Ephraim

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ephraim” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “palm tree” referring to the palm of Deborah in the land of Ephraim (see Judges 4:5. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

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

For Deborah, see here.

More information about Ephraim and the Tribe of Ephraim .

complete verse (Joshua 17:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 17:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “The villages which surrounded the city of Tappuah belonged to Manasse. Although that city was at the border, it belonged to the side of Ephraim,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The territory of the Tappuah fell into the hand of Manasseh. Tapuah city which was on the boundary of Manasseh, however, fell into the hands of the descendants of Ephraim.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “(The land[s] around Tapua belong-to the tribe of Manase, but Tapua itself, which (is) on the boundary of the land of Manase, belongs-to the descendants of Efraim.)” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The land near the Tappuah area belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah, which was at the border of the land that was allotted to the tribe of Manasseh, was allotted to the tribe of Ephraim.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 17:8

Verse 8 points out that Tappuah itself was assigned to Ephraim, while the land around it belonged to West Manasseh.

In Good News Translation the city of Tappuah is mentioned as though it were a place already known by the reader (old information). To avoid this, the verse may be translated:

• On the border between the territory of Manasseh and the territory of Ephraim was the city of Tappuah. The city itself belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, but the land around it belonged to the tribe of Manasseh.

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 17:8

17:8a

The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh: The phrase The region of Tappuah refers to the land near the town of Tappuah.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The land around the town of Tappuah belonged to the clan of Manasseh
-or-
The land near Tappuah belonged to the descendants of Manasseh

17:8b

but Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to Ephraim: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

but the town of Tappuah itself did not belong to Manasseh. It was on the border of Manasseh and belonged to the clan of Ephraim
-or-
the town of Tappuah was on the border between the clans of Manasseh and Ephraim, and it belonged to Ephraim

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