Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English means “taken out of the water,” “saved out of the water,” “a son.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 ). See also Translation commentary on Exodus 2:10.

It is translated in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language with a sign in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language (and Hungarian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


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

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Korean Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the arms held up by Moses to assure the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:11).


“Moses” in Korean Sign Language, source: Korean Sign Language Bible House

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Translation commentary on John 6:32

I am telling you the truth is the same formula discussed in 1.51.

This verse is typical of the Jewish method of Scripture interpretation. When someone has quoted a passage of Scripture, the interpreter says, “The text should not be read as X, it should be read as Y.” Here the crowd has just quoted a passage of Scripture in which they have taken the pronoun he to refer to Moses (“He gave them bread from heaven to eat”), and Jesus corrects their presuppositions at several points: (1) My Father must be read in place of Moses; (2) the present tense gives must be substituted for the past tense gave; and (3) the real bread from heaven takes the place of what was not the bread from heaven.

In the Greek text the word real is in the emphatic position, indicating a strong contrast between the real bread from heaven and the manna, which was not true heavenly nourishment. Real (so also New English Bible, Moffatt, New American Bible) appears in some translations as “true.” This same adjective is discussed in 1.9 (see comments there).

Since the Jews often referred to the Law as “bread,” a further contrast between Moses and Jesus may be intended: Jesus is not only the source of the real bread from heaven but also of the authentic message which comes from God. This claim does not deny that Moses gave the people bread from heaven, or that he gave them God’s Law, but it does indicate the temporary nature of what Moses gave, as compared to the eternal and absolute nature of what Jesus now gives. Moses indeed gave bread from heaven, but now the Son of Man gives the real bread from heaven, and this bread is able to give eternal life to the world (verse 33).

Note that Good News Translation has two alternative renderings: Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven or Moses did not give you the bread from heaven. As noted, there are three contrasts between the statement What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven and it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. The difficulty for the translator is that these contrasts cannot be marked easily by a single negative such as not. Theoretically one could say, “It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven” or “It is not a matter of ‘gave’ but of ‘gives,’ ” and “it is not a matter of the bread from heaven but of the real bread from heaven.” However, from a practical point of view, such expansion is not recommended.

Throughout this section it may be necessary to use a word for “food” rather than one that designates “bread.” The basic concept is the so-called “staff of life,” that is, the particular kind of food regarded as basic to life. In some societies a term for “bread” would indicate a type of food associated only with foreigners. A more general term, such as “food,” would then be more appropriate.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 6:32

Paragraph 6:32–34

Jesus began to tell the people about spiritual food. But the people were still thinking about Jesus feeding the five thousand (5000). They thought that Jesus had some special bread that he could give them.

6:32a

The Greek text begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “therefore.” The Berean Standard Bible and many English translations do not explicitly translate the word. In this context, the conjunction introduces Jesus’ response to the people’s comment. Translate it using a natural way to introduce a response in your language.

Truly, truly, I tell you: This phrase emphasizes what Jesus was about to say. See the notes on 1:51a, where the same phrase is used. Notice, however, that here Jesus was introducing a correction or rebuke. He was rejecting his listeners’ wrong understanding of how their ancestors received manna.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

I tell you for certain that… (Contemporary English Version)

6:32b–c

it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven: Jesus was correcting the crowd. There are several things he was correcting:

• “he” in the quotation in 6:31b does not refer to Moses. God, not Moses, was really the one who gave the bread.

• It is better to understand God giving the bread from heaven now, in the present. Jesus changes gave (31b and 32b) to gives (32c).

• The manna was not the true heavenly bread, but physical food. Jesus was talking about heavenly or spiritual food.

In your translation, try to make it clear that Jesus was not making only one correction. This is hard to do in English. Most English translations concentrate on one of the corrections. However, it may be possible to indicate that there is more than one correction by using more than one sentence. For example:

Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
What I tell you now is true. It was not Moses who gave food from heaven but rather my Father. ⌊And what they ate, it was not⌋ the true food from heaven that God gives to you today.

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but connects the negative statement in 6:32b to the positive statement in 6:32c. This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. In 6:32b, Jesus said that it was not Moses who gave them bread from heaven, and in 6:32c, he said that it was his Father who gives them the true bread from heaven. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. For example:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible. For example:

Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (God’s Word)
-or-
it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven (CEB)

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

Moses was not the one who gave the bread which came from heaven; rather it is my Father who gives it. He truly gives to you the bread which comes from heaven.
-or-
Moses did not give you heavenly bread. Instead, my Father is the one giving you true heavenly bread.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

Moses wasn’t the one who gave you bread from heaven. My Father is the one who gives you the true bread from heaven. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. (Good News Translation)

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

It is ⌊God⌋ my Father who gives the true bread from heaven. You are wrong ⌊to think⌋ that it was Moses who gave you bread from heaven.
-or-
It is my Father who gives you true bread from heaven, not Moses. He did not give you bread from heaven.

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

My Father: Jesus was referring to God. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

⌊God⌋ my Father

true bread: In Greek, there is emphasis on the word true. You may also want to emphasize that word. For example:

what he gives you is true food

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