Jacob

The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is transliterated as “Jacob” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “lentil,” referring to the soup he gave his brother in exchange for his birthright (see Genesis 25:34). Note that another Spanish Sign Language sign for Jacob also users the sign for Jewish. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

In German Sign Language it is a sign that shows the touching of the hip, described in Genesis 32:25:


“Jacob” in German Sign Language (source: Taub und katholisch )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the signs signifying “smooth arm” (referring to the story starting at Genesis 27:11). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Jacob” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign signifying Jacob grabbing the heel of Esau during their birth (referring to Genesis 25:26). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia )


“Jacob” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

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

See also Esau.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jacob .

complete verse (Psalm 114:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 114:1:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “When Israel came out of Egypt,
    the house of Jacob from the race of people of a strange language,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “When the Israelites left the land of Egypt,
    When Jacob’s descendants went out
    from among people who spoke another language,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The Israelites who (were) the descendants of Jacob were- back-then -living in Egipto, where the language of the people there (was) different.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “When the people of Israel migrated from the land of Egypt,
    the people of Jacob migrated from the land of people
    who spoke foreign language,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Waisraeli wakati wametoka katika Misri,
    wa jamaa ya Yakobo wakati wametoka katika ugeni,” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “When the Israeli people left Egypt,
    when they who were descendants of Jacob left people who spoke a foreign/different language,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 114:1 - 114:2

It was at the exodus from Egypt that the Israelites became Yahweh’s people. The two lines of each of the two verses are parallel and synonymous; in verse 1 Israel in line a is the same as the house of Jacob in line b, and Egypt in line a is a people of strange language in line b. Some translators may prefer to combine elements of line b with line a; for example, “When the Israelites, who were Jacob’s descendants and who were living in Egypt, left that foreign country.” On the other hand, the basic pattern of each verse in this psalm is two parallel lines or versets, the second lacking the verb that is expressed in the first line. The psalmist does not attempt to heighten the poetic intensity, but prefers to vary the key terms in each set of parallel lines. If ellipsis is not a commonly used feature in the receptor language, the translator may have to supply the verb in the second line, either by repeating it from the first, or by using a synonym.

In verse 2 Judah and Israel are also synonymous. They may refer to the land itself that the Israelites occupied, or to the people; it seems more probable that they refer to the people. In this case the Hebrew “his holy thing (or, his holy one)” in line a means, as Good News Translation (also New Jerusalem Bible) has it, “the Lord’s holy people.” But if Judah and Israel are taken to designate the land (so Briggs, Dahood and others), then Revised Standard Version‘s sanctuary (also New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant) is preferable. The word characterizes the land as the place where Yahweh lived and was worshiped. In line b dominion means either the people or the land that Yahweh rules. If the translator follows Good News Translation‘s expression “the Lord’s holy people,” in some languages that phrase will have to be recast to say, for example, “the people who belong to the Lord” or “the Lord’s own people.” If Revised Standard Version is followed, sanctuary may be translated as “place where the people worship God.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .