Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” 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 .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

Translation commentary on Susanna 1:57

If integrated into the book of Daniel: 13.57.

This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear …: This is a puzzling statement since Susanna has been referred to as a daughter of Israel in verse 48. Some scholars suspect that this may reflect some bias on the part of the Babylonian exiles, who were mostly people of Judah, or bias on the part of the writer against his own northern neighbors, the Samaritans. More likely, however, the writer does not consider Israel and Judah mutually exclusive, though he obviously considers Judah to be a more specific and elevated term than Israel. Good News Translation gives a good representation of what Daniel is saying in this verse, but perhaps the first half could be clarified as follows: “You are used to forcing our Israelite women to sleep with you because they have been afraid of you.” Contemporary English Version reorders the clauses with “You two men have been frightening women from Israel into sleeping with you.”

But a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness: Daughter of Judah may be rendered “this Jewish woman here.” Wickedness here is literally “lawlessness,” which in the context would mean disregard for the Law of Moses. An alternative model for this clause is “but this woman is a Jew, and she would not tolerate your contempt for the Law.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.