But if the LORD creates something new: The phrase creates something new renders a Hebrew verb and noun from the same root, so it is literally “creates a creation.” This emphatic expression refers to some new, unparalleled circumstance or event. New Living Translation says “does something entirely new,” which seems more accurate in meaning than “does something unheard of” (Good News Translation) or “works a miracle” (Revised English Bible).

And the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them: Languages will differ in the extent to which they can preserve the graphic personification that is found here (compare Gen 4.11). In any case, translators should try to duplicate the vivid and forceful imagery of the original text in their language, because it serves to mark what is obviously a peak point in the book of Numbers. The pronoun them refers to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. All that belongs to them refers to their families and all their possessions.

And they go down alive into Sheol: Sheol was regarded by the Israelites to be a dark and gloomy place where all the dead—both the wicked and the righteous—were gathered in a shadowy and slowly disappearing existence. It was believed to be located beneath the earth, so the verb go down is used here. Since Sheol is a term that will have no meaning for many readers if transliterated in the receptor language, translators may wish to say “the world of the dead” (Good News Translation) or “the place of the dead people” (similarly New Century Version). It does not refer to “hell” as a place of punishment in contrast to heaven, so it should not be translated in that way. Care should also be taken not to give the impression that Sheol refers to the local cemetery. For this reason we do not recommend saying “the grave” (New International Version, New Living Translation). Translators should try to distinguish between Sheol and the ordinary Hebrew word for “grave” (qeber; see 19.16, 18).

Then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD: For the Hebrew verb rendered despised, see 14.11. Here it means Korah, Dathan, and Abiram “rejected” (Good News Translation) the LORD and his will, including the leaders whom he had chosen. New Living Translation says “have shown contempt for.”

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 .

Now the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron: See 1.1. The adverb Now renders the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”), which is omitted by Good News Translation. Perhaps Revised Standard Version uses this adverb to indicate that chapter 19 did not necessarily happen after chapter 18, but has been placed here to fit a certain literary arrangement. As mentioned in the introductory comments above, the text gradually moves from a focus on priests in chapter 17, to priests and Levites in chapter 18, to lay people in chapter 19. The verb said may be rendered “commanded” (Good News Translation) to indicate the nature of the speech that follows.

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 .

And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron: In verse 11 things might still appear to be all right. However, verse 12 makes it clear that this is not the case, so Good News Translation renders the conjunction And as “But” to introduce the contrast. Good News Translation also renders the verb said as “reprimanded,” which fits this context well.

Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel: Compare 14.11. Good News Translation expresses the connection between the two Hebrew verbs here more clearly by saying “Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh offers a similar translation, but renders the second Hebrew verb more accurately as follows: “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people.” NET Bible is similar with “Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites,” and so is New Living Translation with “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel.” In some languages it will be more natural to have two separate sentences here, for example, “You have not had faith in [or, put your full trust in] me. You have not shown to the Israelites that I am the true holy God. For this reason…” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). NET Bible has the following helpful footnote on these two clauses: “He [Moses] was supposed to have acted in a way that would have shown God to be distinct, different, holy. Instead, he gave the impression that God was capricious and hostile.” As mentioned at verse 10, Moses, apparently with a certain degree of anger and/or pride, claimed that he and Aaron would be the ones who would cause water to come from the rock. The phrase in the eyes of the people of Israel indicates that they committed a public sin.

Therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them: The conjunction therefore emphasizes the result that Moses and Aaron would not enter the promised land of Canaan. Human leadership is frail and prone to failure to reach its goals. Rashi suggested that if Moses and Aaron had not disobeyed the LORD in front of the people and if Moses had only spoken to the rock, they would have been allowed to enter the Promised Land. Rashbam (or perhaps a scribe who prepared a copy of his commentary) clearly struggled with this verse when he wrote the following: “he [Moses] thought that talking to the rock meant hitting it … Moses, our rabbi, could not have transgressed God’s word except inadvertently…” (page 251). However, that is not the picture that the biblical text gives us here. For the Hebrew word rendered assembly (qahal), see verse 4. The Hebrew verb translated I have given has a perfect verb form (compare 13.2). This verb form indicates that God is fully committed to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. In some languages this commitment may be expressed by using a present or near future tense; for example, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “I give,” and New Living Translation has “I am giving.” Other languages may use a continuative or customary verbal aspect for this purpose. In some languages a special verb may be needed to express what the LORD is declaring here, for example, “bestow,” “grant,” “assign,” or “allot.” A possible model for this clause is “therefore you will not lead this assembly into the land I have promised to give them.”

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 .

Then the angel of the LORD went ahead is literally “And the angel of the LORD added to move forward.” Revised Standard Version omits the Hebrew verb meaning “added,” but it can be expressed by saying “Once more” (Good News Translation) or “again” (Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap). The verb “added” ironically repeats the construction used in the preceding sentence: “and he [Balaam] added to strike her [the donkey].” Each stage in the unfolding narrative is thus dramatically highlighted.

And stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left: On this third occasion in the sequence, the climax is reached; there was absolutely no room for the donkey to turn or to move forward without running into the angel of the LORD. This explains the animal’s subsequent action. Good News Translation provides a helpful model here, saying “he stood in a narrow place where there was no room at all to pass on either side.”

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 .

And Balaam lifted up his eyes: For this idiomatic Hebrew expression, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “As Balaam looked up,” which will be helpful in many other languages. Good News Translation omits this clause.

And saw Israel encamping tribe by tribe is literally “and he saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes.” Balaam did not just see part of Israel as he did before. Instead, he saw the whole nation of Israel, presented (as in the first part of the book of Numbers) as a people composed of twelve distinct tribes. For tribe see 1.4.

And the Spirit of God came upon him is literally “and the spirit of God was upon him” (Alter). This clause with the Hebrew verb meaning “to be” is rare in the Old Testament, but it is used for prophets (for example, Azariah in 2 Chr 15.1). So this clause reflects a changing perception of Balaam’s role: the Hebrew now explicitly refers to Balaam as to a divinely inspired prophet. (Very similar expressions are used in connection with judges in Jdg 3.10 and 11.29.) In some languages it will be more natural to render this clause as “Just then, the spirit of God took control of him” (similarly Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “and he was grabbed by the spirit of God” (Chewa). For the Spirit of God, see the comments on 11.17.

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 .

After the plague is literally “And it happened after the plague” (similarly King James Version). In editions of the Hebrew text and in a number of translations, this phrase is at the end of the previous chapter and is numbered as 25.19. However, the Hebrew construction here indicates clearly that it introduces the following sentence, so most translations include it in 26.1 (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, King James Version, Revised English Bible). We advise translators to do the same. For the Hebrew word rendered plague, see 14.37 and 25.8. Contemporary English Version renders this whole phrase as “After the LORD had stopped the deadly disease from killing the Israelites.”

The LORD said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest: Quote frames that introduce the LORD as the speaker are an important opening discourse marker in the book of Numbers as a whole (see the comments on 1.1). Eleazar had taken over as High Priest after the death of his father (see 20.28). Here the priest describes him, not Aaron, as the High Priest (see the comments on 3.6). Good News Translation omits the priest, but translators should keep this phrase.

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 .

Verses 9-10 deal with the weekly offering, which took place on the Sabbath. In the Pentateuch this is the only passage that speaks of public offerings on the Sabbath. Translators may begin a new paragraph here with a subheading (see the introductory comments on this section). Good News Translation‘s heading for these two verses is “The Sabbath Offering” (similarly New Living Translation). NET Bible has “Weekly Offerings,” which removes the original emphasis on the Sabbath day.

On the sabbath day two male lambs a year old without blemish: There is no verb in the Hebrew text here, but most languages will need to add one, for example, “offer” (Good News Translation), “you must offer” (NET Bible), or “make this [regular] offering” (Chewa). For sabbath day, see 15.32; for two male lambs a year old without blemish, see verse 3.

And two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal offering, mixed with oil: See verse 5.

And its drink offering: See verse 7. The pronoun its probably refers to the offering by fire of the two male lambs, which had to be presented at the same time. Its drink offering may be rendered “the drink offering combined with it [or, belonging to it]” (similarly La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle, Herziene Statenvertaling, Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap), “the proper drink-offering” (Revised English Bible), “the proper libation” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “the required libation” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

New Living Translation has the following helpful model for this verse:

• “On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering.

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 .

Also one male goat for a sin offering: See 28.15. One billy goat had to be sacrificed also on the first day of the Festival of Shelters to purify the Israelites.

Besides the continual burnt offering, its cereal offering and its drink offering: See 28.3-8. These offerings were made in the morning and evening of each day. Besides may be rendered “in addition to” (New Living Translation, Revised English Bible). In many languages it will be natural to start a new sentence here; for example, Good News Translation begins with “Offer these [sacrifices] in addition to…,” and Bible en français courant is similar with “All these sacrifices are in addition to…” (similarly Contemporary English Version). Both occurrences of the pronoun its refers to the continual burnt offering.

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 .