wrath

The Hebrew term that is typically translated as “wrath” in English is translated in Bari as “to break out.” (“The sort of anger that bursts out as bees from a hive against an intruder, the sort that doesn’t stop to ask questions but rushes into the fight.”)

Source: Source: P. Guillebaud in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 189ff.

anger

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “anger” in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied).”

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

See also God’s anger.

Jacob

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Jacob” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “lentil,” referring to the soup he gave his brother in exchange for his birthright (see Genesis 25:34). Note that another Spanish Sign Language sign for Jacob also users the sign for Jewish. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

In German Sign Language it is a sign that shows the touching of the hip, described in Genesis 32:25:


“Jacob” in German Sign Language (source: Taub und katholisch )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the signs signifying “smooth arm” (referring to the story starting at Genesis 27:11). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Jacob” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

See also Esau.

complete verse (Genesis 49:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 49:7:

  • Newari: “May their anger fall under a curse for it is very dreadful. May their anger fall under a curse for it is very hardhearted. I will divide them into parts. I will scatter them in Israel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (pl.) will-be-curse because of your (pl.) anger that has cruelty/violence. I will-cause- your (pl.) descendants -to-be-scattered throughout Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “God says, ‘I will curse/cause bad things to happen to them for being very angry, for acting very cruelly when they were very furious. I will scatter their descendants throughout Israel land.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 49:7

In this verse Jacob curses the anger of Simeon and Levi.

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce: for Cursed see 3.14. Anger renders the same Hebrew word as in Gen 49.6. Fierce when describing anger suggests anger that leads to violent, extreme, or cruel actions, as was the case of the slaughter of Shechem.

And their wrath, for it is cruel: this line expresses the same thought as the one before it. If translators find that the repetition does not emphasize the first idea but distracts from it, it will be better to use only one line.

The thought of the second half of the verse is that the descendants of Simeon and Levi are to be scattered among the other tribes in the land of Israel and will not possess their own territories. In the context of the dying father’s last words, this will say to readers in some cultures that Simeon and Levi, the next two sons in order of birth after Reuben, are also disqualified from the most important inheritance: “I do not pass on to you-two any of the family land.” See comments on Gen 49.4.

I will divide them in Jacob: for the translation see Good News Translation. The verbs translated divide and scatter are closely similar in meaning. Since the reference is not just to Simeon and Levi as individuals but more particularly to their descendants, it may be clearer to say, for example, “I will scatter your descendants throughout the land of Israel and make them live where the other tribes of Israel live” or “your descendants will not be able to stay together in one place—they will be scattered everywhere and mixed up with all the other clans.”

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 .