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 Joshua 1:14

Their wives, children, and livestock will remain on the east side, while the men themselves, armed for battle, will take the lead in crossing over to the west side ahead of their fellow Israelites.

Soldiers translates a phrase “men of valor among you” (Revised Standard Version), “all the warriors among you” (New English Bible, New American Bible), “all of you who are fighting men” (Jerusalem Bible). They were not permanent military men, as the modern term means, but men of twenty years of age or older who were fit for battle, equivalent to a modern militia. They were “citizen soldiers,” not professional warriors. Since the Hebrew word “soldiers” does not refer specifically to military men, one might render “able-bodied men” or “men fit for battle.” The clause may then be translated, “But all of your men who are fit for battle must take their weapons and cross over….”

Armed for battle translates the participle of a verb related to the word “five,” and may designate a battle formation of five groups; one in the lead, one in the rear, one in the middle, and one on each side. Since these men would not have their families and animals with them, they would go first. Although armed for battle does originally come from the word “five,” it is not necessary (and is probably impossible) to reproduce this root meaning in translation. In fact, it is quite likely that even for the author of the book the term no longer held this specific meaning. Soldiers, armed for battle may be rendered “battle-ready men” or “able-bodied men.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .