirkur na a palidzi wa)
HausaCommon Language Bible “his love without changing” (kaunarsa marar canjawa) (source for this and above: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Elhomwe: “love that does not finish” (echikondi yoohisintheya) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Nyamwezi: chelu, combining “love,” “faithfulness,” “loyalty,” and “kindness” (source: James Lundeen)
Newari: dayāmāyā (दयामाया), a compound word made from two Sanskrit-derived terms: dayā (दया) or “compassion, mercy, kindness” and māyā (माया) or “love, affection” (source: Newari Back Translation)
In Pijintinghevi long or “think heavy about” is used. “The Pijin expression ‘think heavy about’ is very much within the domain of committed relationships. The relationship between father and child, husband and wife, God and His people. There is a very strong element of ‘loyalty’ in this expression.” (Source: Bob Carter)
In Latvian the term žēlastība is used both for “steadfast love” and grace.
In a number of languages, the terms for for “steadfast love” and mercy are used interchangeably.
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 Englishmercy originates from the Latinmerces, 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.”
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 47:29:
Kankanaey: “When he was close to dying, he had- Jose his child -called and he said, ‘There is please that which I would request of you (sing.). Place-your(sing.)-hand-on my thigh so-that you (sing.) swear that you (sing.) will not bury-me here-in Egipto.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “Israel, being about to die, called his son Joseph — ‘If you really love me promise me that you will not bury me here in Egypt.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When he felt that he was just about to-die, he called-for Jose and said to him, ‘If possible put your (sing.) hand between my two legs and [you (sing.)] promise that you (sing.) will-show your (sing.) continual goodness to me. [You (sing.)] do- not -bury me here in Egipto.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When it was almost time for him to die, he summoned his son Joseph and said to him, ‘If I have pleased you, make a solemn promise that you will be kind to me and faithfully do what I am now asking you: When I die, do not bury me here in Egypt.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.
In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
And when the time drew near that Israel must die: that is, “When Jacob felt that the time for him to die was approaching” or “When the time for Jacob to die was getting near.”
He called his son Joseph: called may need to be expressed as “sent for … Joseph” or “sent someone to bring his son Joseph.”
If now I have found favor in your sight: this expression is normally used when a person is speaking to his superior. For example, Lot speaking to the two angels in 19.19, and a fearful Jacob addressing Esau in 32.5; 33.8, 10, 15. It also shows Noah’s relationship with God in 6.8. Note that Good News Translation fails to translate this expression. Here Jacob inquires about Joseph’s feeling toward him before asking him a great favor. Jacob is saying “If you think well of me….” Bible en français courant says “If you have affection for me,” New Jerusalem Bible “If you really love me.” Revised English Bible is less emotive with “I have a favor to ask.” All of these are suitable models.
Put your hand under my thigh: for comments on this gesture used in swearing an oath, see 24.2.
Promise to deal loyally and truly with me is literally “and do mercy and truth with me,” which may be rendered “that you will be loyal and faithful to me.”
Do not bury me in Egypt: this is the request to which Joseph commits himself with a promise and an oath. A model that some translators may find useful is one that rearranges verse 29 by saying, for example, “If you love me, show me that you are loyal and faithful to me. When I die do not bury me here in Egypt. Promise me this by swearing that you will do as I ask.”
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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