complete verse (Genesis 50:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 50:3:

  • Newari: “This was a work of forty days. The Egyptians were also in mourning for seventy days.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The length of embalming him was 40 days, according-to the custom of the ones from/of-Egipto. The [plural] Egiptohanon mourned for Jacob within-(a-period) of 70 days.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So the morticians did that. It took 40 days to embalm Jacob’s body, because that is the amount of time that was always required for them to embalm a body. And the people of Egypt mourned for 70 days because of Jacob’s death.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 50:3

Forty days were required for it: that is, โ€œThe work of preserving the body took forty days.โ€ This sentence gives an explanation of the time involved, particularly for the Hebrews, who did not practice this custom.

For so many are required for embalming: the explanation is repeated, perhaps for emphasis. See the way Good News Translation handles this repetition.

The Egyptians wept for him seventy days: according to one ancient Greek historian, the Egyptians mourned for a king for seventy-two days. Jacob is being given honors nearly equal to that given a king. The literal expression is wept, or โ€œcried,โ€ and this is also the expression used in a number of other languages. If this is not the case, the thought may be better expressed as โ€œmourned.โ€

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 .