After the consecration of the Tent of Meeting and the altar of sacrifice, the Tent of Meeting could be used. This verse describes how Moses spoke regularly with the LORD there. This dialogue no longer had to take place outside the Israelite camp, as in Exo 33.7-11, but now occurred in the Tent of Meeting in the center of the camp. This verse is no longer part of the dedication procedure itself. It is the fulfillment of the promise made to Moses in Exo 25.22, where God says, “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you…” (so Budd, page 85). Verse 89 makes it clear that the Tent of Meeting itself became a special place where the LORD carried on a dialogue with Moses and the people. In a translation this verse should preferably be preceded by a blank line, showing that it is not linked directly to what precedes. The break between this verse and the preceding verses may also by signaled by an appropriate discourse marker at the beginning of the verse, for example, “So it was that….”

This verse does not lead directly to the following verses either, since they have their own introductory sentence (“Now the LORD said to Moses” in 8.1).

And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD: The Hebrew verb rendered went is an infinitive, so it is probable that this verse describes a habit, something that Moses did regularly. Bible en français courant begins this verse well with “When Moses would enter…,” and so do Bijbel in Gewone Taal and De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling with “Whenever Moses entered….” Some languages use a past habitual verb here. A past habitual form is recommended, certainly in languages (like Chewa) in which a choice between habitual and non-habitual verb forms has to be made. For the tent of meeting, see 1.1.

He heard the voice speaking to him …: The voice refers to the voice of the LORD. Good News Translation says “the LORD,” which is a much more direct reference to God than the voice. However, we recommend that translators keep the reference as indirect as in the source text. If the voice is awkward or unclear, “his voice” or even “the LORD’s voice” (Septuagint) is a better alternative than the one in Good News Translation.

From above the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim refers to the golden cover on top of the Covenant Box, with the two cherubim on top of it. The Hebrew word for mercy seat is kapporeth, which probably comes from the verb kipper, meaning “to cover over” in the sense of covering over, or atoning for, sins. Translators should use the same rendering for mercy seat as used in other books, such as Exodus. This advice also applies to the renderings for ark of the testimony and cherubim. For the ark of the testimony (“the Covenant Box” in Good News Translation), see the comments on 4.5. The cherubim were two golden statues of winged creatures that symbolized God’s majesty and were associated with his presence. The usual image of cherubim in Western art shows them as round-faced infants with wings, but this does not correspond at all to the descriptions of these creatures found in the Old Testament or to their appearance in the art of ancient Near Eastern countries. These creatures were winged beings that were depicted as part human and part animal. The descriptions of such creatures are not uniform throughout the Old Testament, but see the descriptions in Exo 25.17-22 and Ezek 10.1-22. The Hebrew word for cherubim has traditionally been transliterated (so King James Version), and many modern versions continue this approach (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant). However, it will be more meaningful in most languages to say something like “winged creatures” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible) and include a more detailed explanation in a glossary. One of the primary functions of the cherubim was that of protecting divine property such as the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3.24) and the Covenant Box (Exo 25.17-22). For this reason some translators render cherubim as “guardians of God’s things” or “protecting beings.” Their other main function was to serve as a throne for gods and/or kings.

And it spoke to him: New Revised Standard Version links this sentence more smoothly with the previous one by saying “thus it spoke to him.” Compare “Thus the LORD spoke to him” (De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) and “thus He spoke to him” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling and many other translations make “the LORD” the explicit subject here. However, we recommend that translators keep the reference to the LORD as indirect as in the source text. If it spoke to him is unnatural in translation, it may be possible to say “the voice spoke to him” (Revised English Bible) or “the LORD’s voice spoke to him.” Also, given the probable habitual time reference for this transitional verse (see the discussion above), a rendering such as “thus it would speak to him” may be more accurate. Good News Translation omits this sentence, which we do not recommend since it emphasizes the LORD’s direct communication with Moses.

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 .