Bethlehem

The town name that is transliterated as “Bethlehem” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the signs signifying “manger + town” (referring to Luke 2:7). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Bethlehem” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

See also manger.

In American Sign Language it is translated with the signs for “bread” and “house,” referring to the original meaning of “Bethlehem” as “house of bread.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

Likewise in Hungarian Sign Language:


“Bethlehem” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Bethlehem .

complete verse (Jeremiah 41:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 41:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “and they went to stay where it is called Geruth Kimham, where it is near Bethlehem to wait in order to cross over to Egypt.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “they went to Gerut Kimham near Betlehem, where they prepared to go to Egipto.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They took them all to Geruth-Kimham village near Bethlehem. And they all prepared to go to Egypt.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 41:17 - 41:18

Verse 18 is very awkwardly structured in Revised Standard Version, and Good News Translation has placed verses 17-18 together for the sake of a better arrangement of the information. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar to Good News Translation.

Geruth Chimham is rendered simply “Chimham” by Good News Translation and Bible en français courant. The problem is that no one knows the precise meaning of Geruth, although it may mean “inn.” On the assumption that Chimham is a personal name (see 2Sam 19.31-40), we may then render “Chimham’s Inn” (An American Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) and assume that it was a place of lodging near Bethlehem, which was about ten kilometers (six miles) south of Jerusalem on the way to Egypt. Otherwise translators can use a transliteration, as in “they stopped at Geruth Chimham.”

Chaldeans; that is, Babylonians. See 21.4.

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 .