brothers

“Brothers” has to be translated into Naro as “younger brothers and older brothers” (Tsáá qõea xu hẽé / naka tsáá kíí). All brothers are included this way, also because of the kind of plural that has been used. (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)

This also must be more clearly defined in Yucateco as older or younger (suku’un or Iits’in), but here there are both older and younger brothers. Yucateco does have a more general word for close relative, family member. (Source: Robert Bascom)

Joseph

The term that is transliterated as “Joseph” in English 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)


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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joseph .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

brother (older brother)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “brother” in English is translated in Kwere as sekulu, in Elhomwe as mbalaawo´, and in Mandarin Chinese as gēgē (哥哥), all “older brother.”

Note that Kwere also uses lumbu — “older sibling” in some cases. (Source for Kwere and Elhomwe: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext; Chinese: Jost Zetzsche)

In Lama it is translated as “older or younger brother.” (Source: Neal Brinneman)

See also older brother (Japanese honorifics).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 50:15)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the inclusive pronoun, including everyone.

complete verse (Genesis 50:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 50:15:

  • Kankanaey: “When it was finished that their father had died, Jose’s siblings conversed-together and they said, ‘What if Jose still is-hateful/bears-a-grudge against us and he avenges the bad that we did to him in the past?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Seeing that their father was dead, Joseph’s elder brothers talked with one another like this — ‘What shall we do if Joseph, having kept a spirit of revenge until now, pours out revenge for [what] we did to him?'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now that their father (was) now dead, the siblings/(brothers) of Jose said, ‘Jose might still be-holding-a-grudge-against us (incl.) and he will-pay- us (incl.) -back for what we (incl.) did to him.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “After Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers became worried. They realized what might happen. They said, ‘Suppose Joseph hates us and tries to get revenge for all the evil things that we did to him many years ago?'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 50:15

As this is a new topic that takes place after the previous events, it may be necessary to indicate the transition. We may say, for example, “After Jacob had been buried,” “When the funeral was over,” or “Some time after the funeral.”

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead: saw that … may need to be expressed here as a time expression as in Good News Translation. If a transitional phrase is used, we may say, for example, “When the funeral was over and the brothers no longer had their father with them, they said….” Saw that … dead translates the Hebrew literally and means “realized they were now without their father.”

It may be that Joseph will hate us: the brothers have a lingering fear that the powerful Joseph, no longer influenced by his father, may take revenge on them. Good News Translation and others use a question form: “What if…?” Bible en français courant restructures to say “Joseph’s brothers said to themselves, ‘Now that our father is dead, Joseph could well turn against us….’ ” Another model is Biblia Dios Habla Hoy: “Since Jacob had died, Joseph’s brothers thought ‘Perhaps Joseph hates us and is going to avenge himself….’ ” Examples from translations in other languages are “What now? It will be no good if Joseph is still cross with us…,” “If Joseph still feels bad and wants to pay us back, what will happen?” and “Perhaps Joseph still keeps us in his insides for that bad thing we did … He might pay us back because our father is dead now.”

As in 27.41 hate means to bear a grudge or hold bad feelings against someone, to resent someone.

Pay us back in this context means “to get even,” “to take revenge.” We may translate, for example, “What will happen to us if Joseph decides to…?”

All the evil: that is, “all the bad things,” or “all the wrong.”

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 .