Simeon

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Simeon” or “Simon” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “swords,” referring to the traditional Jewish symbol for the tribe. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Simeon” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

More information under Tribe of Simeon .

complete verse (Genesis 48:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 48:5:

  • Kankanaey: “Then Jacob continued to say, ‘I count/consider as my children the two males who are your (sing.) children who were-born here in Egipto before I had yet come here. I count/consider them like my own children Ruben and Simeon.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Your two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who were born here before I came to Egypt, are mine, just like Reuben and Simeon.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jacob continued to say, ‘Your (sing.) two children Efraim and Manase, who were-born here in Egipto before I came, I will-consider my children. So like Reuben and Simeon, from them will- also -come the Israelinhon tribes.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘nd now I will consider that your two sons, who were born to you here in Egypt before I came here, will belong to me/be as though they are my sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be as though they were my sons, and they will inherit my possessions, just like my sons Reuben and Simeon and the others will.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

second person pronoun with low register

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 show 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. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on Genesis 48:5

Jacob cites his experience with God (ʾEl Shaddai) in 35.11-13 as the basis for adopting Joseph’s sons and raising them to the same level of inheritance as his own sons.

And now your two sons … are mine: And now is probably to be understood as a consequence, but one of broader significance than may be drawn from the previous verse. Jacob is here declaring that Joseph’s sons born in Egypt to an Egyptian mother are the legitimate heirs of the promise first received by Abraham and passed to him. Are mine means “belong to me” or “are my sons.”

Ephraim and Manasseh … mine … as Reuben and Simeon: Jacob repeats himself here for emphasis. He also mentions the name of the younger brother first as if he were the firstborn.

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 .