complete verse (Genesis 24:58)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 24:58:

  • Newari: “So they called Rebekah and asked — ‘Will you go with him?'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Therefore they called Rebeka and asked, ‘Would you like to-go-with him now?’ Rebeka replied, ‘Yes, I will-go-with.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So they summoned Rebekah and asked her, ‘Will you go with this man now?’ She replied, ‘Yes, I will go.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 24:58

They again refers to Laban and to the mother of Rebekah.

Said to her must often be translated “asked her.”

Go with this man: go is used in the sense of “accompany.” The real meaning of the question is not whether Rebekah is willing to go back to Canaan, but whether she is willing to go immediately. This will need to be made clear in most languages; in one translation, for instance, they say to Rebekah “This man wants to go back today. Are you happy to go with him now?”

She said must often be translated as “she replied” or “she answered.”

I will go may need to be filled out to “Yes, I will go with him now.” A more idiomatic way of agreeing may be more natural here, such as “Yes, all right” or “Yes, it’s good.”

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 .