Pray, now, tarry here this night also is literally “And now please stay in this [place], you too, this night.” Pray renders the Hebrew particle naʾ (see the comments on verse 6). Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this clause, saying “But please spend the night, as the others [that is, the first messengers] did.” Revised Standard Version‘s rendering may be misunderstood to mean that Balaam is asking the messengers to stay a second night.
That I may know what more the LORD will say to me is literally “and I will know what the LORD will add to speak to me.” By saying this, Balaam does not imply that he will definitely receive another message from the LORD that night. Perhaps he is hoping that this will be the case for the sake of a reward, but the translation should remain neutral about this, as in Good News Bible, which has “so that I may learn whether or not the LORD has something else to tell me.”
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 .
Behold renders the Hebrew word hinneh. Here it introduces what Balaam wants to stress. In some languages it is better rendered “Listen” (New Living Translation) or “Yes indeed” (Chewa).
I have received a command to bless is literally “to bless I have taken.” The word order in the Hebrew puts emphasis on “to bless.” Balaam contradicts Balak’s earlier statement in verse 11, where Balak says “I took you to curse my enemies.” The Hebrew verb meaning “take” (laqach) is used in both passages. The Hebrew line here has been understood in various ways. Revised Standard Version follows the sense of the Hebrew here by adding the implied idea of a command. Rashi was similar with “I have received the command from him to bless them.” Most translations also express this sense; for example, King James Version has “I have received commandment to bless,” Good News Bible says “I have been instructed to bless,” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates “I have assumed the charge to bless,” and New Jerusalem Bible uses “I have received the charge of a blessing.” WV adds the person who gave this command by saying “He [God] has commanded me to bless,” which some languages may find helpful. Bible en français courant and PV add the recipients of the blessing as follows: “I have accepted to bless this people.” Contemporary English Version adds both ideas, saying “My command from God was to bless these people.” The Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Peshitta understand the Hebrew verb for “take” as a passive (luqqachti instead of laqachti), so that this line reads “I have been taken to bless.” Luther (1912) seems to have followed this reading with “to bless I have been brought over.” Compare also CRV with “I have been chosen to bless.” Although this reading makes sense as well, there is no reason to deviate from the meaningful Hebrew text here.
He has blessed, and I cannot revoke it: This translation might suggest that Balaam is referring to the blessing in the previous prophecy (not this one). This is what NET suggests in a footnote. However, the Hebrew line here could also be interpreted as a general principle (similar to verse 19) by saying “And when he has blessed, I cannot revoke it” (similarly Good News Bible). Instead of he has blessed, the Septuagint has “I will bless” (so also New English Bible, La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée). However, we agree with HOTTP that there is no reason to change the third person verb form here in the Hebrew text. The rendering I cannot revoke it may be misleading since it may suggest that Balaam wanted to revoke the blessing but he couldn’t. The Hebrew does not imply this. A model that avoids this implication is “I will not revoke it” (similarly Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, WV). The decision made on how to translate this clause matters; it affects how Balaam is portrayed in the prophecy and the narrative.
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 .
These are the names of the sons of Aaron repeats the first clause of the previous verse. Good News Translation omits it, but it serves to heighten the importance of Aaron and his sons as priests among the Israelites. Translators should express this emphasis in some way in their languages.
Anointed priests are men who have received authority from God to offer sacrifices and perform other religious ceremonies on behalf of his people, so that they mediate between God and the people. Olive oil was poured on the priests to appoint them to their task.
Anointed renders the Hebrew verb mashach, from which is derived the title “Messiah,” the Anointed One of God. In the Old Testament the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and more specifically to one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. Regulations with regard to the qualifications of priests are given in Lev 21.16-23. The word priest is often rendered “sacrifice-making person” or “ceremony person.”
Whom he ordained to minister in the priest’s office is literally “whom he filled their hand to be priests,” which means “whose hands he filled with offerings which they had to offer as priests” or, in more general terms, “whom he ordained to minister [that is, serve] as priests” (New Revised Standard Version). The idiom “fill someone’s hand” means to formally place someone into office. This idiom may have referred originally to the act of placing some object in the hand of the person being invested with authority and installed into office. It occurs in other Old Testament books (see, for example, Exo 28.41; 29.9; Lev 8.33). In some languages “fill someone’s hand” or another idiom may be used to express the idea of ordination. If not, then this idiom may be rendered “ordain,” “install,” “induct,” or even “initiate.” Translators should review and evaluate the terms that they have already been using to render the technical Hebrew words that pertain to the priesthood.
Many translations, including the Septuagint and the Vulgate, treat the Hebrew verb for “filled” as plural; for example, Good News Translation says “They were … ordained.” But the subject of this verb in Hebrew is the singular pronoun for he, which refers Moses (made explicit in New Afrikaans Version), who ordained Aaron and his sons (see Exo 29.9). So it makes sense that verse 1 mentions not only Aaron but Moses 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 .
Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi …: For Take a census, which is literally “Lift up the head,” see the comments on 1.2. The Hebrew verb rendered Take is an infinitive, which at this point functions like an imperative. This infinitive does not distinguish between singular and plural, so both Moses and Aaron can be addressed with this verb form. Although Kohath was not Levi’s eldest son, his clans come first in this chapter (compare the census of the Levites in 3.14-39, where the clans of Gershon are listed first). The clans of Kohath were assigned to carry the most holy objects that were in or near the Tent of Meeting. The reason for this is most likely that Kohath, as Aaron’s grandfather (see Exo 6.16-20), was a closer relative to Aaron the High Priest than were Kohath’s two brothers, Gershon (older) and Merari (younger).
By their families and their fathers’ houses: See the comments on 1.2. These two phrases are better rendered “by clans and by families” (Bible en français courant). Good News Translation refers to the sons of Kohath as the “clan of Kohath,” so it has to say “by subclans and families” here. A better model for verse 3 is “Take a census of the Levites who are descendants of Kohath by their clans and families.”
From thirty years old up to fifty years old may be rendered “between the ages of thirty and fifty” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).
All who can enter the service, to do work in the tent of meeting: On the basis of the Hebrew, there is no reason for translating all who can enter the service. Better models are “all who are subject to service” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “all who are eligible to service” (similarly New Living Translation), since the Hebrew here speaks about an obligation (or privilege) to serve as Levites, namely, those who were between the ages of thirty and fifty. The Hebrew word for service is tsavaʾ, which also occurs in verses 23, 30, 35, 39, and 43. It can refer to military service (see 1.3, where it is rendered “war”) as well as service in the Tent of Meeting. This passage makes it clear that Levitical service was just as integral to Israel’s military advance, under the LORD’s leading, as the carrying of weapons (so Budd, page 48). The Hebrew phrase rendered to do the work only occurs here in verse 3 of chapter 4, in connection with the especially important duties of the chosen clans of the Kohathites, to which Aaron and his sons belonged. This phrase does not occur in verses 23 and 30 in connection with the other Levite clans. For the tent of meeting, see 1.1.
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 .
You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp: The Hebrew verbs rendered you shall put out and putting are plural, referring to Moses and the people. Good News Translation renders both male and female as “all these ritually unclean people,” which misses the point that these circumstances apply equally to women as well as men. (This is an important matter, since a number of other instructions in the book of Numbers apply specifically to men or specifically to women.)
That they may not defile their camp: The Hebrew verb for defile comes from the same root as the word rendered “unclean” in the previous verse. It means cause to be polluted, that is, ritually impure or unclean. Languages often have an idiomatic or euphemistic manner of expressing this; for example, Chewa has “cause [someone/something] to be bad,” and Tonga (a major language of southern Zambia) says “cause [someone/something] to become dirty.” Translators must ensure that they maintain consistency with regard to all the terms pertaining to ceremonial purity and pollution that have already been researched and tested in previous books, such as Leviticus.
In the midst of which I dwell is literally “where I dwell among them.” God lived among the Israelites in the Tabernacle (see Exo 25.8). Revised English Bible and Luther emend the Hebrew text here to read “in which I dwell among you,” which follows the Vulgate. Some languages may find this reading helpful since God is addressing Moses and the people.
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 .
So Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites: So (literally “And”) is a good connector here since Moses gave the wagons and oxen to the Levites as the LORD had instructed him. The translation of this verse should not imply that Moses personally handled all of these offerings. If that is the case, translators may choose to follow the model of Good News Translation, which omits the verb took.
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 16-18 repeat much of 3.12-13. These verses are also somewhat repetitive in themselves. For this reason Good News Translation omits part of the first half of verse 17. However, repetition in biblical Hebrew normally serves a pragmatic purpose in the discourse (for example, emphasis and emotion), so that function should be identified and reproduced in a translation, if possible.
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel: This clause gives the reason for purifying and offering the Levites to the LORD (see the comments on the previous verse). It is because they belong to him out of all the Israelites. For the Hebrew expression rendered wholly given, see the comments on 3.9. As there, the Hebrew is literally “given given.” Good News Translation does not seem to express the emphasis in the Hebrew here. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling reflects it by rendering this clause as “They are assigned to be given totally to me,” and so does Revised English Bible with “for out of all the Israelites they are assigned and dedicated to me.” In Chewa an emphasizing term meaning “Indeed” is used at the beginning of this clause.
Instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself: Instead of may be rendered more precisely as “in place of” (Good News Translation) or “as substitutes for.” That open the womb renders a technical Hebrew expression that has the same meaning as first-born (see 3.12). Good News Translation combines these two expressions, saying “first-born sons.” Good News Translation adds the idea of “sons” to clarify that female children are not in view here. Other languages may find this addition helpful. A literal rendering of I have taken them for myself may be misleading or unclear. If so, Good News Translation‘s model may be helpful: “they belong to me alone.” Contemporary English Version seems to omit this clause as being redundant, but this should not be done not unless the emphasizing function of the repetition here can be expressed in another way.
For all the first-born among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast: See the comments on 3.13. For renders the Hebrew particle ki, which introduces and emphasizes why the LORD took the Levites in place of the Israelites’ firstborn sons. Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie translate it correctly as an emphatic marker here, saying “Indeed.”
On the day that I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt: See the comments on 3.13.
I consecrated them for myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel: For I consecrated them for myself, see 3.13. The pronoun them does not refer to the Egyptians’ firstborn sons, but to the Israelites’ firstborn sons, which Good News Translation makes explicit. There is a problem with the rendering and I have taken and certainly with Good News Translation‘s model “I am now taking.” The Hebrew verb form rendered have taken expresses that this action follows chronologically the action of the previous verb, which is translated consecrated. In many languages both verbs should be translated with the same (past or perfect) tense; for example, Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap renders these two clauses as “I consecrated them for myself, 18 and I took the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the Israelites” (similarly Luther). Verse 18 in Hebrew is connected much more closely to verse 17 than Good News Translation indicates. Verses 17b-18 express a contrast between the Levites and the firstborn male Israelites. New Revised Standard Version expresses this contrast clearly by saying “I consecrated them for myself, 18 but I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites.” An even better model is “I consecrated all the firstborn sons among the Israelites for myself, 18 but I took the Levites in their place” (similarly Revised English Bible).
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 sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets: See the comments on verses 2-3. Blow the trumpets has the same sense as in verses 3-4 and 7.
The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations: Good News Translation treats this sentence as the beginning of a new paragraph, connecting it closely with what follows. But the Hebrew verb here is literally “they shall be,” referring to the trumpets. It does not say “it shall be,” so there is no basis for Good News Translation‘s rendering and paragraph division. In fact, verse 8 seems to stand on its own as a hinge text that refers to the instructions that have come before (verses 1-7) as well as those that follow (verses 9-10). A perpetual statute throughout your generations refers to a rule that is to be observed by all Israelites for all time. It is a piece of divine legislation that is especially important, such as the Passover (Exo 12), the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), and the heifer ritual (Num 19). This expression should therefore be translated consistently on each of its occurrences. New International Version renders perpetual statute as “lasting ordinance.” For the Hebrew noun rendered statute (chuqqah), see 9.3.
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 .
