Nkumbi / Mbangala / Songo: “bread that has gone no yeast” — “this is an application of a common construction in Angolan Bantu languages for speaking about the ingredients in some foods: ‘there is salt in the soup’ is rendered literally, ‘the soup has gone salt.’ (Source: Riikka Halme-Berneking in The Bible Translator 2014, p. 353ff. )
On the day that the tabernacle was set up: See 7.1, which has the same time setting, but in a longer form. The narrative is still directly connected to the date of Exo 40.17. Many Bantu languages have a demonstrative form that makes reference to such a past event quite specific. In Hebrew this verse begins with the conjunction “And.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible omit it for naturalness in English, which other languages may find helpful. For tabernacle, which renders the Hebrew word mishkan (literally “dwelling-place”), see 1.50.
The cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew text literally by saying the cloud, which indicates that this cloud is already known to the reader. Much of this clause corresponds with Exo 40.34, where it says for the first time that the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting. Good News Bible says “a cloud came and covered it,” which gives the wrong impression that this cloud appears in the narrative for the first time. Although it occurs here in Numbers for the first time, it was already mentioned in Exodus (starting in 13.21). Only a translation such as the cloud or “the cloud-mass” will keep the link with Exo 40.34. For the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, see the comments on 1.50, even though the wording is a little different there. Good News Bible says simply “the Tent of the LORD’s presence,” but translators should be more precise here as in the Hebrew text. A consistent rendering in the translation is needed, especially in the case of such important thematic expressions.
And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning: New Revised Standard Version reorders this clause without changing its meaning, saying “and from evening until morning it was over the tabernacle, having the appearance of fire.” New International Version makes explicit that the pronoun it refers to the cloud by saying “From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.” “Looked like fire” (also Good News Bible) does not render the Hebrew word marʾeh, which means appearance or “brightness” in this context. The Hebrew shows that the comparison with fire is not so directly and easily made. A translation such as “as it were, like fire” expresses better the comparative idea here in Hebrew. Possible models for this whole clause are “and from evening until morning the cloud rested over the Tabernacle in the likeness of fire” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “and the cloud, appearing like [a] fire, covered the Tabernacle from evening until morning.”
So it was continually: Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version omit this clause. But with it the Hebrew marks explicitly that what is described here happened continually, time and time again. (Good News Bible expresses this idea very briefly in verse 17 by using the word “Whenever.”) There is no reason to omit this clause, especially in such a rhythmically fashioned text. Possible models here are “This was always the case” and “This happened every time [or, continually].”
The cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night: As Revised Standard Version‘s footnote indicates, the phrase by day is not based on the Hebrew text but follows the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Peshitta. Revised Standard Version‘s rendering suggests that the cloud and the appearance of fire are really two different things. Although a separate cloud and appearance of fire seem to be in agreement with Exo 13.21 and 40.38, it does not agree with (Revised Standard Version‘s own rendering of) the preceding verse 15, just discussed above, where the appearance of fire is only the nightly manifestation of the cloud. Translators should follow the Hebrew text here by saying “the cloud covered it, appearing as fire by/at night” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Levine) or “the cloud covered it; at night, it [the cloud] had the appearance of a fire” (Nouvelle Bible Segond). These renderings are not only in line with verse 15 but with verse 21 as well.
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 .
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “front of the tent” in English is translated in Chichewa as “eye of the tent” (source: de Regt / Wendland 2016).
And Balak said to him: Some languages may have an introductory word or phrase to indicate that a new episode begins here, for example, “Then” (Good News Bible) or “After that” (Chewa). The pronoun him refers to Balaam, which Good News Bible makes explicit.
Come with me to another place: The Hebrew text includes the word naʾ here, thus making Balak’s request more urgent and compelling. Models that express it are “Please come with me…” (New American Bible) or “Do come with me….” To another place may be rendered “to a different place.” By changing location Balak hopes to achieve his desired outcome.
From which you may see them: The pronoun them (literally “him/it”) occurs four times in this verse. Each time it refers to the Israelites. The first time it may be necessary to render this pronoun as “the people of Israel” for clarity.
You shall see only the nearest of them, and shall not see them all: As in 22.41 (see the comments there), the Hebrew phrase for the nearest of them (literally “the end/outskirts of him/it”) is ambiguous. With this phrase the text aims to dramatize again the great number of Israelites, this time through the mouth of King Balak, who is speaking. Good News Bible combines these two clauses with the previous one for natural English, saying “from which you can see only some of the Israelites.” PV attempts to make these words of Balak sound more logical in their context by saying “There, you will see all the Israelites. From here, you only saw part of them” (similarly Bible en français courant), and so does Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch with “from where you can see the whole people. From here you only see the end of their camp.” These renderings imply that Balak wants Balaam to have a better view from the new place. However, these renderings are quite speculative when compared with the Hebrew text. Contemporary English Version expresses a somewhat different implication by rendering these clauses and the final one as “Maybe if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me.” The chiastic structure of this verse seems to support this interpretation. Balak fears that seeing all the Israelites will overwhelm Balaam and make him pronounce another blessing, which he does not want to happen.
Then curse them for me from there: Curse renders the same Hebrew verb as in verse 8 (see the comments there).
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 .
The Hebrew in Numbers 23:23 that is translated as “enchantment” and “divination” in English are translated in Chichewa as “the instruments for practicing sorcery” and “the instruments for doing divination” respectively (source: de Regt / Wendland 2016).
And he came to him, and lo, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him: This sentence is very similar to verse 6 (see the comments there). The only major difference is the use of the Hebrew verb meaning came instead of the verb meaning “returned.” In spite of this difference, Good News Bible uses the verb “went back” both here and in verse 6.
And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”: Balak’s question shows how anxious he is to know what the LORD said. He is now portrayed as being more anxious than in verse 6, where he does not ask anything. In many languages only direct speech will bring out this anxiety in an effective manner. This is why we do not recommend the indirect speech in Good News Bible here (“Balak asked what the LORD had said”). There is another reason why Balak’s question should really stand out in translation: it has no parallel in the context of the other prophecies. (Before the third prophecy in chapter 24 Balak does not ask this question either.) Balak explicitly mentions the LORD: this shows his resignation to the fact that it is the LORD, the God of the people whom he is trying to curse, who ultimately decides about who will be blessed or cursed.
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 .
Therefore the ballad singers say: It is important to make clear how the song/poem of verses 27-30 relates to verse 26. The song does not apply to what the Israelites just did by defeating King Sihon. Rather, it applies to what King Sihon had done in the past by defeating the Moabites. New Living Translation (1996) makes the connection clear by rendering this clause as “For this reason the ancient poets wrote this about him [Sihon].” The Hebrew root rendered ballad singers (m sh l) is quite generic, meaning “formulate a poetic expression [or, proverb],” “compare,” or “be like.” Ballad singers is perhaps too specific. It is better to use a more generic rendering, such as “poets” (Good News Bible, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) or “bards” (New Jewish Publication Society Version). The Hebrew uses the same root m sh l for Balaam’s prophecies, which Levine calls poetically “balanced verse[s],” in chapters 23–24 (see, for example, 23.7, where Revised Standard Version renders it “discourse”). The poets recited or sang the following poem repeatedly, so New Jewish Publication Society Version translates this clause as “Therefore the bards would recite.”
The poem in verses 27b-30 may be Amorite in origin, at least in part. It is a victory song that celebrates the greatness of the Amorite city Heshbon and King Sihon’s conquest of Moab. In the present context the purpose of quoting this poem is to confirm what is reported in verse 26 and to celebrate the magnitude of Israel’s victory over Sihon. Israel destroyed the man who had defeated Moab. Why would a victory song celebrating one foreign nation’s defeat of another have been preserved in the text? Israel’s anti-Moabite tradition may have led to the inclusion of this song. Another suggestion is that it is placed here “to justify Israel’s right to hold the land … lying between the Arnon and the Jabbok” (see Jdg 11.12-28). Jer 48.45-46 contains a slightly different form of the same song as the one here.
According to some commentators, the Israelites are mocking their defeated Amorite enemy here. Other commentators suggest that it is important to maintain the original context of this song at the time of Sihon’s victory over the Moabites. Its application to Israel then is by implication: they have just conquered the well-known King Sihon, who had defeated the Moabites. Given the song’s present form and context, it is probably Israelite poets who are the speakers. The poem begins and ends with the situation of the present: Israel has destroyed the country of Sihon (verses 27b, 30). Verses 28-29 refer to the past, in which Sihon destroyed Moab (so De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling translators’ notes).
The phrases, parallelisms, word-pairings, and verbs doing double duty in this poem are quite standard in Hebrew poetry.
Come to Heshbon, let it be built is parallel with let the city of Sihon be established. In this context of the destroyed city of Heshbon, built and established have the sense of “rebuilt” and “restored” (Good News Bible). New Living Translation provides a helpful model for these two lines, saying “Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt! Let the city of Sihon be restored.”
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 .
The Transjordan cities mentioned in verses 34-42 are partially located and described (to the extent possible) in commentaries in case such information is desirable in footnotes. Verses 34-36 list the cities that Moses assigned to the Gadites.
And the sons of Gad built …: The implication here is that the Gadites “rebuilt” (Good News Bible, New Jewish Publication Society Version) or “fortified” these cities after conquering and destroying them (see the comments on verse 16).
Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran: These are the specific locations where the Gadite soldiers left their dependents before crossing the Jordan River to fight alongside the other tribes in the conquest of Canaan. For Dibon and Ataroth, see verse 3; for Jazer see 21.32. For a fuller description of the land that Moses assigned to the Gadites, see Josh 13.24-28.
Fortified cities: See verse 17. Good News Bible moves this phrase to verse 34 to make sure that readers understand that all the places mentioned here were the fortified cities. Such a reordering may be necessary in some languages.
And folds for sheep: See verse 16. New Living Translation has “with pens for their flocks,” and NET is similar with “and constructed pens for their flocks.” As in verse 16, the Hebrew word for sheep (tsʾon) may be used metonymically here to refer to all types of livestock, so another possible model is “They also built pens for their livestock.” Good News Bible omits this phrase, but it should be kept.
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 .
