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 Joshua 14:10 - 14:11

But now, look translates the Hebrew “And now, behold” (Revised Standard Version), which serves as an attention getter. In some languages this expression will be best left implicit.

It was been forty-five years since the LORD said that to Moses may be abbreviated as “Since that time forty-five years have gone by” or “That was forty-five years ago.” By a slight rearrangement of Good News Translation clauses, one may translate “That was forty-five years ago, and the LORD kept me alive all the time that our people traveled through the desert, just as he promised. Look at me! I am eighty-five years old….”

And am just as strong today as I was when Moses sent me out translates a Hebrew parallelism: “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me out; as my strength was then, so also my strength is now.” Good News Translation avoids the redundancy, though for some languages the repetition may make the affirmation stronger. Also, in Good News Translation this represents a continuation of a sentence begun at the end of verse 10. In order to simplify this structure for English readers, one may translate “and I am” in place of and am. For other languages it may be more acceptable to begin a new sentence at the beginning of the verse.

Or for anything else represents “and for going and coming” (Revised Standard Version). In Hebrew “to go and come” is an idiomatic expression indicating daily activity. The force of this expression may be included implicitly by the use of “even” if one translates either “I am strong enough (even) for war” or “and I am still strong enough (even) to fight in war.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 14:10

Paragraph 14: 10-12

14:10a

Now behold: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now behold, is a literary device to call attention to what comes next. Use a natural expression in your language to call attention to what comes next. In some languages this expression may best be left implicit.

as the LORD promised, He has kept me alive: In Numbers 14:24-30 Yahweh promised that Caleb would live to inherit land in Canaan.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Yahweh has let me live as he promised
-or-
Yahweh has caused me to live, as he said he would

14:10b

these forty-five years since He spoke this word to Moses: Caleb said that it had been forty-five years since Yahweh promised to give him the land that he had walked on in Canaan.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

It has been forty-five years since Yahweh said this to Moses
-or-
Yahweh said this to Moses forty-five years ago

14:10c

while Israel wandered in the wilderness: The name Israel refers to the descendants of Israel (who was also called Jacob). This is another way to say “Israelites.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

at that time the Israelites were walking through the wilderness
-or-
while the people of Israel were going through the wilderness

14:10d

So here I am: In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase So here I am translates the same Hebrew words as occurred in verse 14:10a. This is a literary device to call attention to what comes next. You should translate this phrase in whatever way is natural to call attention to what comes next.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Look at me! (Good News Translation)
-or-
Now here I am (New Century Version)

today, eighty-five years old: Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Today I am eighty-five years old.
-or-
Now here I am, eighty-five years old today

General Comment on 14:10a-d

Some English versions translate this verse as one long sentence. In some languages it may be more natural to divide the verse into several sentences. For example:

But now, look. It has been forty-five years since the Lord said that to Moses. That was when Israel was going through the desert, and the Lord, as he promised, has kept me alive ever since. Look at me! I am eighty-five years old. (Good News Translation)

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