Example 4

Genesis 49:10

Hebrew text with word-for-word key in English:

לֹֽא־ יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו
lō'-yā·sūr šê·ḇṭ mî·hū·ḏā ū·mə·ḥō·qêq mib·bên raḡ·lā
not-it-shall-depart sceptre from-Judah and-commander’s-staff from-between feet-his

English version A (The word-for-word key repeated):
Not-it-shall-depart sceptre from-Judah,
And-commander’s-staff from-between feet-his.

English version B:
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, …

English version C:
Judah will hold the royal sceptre,
And his descendants will always rule.

A “sceptre” is a staff, a kind of stick, carried by a king as a symbol of his authority.
“From between his feet” is a Hebrew idiom referring to a person’s descendants.
In this context, “Judah” refers to the tribe of Judah, not just to their ancestor Judah himself.

An alternative translation might be:
The kings of the people will come from the tribe of Judah forever.
His descendants will always rule.

Version D (An ancient Greek translation [LXX1], with word-for-word key in English:)

οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ,
uk eklipsi arhon eks Iuda ke igumenos ek ton miron aftu,
not will-forsake ruler from Judah and leader from the thighs his,

English version E (The word-for-word key of the Greek translation repeated):
Not will-forsake ruler from Judah
and leader from the thighs his,

English version F (A translation from Greek into traditional English [LBS]):
A ruler shall not fail from Juda,
nor a prince from his loins,

English version G (A very literal translation from Greek into English [NETS]):
A ruler shall not be wanting from Ioudas
and a leader from his thighs

English version H (A translation from Greek into contemporary English [LES]):
A ruler will not cease from Judah,
and one who leads from his thighs,

“From his thighs” (or “loins”) is a Greek idiom referring to a person’s descendants.

EXERCISE 4

  1. Write down some of the ways in which the translator of version C re-expressed the message in English in order to communicate the meaning.
  2. Write down some of the ways in which the ancient Greek translator re-expressed the message in order to communicate the meaning to a Greek-speaking reader.
  3. Make a translation of this verse into your own language.

Adapted from Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles by Katharine Barnwell, 2017, pages 11-12.

  1. Abbreviations for different Bible translations will be explained in Chapter 4.A: Some English Translations of the Bible. ↩︎