Verses 1-2 introduce chapters 1–3, or perhaps the entire section on offerings and sacrifices, chapters 1–7.
LORD: in order to translate the proper name of God from the Hebrew, Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have adopted the solution chosen by numerous other English translations (New English Bible, New American Bible, New International Version [New International Version], New American Standard Bible [New American Standard Bible], and even King James Version [King James Version] in 1611). The word “LORD” with all capital letters is used when the Hebrew has YHWH, but “Lord” is used when the original has Adonay, meaning “Master,” “Lord,” or “Sovereign.” In this verse the name of God is written with four consonants, YHWH. Its pronunciation in ancient times is uncertain, but was probably Yahweh or Yahwoh. Many centuries before the Christian era, this name was considered to have such special power that the Jews avoided pronouncing it (in technical terms, this is referred to as a “positive taboo”; see Theory and Practice of Translation, pages 82-83). Instead, they pronounced the Hebrew title meaning “Lord.”
Some translations simply transcribe the Hebrew name YHWH as “Yahweh” (New Jerusalem Bible), and others use the artificial form “Jehovah” (King James Version in a few cases and American Standard Version consistently). The form “Jehovah” is based on a pronunciation that was first introduced in 1520 by Galatinus and was not the pronunciation of the ancient Jews. The transliteration of this form should therefore be avoided. There is, however, some merit in transliterating YHWH, since it is a proper noun. Other translators have made an effort to “translate” the supposed meaning of this name by “the Eternal” (Moffatt [Moffatt] and several French versions); but such renderings only replace a personal name by an impersonal abstraction. In some cultures there may be a personal name for God distinct from the generic term for “god” but quite similar in usage to the biblical term used here. In such cases it may be wise to adopt this name as the equivalent for YHWH. This possibility has often been overlooked in past translations of the Bible. But even though the commonly used name in the receptor language is not an exact equivalent of YHWH, it may be wise to use it in translation and give a full explanation of the biblical name in the glossary.
In some languages today it is also legitimate to add, if necessary, a possessive form such as “my LORD” or “their LORD” (according to the context), although this was never done with the personal name in Hebrew. For a more complete discussion of the divine name and other terms for God, see the April 1984 issue of The Bible Translator.
Called … spoke … saying …: these three verbs are very similar in meaning. The Hebrew word translated saying in Revised Standard Version often serves in Hebrew simply to mark the beginning of a quotation. So the use of quotation marks in the receptor language may adequately represent this word. But many languages have a similar word that can be used to introduce a quotation. Note that Good News Translation has reduced this to two verbal expressions: “called” and “gave … rules.” In Hebrew the subject of the verb called is not made explicit. It is only in the second clause, “the LORD spoke,” that the LORD is clearly given as the subject. Although the first verb does not have an expressed subject, it is obvious that it could only be the LORD himself. Most languages will probably require that the subject be stated with the first verb, as in the English versions. The meaning of the verb “call” is probably to “summon” or “call for attention.”
From: in some languages it may be necessary to indicate the position of Moses relative to the tent at the time when the LORD called him. Since this verse is connected with the end of the book of Exodus, where the cloud covered the Tent of the LORD’s presence so that Moses could not go in (Exo 40.35), it is most probable that he was standing at or near the entrance when he was called, and that the voice of the LORD came from within the Tent.
The tent of meeting: a literal translation like that of Revised Standard Version does not adequately convey the full meaning of this expression. It is the portable sanctuary of the people of Israel, described in Exodus 25–30, and in which God meets with Moses to communicate to him the divine will (see Exo 33.7-11). This tent was considered a very special place where God revealed himself to his people (Exo 29.42-46). The Good News Translation rendering, “Tent of the LORD’s presence,” highlights these facts and provides a better model for most languages. In some languages one may say “the tent where God lives” (although one must not give the impression that he is restricted to the tent), or “the tent where the LORD is,” or “the place where the LORD appears.”
In some languages the word tent itself presents problems. It has to be translated “a temporary (or, portable) shelter” or “a house made of skins.”
Saying: note that Good News Translation supplies implicit information by translating here “gave him the following rules.” This may be a good model to follow in the receptor language, although the word “rules” may be better rendered “instructions” or “laws.”
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990.
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .