And Moses said to …: We recommend that translators omit the conjunction And (so New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). Instead, they may use some natural marker in the language for beginning a new narrative, for example, “One day” (New Living Translation). Chronologically, verses 29-36 do not come after verse 28 but they overlap in time with verses 13-28. Both passages start with the first camp movement. This is clear from verse 33 (“they set out from the mount of the LORD”) as well as verse 13. A possible transitional expression at the beginning of this verse that makes this clear is “Before the Israelites started on their journey from the desert of Sinai.”

Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law: Reuel was Moses’ father-in-law, not Hobab. To avoid confusion about this, translators may need to rearrange this phrase by saying “Hobab the son of Moses’ father-in-law, Reuel the Midianite” or “Hobab the son of his Midianite father-in-law Reuel” (Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The target language may have a specific term for “father-in-law.” Moses invited his brother-in-law Hobab to accompany the Israelites on their journey to Canaan. But the Hebrew makes a point of connecting Moses and Hobab through Moses’ father-in-law, who is already known from the book of Exodus. Good News Translation renders this phrase as “his brother-in-law Hobab son of Jethro the Midianite.” Good News Translation only mentions who Hobab’s father is but does not show that the text actually refers to Moses’ father-in-law. This is one reason why we cannot recommend Good News Translation as a model here. Good News Translation does not use this name but identifies Reuel as “Jethro” both here and in Exodus, since it is the more familiar name of Moses’ father-in-law. We cannot recommend this either, because the two different names probably go back to different traditions concerning this person and his background. (We have a complex combination of names here and the commentators do not agree on how to interpret the relationships involved [so Milgrom, page 78].) Verse 29 is the only place in Numbers where Moses’ father-in-law is mentioned, so there should not be any problem in using the name Reuel here. Midianite refers to the land of Midian from which Reuel came. It does not mean he was a descendant of Midian. The country of Midian was located east of the Jordan River and Dead Sea. Its territory extended far to the south into Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula. In some languages it will be necessary to render the Midianite as “from Midian” (Bijbel in Gewone Taal) or “from the land of Midian” to make it clear that a country is in view here.

We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: The Hebrew verb rendered are setting out may also be translated “are moving off,” “are journeying further,” or “are marching” (see verse 12). Since this verb is a key term in this chapter, translators should render it consistently, if this is natural in the target language. Good News Translation translates We are setting out as “We are about to start out” to indicate that the beginning of the Israelites’ journey is in view here. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling says “We now depart.” The place of which the LORD said refers to the promised land of Canaan, which was a large area, not just a specific town or village. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling renders place as “area/region.” Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Bijbel in Gewone Taal say “land/country.”

I will give it to you: The Hebrew pronoun for you is plural, referring to the Israelites. This short sentence is a quotation of what the LORD said. Good News Translation changes this quote within a quote to indirect speech, saying “he would give us.” In some languages indirect speech is more natural here, while in many others direct speech will be more natural.

Come with us, and we will do you good: The Hebrew pronoun for you is singular, referring to Hobab. Moses is addressing him here. Good News Translation renders we will do you good as “we will share our prosperity with you.” However, more accurate renderings for the Hebrew expression here are “we will be generous with you” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “we will treat you well” (NET Bible).

For the LORD has promised good to Israel is literally “for the LORD has spoken good about Israel.” The Hebrew noun for good comes from the same root as the verb rendered do … good in the previous clause. If possible, this connection between the two clauses should be kept intact by translating these words in a similar way. This clause gives the grounds for Moses’ promise to treat Hobab well. He will treat Hobab well because God will treat the Israelites well. Good News Translation moves this clause before the previous sentence, which may be a useful model for other languages.

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 .