complete verse (Genesis 49:29)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 49:29:

  • Newari: “Then Jacob commanded them — Soon, now, I will die and go to be with my ancestors. Bury me with my fathers and grandfathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Jacob left- his children -with-instructions. He said, ‘Soon I will- now -join my relatives who have now died. When that now happened, you bury me in the burial-place of my ancestors, there in the cave which (is) there at the farm of Efron the Hithanon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Jacob said to his sons, ‘I will soon die. Bury my body where some of my ancestors are buried, in the cave that is in the field that was bought from Ephron, who belonged to the Heth people-group.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 49:29

Then he charged them: see 18.19.

Gathered to my people: see 25.8 and 17. In some translations this expresses Jacob’s feeling that he is about to die: “I feel that I’m close to death.”

Bury me with my fathers: see Jacob’s earlier instructions to Joseph in 47.30. In some languages this must be “Take my body to Canaan and bury me….”

Cave that is in the field … Hittite: for the wording see 25.9.

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 .