years (age)

In Aekyom, years are counted as “turtles” (ambum).

Norm Mundhenk tells this story:

“Recently I was checking some New Testament material in the Aekyom language of western Papua New Guinea. It seemed relatively clear until suddenly we came to a passage that started, ‘When Jesus had 12 turtles, …’ Surely I had misunderstood what they said.
“‘Did you say that Jesus had 12 turtles?’
“‘Let us explain! Around here there is a certain time every year when river turtles come up on the banks and lay their eggs. Because this is so regular, it can be used as a way of counting years. Someone’s age is said to be how many turtles that person has. So when we say that Jesus had 12 turtles, we mean that Jesus was 12 years old.’
“It was of course the familiar story of Jesus’ trip with his parents to Jerusalem. And certainly, as we all know, Jesus did indeed have 12 turtles at that time!”

In Tok Pisin, krismas (derived from “christmas”) is taken as the fixed annual marker, so Jesus had 12 “christmases” (Jisas i gat 12-pela krismas pinis) or Abram (in Gen. 12:4) had 75 (Abram i gat 75 krismas) (source: Norm Mundhenk). In Noongar it is biroka kadak or “summers had” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also advanced in years.

Adam

The name that is transliterated as “Adam” in English means “earthy or red earth,” “of the ground,” “taken out of the red earth.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “rib” (referring to Genesis 2:21). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Adam” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Spanish Sign Language it is a sign that combines apple/fruit + man. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

In Kenyan Sign Language it is a sign pointing to the Adam’s apple (laryngeal prominence). (Source )

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

See also Eve.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Adam .

complete verse (Genesis 5:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 5:4:

  • Kankanaey: “Adan lived 800 years still and he had other children.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After that Adam lived 800 years. Within that [time] his other sons and daughters were also born.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “After Set was-born, Adan lived 800 more years and his children increased-in-number even more.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 more years, and during those years he became the father of other sons and daughters.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 5:4

Verse 4 gives the next section of the report, the statement of other births.

The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth: days here refers in idiomatic terms to how long Adam lived after Seth was born. For speakers of some languages it will be confusing to hear days used in this manner, and so it may be necessary to follow the example of Good News Translation. See 3.14, 17. Good News Translation translates “After that…,” meaning after the birth of Seth, so we may also translate “After Seth was born….” Were eight hundred years gives the number of years Adam lived after Seth was born; so we may say, for example, “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years more” or “… lived another 800 years” (Good News Translation). Hence Adam was altogether 930 years old when he died.

And he had other sons and daughters is the next element in Adam’s genealogical report. Had translates the same verb rendered “he became the father of” in Gen 5.3. In many languages “other children” (Good News Translation) is more natural than other sons and daughters.

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 .