Signing John 3:16

[blossom]

I'm looking for someone who can help me learn how to sign John 3:16. My Sunday school class has it as it's memory verse this term. They are aged 2 - 9 and instead of just reciting it at the end of the term I thought I'd teach them to sign it. We usually make up actions but I thought we might try to sign it properly.

I have found a utube lesson on it but they don't use the KJV and even though I know it makes a difference in the written language I'm not sure how it translates into sign.

If anyone could help, I'd be most grateful.

Thanks

Blossom

[trc123]

While I'm not an expert, I was trained in American Sign Language by the Bill Rice Ranch and served as Deaf Ministry director for a while a few years back. It is my understanding that there will be absolutely no way to do a literal translation of any Bible version (even KJV) into AMSLANG as that is not how sign-language works. The only way to do it would be to sign individual letters that make up all the words for the entire verse and that would be like making a hearing person sit through someone verbally saying each and every letter for each word of the entire verse. Not only BORING, but also quite lengthy, and that is not how the deaf or hearing person's brain has been trained in their language.

Signing it will be signing the main thoughts, no matter which version you use.........

[dadof4]

I will ask my wife for advice on this for you. She is one of our main interpreters in our church.

Give me a day or so.

[blossom]

Thanks for your posts. I have found a website that does teach it and I've added in 1 for only begotten. I don't know if it's right or not but as the kids are saying the verse with it, I'm not sure that it will matter for what we are doing. The kids are loving it though and practising it.

Blossom

[dadof4]

My wife typed out how she signs John 3:16 - I am just copying and pasting here. . .

God much love world He gave (from Heaven to all) His ONLY (emphatic) Son that who-any believe Him shall not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

You could add the sign 'because' at the beginning, but it is not necessary. There is no other English word for Begotten -- the closest thing is 'born', but that is just not accurate in any sense; so . . . on the advice of many interpreters and deaf (all KJV), the word is simply omitted when signing the verse straight through. When walking someone through the verse, it just takes a lot of explaining - more than you can insert when signing straight through.

I hope this helps you.

If you have any questions, please, feel free to ask.