Jeremiah

The name that is transliterated as “Jeremiah” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign signifying “prophet (seeing into the future)” and “crying.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 16/2 2020, p. 33ff.)


“Jeremiah” in American Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts to lament often.


“Jeremiah” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jeremiah .

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 (Jeremiah 37:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 37:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “That house I was imprisoned in was like a pit where I stayed for many days being tied up.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They put Jeremias into a cell which is under the ground and he was long-time there.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 37:16

Had come to is best understood as causative, “had been put in.”

What is meant by the dungeon cells is unclear; apparently Jeremiah had been placed in some kind of underground dungeon.

Many days is a typical Hebrew expression referring to an indefinite and long period of time; several versions have “a long time.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .