brothers

“Brothers” has to be translated into Naro as “younger brothers and older brothers” (Tsáá qõea xu hẽé / naka tsáá kíí). All brothers are included this way, also because of the kind of plural that has been used. (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)

This also must be more clearly defined in Yucateco as older or younger (suku’un or Iits’in), but here there are both older and younger brothers. Yucateco does have a more general word for close relative, family member. (Source: Robert Bascom)

complete verse (Genesis 48:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 48:6:

  • Kankanaey: “If there are yet those-to-be-born who are your (sing.) children, they will not be counted as my children but rather as your (sing.) children. What they inherit will-come-from Manasses and Efraim.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Any that are born later, however, will be yours, not mine. They will take their share from their elder brothers, Manasseh and Ephraim.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But your (sing.) next children will-remain yours (sing.), and they can-receive an inheritance from Efraim and from Manase.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If you later become the father of any more children, they will not be considered to be my children, but as my grandchildren, and in Canaan they will receive as part of what they inherit some of the same land that is in the territory that their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh will inherit.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 48:6

And the offspring born to you … yours: only Ephraim and Manasseh are to be the legitimate sons of Jacob. No other sons born to Joseph are mentioned in the Old Testament.

They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance: Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew literally. The sense of this statement is that any of their brothers (other sons Joseph may have later) will inherit from Ephraim and Manasseh, as if these two were their fathers. See Good News Translation. However, since the inheritance refers to the land, it may be clearer to say, as does Bible en français courant, “They will receive their part of the inheritance in the territory of their brothers.”

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 .