Canaan

The term that is transliterated as “Canaan” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign loosely referencing the act of hiding/covering one’s face in shame. The association of “shame” with the name “Canaan” comes from Genesis 9, specifically verse 9:25. This sign was adapted from a similar sign in Kenyan Sign Language (see here). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Canaan” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Canaan in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Translation commentary on Judith 5:10

When a famine spread over Canaan: Good News Translation‘s addition of the connector “Later” is helpful. In some languages there will be no specific word for famine, so a verbal expression must be used; for example, “People all over the land of Canaan had nothing to eat.”

They went down to Egypt: They in Good News Translation is clarified as “these Israelites, as they were later called.” This addition may be helpful, but it corresponds to nothing in the Greek text. They went down means “they went south.” However, the writer probably thought of the travel to Egypt as literally “going down,” since one would descend from the mountains of Judea to the flat desert area of Egypt. In ancient Israelite speech, one always went down to Egypt. This happens to correspond to modern maps with Egypt south of Israel, so one would go down from Israel to reach Egypt.

Lived there as long as they had food: Here the word lived (Good News Translation “stayed”) is the same word used of the temporary stay in Mesopotamia in verse 8. As long as they had food (Good News Translation similar) is not clear in the Greek text. The Greek seems to say “until they were nourished,” so New Jerusalem Bible translates “till they were well nourished.” There are several conjectures for emending the text, but none are convincing. In favor of the interpretation found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, one may note that the meaning they give to the Greek verb here has a meaning consistent with that used in Gen 7.3; 50.20; Josh 14.10: “to keep alive.”

There they became a great multitude—so great that they could not be counted may be rendered “While they were there they increased so much in numbers that it was impossible to count them.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• A time came when people all over the land of Canaan couldn’t find food to eat. So they went south to the land of Egypt and stayed there as long as there was enough food. While they were there they increased so much in numbers that it was impossible to count them.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.