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 .

complete verse (Genesis 50:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 50:16:

  • Kankanaey: “Therefore they sent someone to go tell Jose, ‘Before the death of our father,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So they sent to Joseph to cause it to be said like this — Before [he] died your father told us to speak to you like this –” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So they sent a message to Jose saying, ‘Our (incl.) father before he died left-behind-(instructions)” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So they sent someone to tell this to Joseph for them: ‘Before our father died, he told us this:” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("order/command")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, meiji-rare-ru (命じられる) or “order/command” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Genesis 50:16

The brothers say that Jacob told them to say this to Joseph so that he will listen to them and forgive them for his father’s sake. We have no way of knowing whether what the brothers said is true, and this is a problem for languages that must use markers or verb forms to indicate the truth or otherwise of what people say. Translators who face this difficulty are advised to give the brothers the benefit of the doubt. Note von Rad’s comment: “That the appeal to an order of Jacob relating to this should be considered a lie on the part of the brothers … is an ancient but certainly quite false assumption.”

So they sent a message to Joseph: the Hebrew is literally “and they commanded to Joseph.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the verb “commanded” has the sense of “They made known to him the order,” which can be expressed in English as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Your father: this follows the Hebrew and is no doubt said in this way to give the command a personal connection with Joseph. Note that Good News Translation says “our father,” and this change will be necessary in some other languages also.

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 .