Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)


“Moses” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

Even at the time of his translation, Jerome likely was not the only one making that decision as this recent article alludes to.

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff.)

See also Moses and Elijah during the Transfiguration.

Translation commentary on John 1:45

Nathanael (mentioned only here and in 21.2) means “God gives” or “God has given.” Nathanael does not appear in any list of the Twelve, and the arguments used to identify him with either Simon the Cananean, Bartholomew, or Matthew are either fallacious or farfetched. It is better to assume that he was not one of the Twelve.

In Philip’s statement, the words the one whom are in the emphatic position. In biblical times the normal Jewish way of distinguishing one man from another with the same name was to mention the name of his father along with his name: Jesus the son of Joseph. Philip thus identifies Jesus in the typically Jewish manner. In 6.42 the phrase Jesus son of Joseph is used by Jews who do not believe in him, but there is nothing derogatory about the phrase itself.

The book of the law must be rendered in some languages as “the book which contains the laws” or “the book in which the laws are written down.”

It is important to indicate that the phrase from Nazareth qualifies Jesus, and not Joseph. It must be expressed in some languages “he is Jesus from the town of Nazareth, he is son of Joseph,” since in such languages the town from which a person comes is normally stated before the name of his father.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .