complete verse (Genesis 24:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 24:11:

  • Kankanaey: “When they arrived at the entrance of the town, they had- the camels -kneel-down a-little-ways from the spring that was there. Because it was already late-afternoon and that was the time (lit. hour) when- the women went -to-fetch-water.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Having arrived there he left the camels to rest near a well outside the city. At this time it had become evening. And it had also become the time when girls come to get water.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When the servant arrived in the city, he had- the camels -lay-down near the well outside the city. (It was) twilight at-that-time and time- for the women -to-draw-water.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “It was late in the afternoon, at the time when the women go to the well to get water, when he arrived there. He made the camels kneel down near the well, which was outside the city.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 24:11

Between verses 10 and 11 the servant’s caravan of camels has traveled a distance of approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles). Verse 11 begins at the end of the journey and with no transition. Therefore it may be necessary to start verse 11 with something like “After the long trip he reached the city of Nahor,” “After his long trip the servant arrived outside the city,” “They traveled a long time, and when they reached the city….” Note Good News Translation “When he arrived.”

Made the camels kneel down: the camel kneels by bending its front legs and lowering its body first on the front legs then on the back legs. It is then lying with its legs doubled beneath its body. It is necessary for the camel to lower its body before its rider can get down. In some languages it is necessary to say “he made the camels lie down.” If this statement seems to have no purpose or gives a wrong idea, it may be helpful to say “to get off he made the camels lie down” or “he made the camels kneel down so he could get to the ground.”

Outside the city by the well of water: here there are two positions. In some languages the more localized one is referred to first: “by the well outside the city.” Well of water refers to a dug well. See 21.19. Since this same well is referred to later in the story as “a spring of water,” some translations say here “a well that had a spring in it” and then use just the term “well” throughout the rest of the narrative.

In some languages there may seem to be a conflict between “to the city” in verse 10 and outside the city here. A translation that deals with this problem says “He ordered the camels not to go into the city but to kneel down close to the well….”

At the time of: this may need to begin a new sentence, as in Good News Translation “It was….”

At the time of evening refers to the late afternoon, when the sun is down far enough to allow some cooling of the air. The water is drawn for the evening meal and to give water to the animals to drink.

Women go out to draw water: drawing water from a well was mainly a woman’s task (Exo 2.16; 1 Sam 9.11; John 4.7). In areas where wells and drawing water are unknown, a general term will usually be used; for example, “when women go to the water place to get water,” “… to fill their gourds.” Note that Good News Translation speaks from the viewpoint of the well: “women came out to get water.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .