Canaan

The term that is transliterated as “Canaan” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign loosely referencing the act of hiding/covering one’s face in shame. The association of “shame” with the name “Canaan” comes from Genesis 9, specifically verse 9:25. This sign was adapted from a similar sign in Kenyan Sign Language (see here). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Canaan in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

complete verse (Numbers 35:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 35:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “to show the Israelites that, ‘When you have crossed over Jordan going to the land of Canaan,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Tell the Israelites, ‘After you cross the Jordan river and arrive in the land of Canaan, ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Tell the Israelinhon that when they will-cross-over now Jordan going to Canaan,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Tell this to the Israeli people: When you cross the Jordan River and enter the Canaan region,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Jordan

The Hebrew, Greek and Ge’ez that is translated as “Jordan” means “descending (rapidly),” “flowing down.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the river bordering Jordan and Israel, along with the general sign for river. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Jordan river” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jordan River .

Translation commentary on Numbers 35:9 - 35:10

And the LORD said to Moses: See 1.1. Since the speech of the LORD continues here from verse 1, translators may render the conjunction And as “Then” (New International Readers Version, NET Bible) or “further” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Say to the people of Israel: Good News Translation uses indirect speech here by translating “to say to the people of Israel,” thus reducing the levels of direct speech. This may be more natural in some languages.

When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan refers to crossing over the Jordan River into the territory west of it, as in 33.51. The repetition of this information underscores that the following instructions are to prepare the people for their life in Canaan, the land promised to them by the LORD (see 15.2). As noted at 33.51, in some languages it will be more natural to say “When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan” (Good News Translation; similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bijbel in Gewone Taal) or “After you have crossed the Jordan River to enter the land of Canaan” (Parole de Vie; similarly La Nouvelle Bible Segond, SPCL, Nueva Traducción Viviente). Contemporary Russian Version has “when you, crossing the Jordan, enter the land of Canaan,” thus emphasizing entering the land rather than crossing the Jordan. This may be a helpful model in some languages.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .