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: RuthAnna 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)

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen. 42:32)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, both the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the exclusive pronoun (excluding Joseph and Jacob).

complete verse (Genesis 42:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 42:32:

  • Kankanaey: “We (excl.) would have been ten and two siblings the children of an old-man in Canaan, but the one is-no-more and as for the youngest, he was left-behind at the location of our (excl.) father,’ we (excl.) said to him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “We are twelve brothers, having one father. One is no more. The youngest is with our father in Canaan,’ we said.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “We (excl.) also said that we (excl.) (were) twelve siblings/(brothers) and we (excl.) have only one father. We (excl.) also told him that one of our (excl.) siblings/(brothers) (is) dead now and our (excl.) youngest-one (is) here with you (sing.) in Canaan.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one father. One has died, and our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 42:32

We are twelve brothers … Canaan: see verse 13. Note that the brothers do not tell their father that they were put in prison for three days.

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 .