And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you …: A paragraph break may be inserted here (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). And when may be rendered simply “When” (Good News Translation) since the topic shifts here. The Hebrew pronouns for you and your throughout verses 9-10 are plural, referring to the Israelites. In your land looks forward to the future when the land of Canaan will belong to them (so Sherwood, page 151). In spite of “defending … against” (Good News Translation), the Hebrew only has against. It is not made clear whether a defense or a counterattack is in view here. The Hebrew word for adversary has a collective sense here referring to political and military “enemies” (New Living Translation). This noun comes from the same root as the Hebrew verb for oppresses, so the adversary who oppresses you may be rendered “the attackers who attack you” or “the oppressors who oppress you.”

Then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets is better rendered “then you shall give a trumpet signal” (see the comments on verses 5-7). Since war is in view, this trumpet signal must be distinct from the convocation trumpet sound in verses 3-4 and 7. Contemporary English Version says “give a warning signal on the trumpets.”

That you may be remembered before the LORD your God: Levine renders this clause as “so that you will be brought to the attention of YHWH, your God,” which conveys the distinct nuance of the Hebrew verb for be remembered. In many languages an active construction is more natural, for example, “that the LORD, your God, may remember [or, hear] you.” Compare Contemporary English Version with “Then I, the LORD, will hear it.” Contemporary English Version refers to the LORD in the first person since he is speaking here.

And you shall be saved from your enemies: Some languages may prefer an active construction here also; for example, Good News Translation has “I … will … save you from your enemies.”

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .