de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016.
This paragraph is about the census of the tribe of Zebulun. It runs parallel to the previous paragraphs in this chapter dealing with the census of other tribes (see the comments on verses 5-7 and 12-14). The clans of Zebulun descended from his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel (see Gen 46.14).
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 .
But offer an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: See Lev 23.8. But renders the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “and”). Good News Translation omits this connector since there is not a strong contrast here. However, a contrastive conjunction may be necessary here to counter the possible implication that making a burnt offering contradicts the prohibition of the preceding clause (so Chewa). For the Hebrew verb rendered offer (hiqrib), see verse 2. This verb is plural in Hebrew, since the Israelites are being addressed. For offering by fire, see verse 2; for burnt offering (ʿolah in Hebrew), see verse 3. To avoid the suggestion that two offerings are in view here, an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD may be rendered “a burnt offering as an offering by fire to the LORD” (similarly Good News Translation) or “a burnt offering, that is, an offering by fire to the LORD.”
Two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old: See verse 11. These were the animals the Israelites had to offer as the burnt offering on each day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread (see verse 24).
See that they are without blemish is literally “they [the animals] shall be unblemished for you [plural].” See verse 3. New International Readers Version says “They must not have any flaws,” and Good News Translation has simply “all without any defects.”
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 verses are very similar to verses 18-19, except for the number of animals (the bull … the ram). See the comments there concerning Good News Translation‘s reduction of the text here.
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 purify every garment …: Levine (page 457) points out that, strictly speaking, verse 20 still refers to the ritual purification of the soldiers themselves, not the purification of the items mentioned here. So he begins this verse with “Furthermore, you must purify yourselves [with respect to] any clothing….” Compare also Buber with “All clothing … let it be purified from you.” Indeed, the Hebrew verb form for purify is the same as in verse 19, where it is rendered “purify yourselves.” However, according to almost every translation, including Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, it is the items listed here that need purification. Since these items are specified in such detail, it is possible that they themselves needed purification, since they were associated with the soldiers who had been in contact with corpses. The Septuagint and the Peshitta understood the Hebrew here in this way. However, this understanding implies a slight change to the Hebrew verb for purify, so that it reads “you must purify [something]” instead of “you must purify yourselves.”
The Hebrew word for garment is a generic word for clothing (beged). Every article of skin refers to “anything made from animal skin” (Contemporary English Version). Good News Translation and New Living Translation say “everything made of leather.” All work of goats’ hair refers to cloth made from the hair of goats. Every article of wood refers to any frame, box, or other wooden device used to carry or store the items listed above.
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 .
Verse 11 refers back to the LORD’s words in 14.22-23.
Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land: The Hebrew particle ʾim at the beginning of this verse only marks the beginning of a negative oath here, so many versions omit the word Surely (so New International Version, New Living Translation). However, in some languages it is necessary to emphasize the beginning of such an oath, especially if it is pronounced by persons (such as God) who have the power to carry it out; for example, Chewa begins with “Most certainly none…,” and Good News Translation has “I swear that … none….” Came up may be rendered simply “came” (Good News Translation; see the comments on “Go up” at 13.17). For from twenty years old and upward, see 1.3. In some languages the literal verb see may be natural in this context, but others will prefer to say “enter” (Good News Translation). The Hebrew term for land (ʾadamah) can mean “country,” but here it refers to the fertile land of Canaan, so a better rendering is “tillable land.”
Which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob: See 11.12. Swore renders the same Hebrew verb as in the previous verse, but here it has a positive connotation. The Hebrew text does not have the phrase to give. Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible are more literal by rendering swore to give as “promised.” Compare New International Version and Revised English Bible with “promised on oath” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling), and SPCL with “solemnly promised.” However, like Revised Standard Version, other languages will naturally include the idea of “give” here (so Chewa).
Because they have not wholly followed me is literally “because they have not filled after me” (similarly Alter). Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (“because they did not remain loyal to me”) give dynamic translations of this Hebrew idiom, which occurs also in 14.24, where it is rendered “[Caleb] has followed me fully.” New Living Translation says “for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly.” It may be necessary to place this reason clause closer to the beginning of the verse (so Good News Translation), rather than at the end, as in the Hebrew text and Revised Standard Version.
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 systematic delineation of the borders in chapter 34 underscores the certainty of God’s promise and reminds the new generation of the description of the area covered by the spies in chapter 13. The original promise of the land to the old generation is still valid for the new one (so Olson, page 187).
Your south side shall be …: The Hebrew text starts a new sentence here (see the comments on the previous verse). “The southern border” (Good News Translation) of the land corresponds with the southern border for the tribe of Judah in Josh 15.1-4 (so Noth, pages 248-249). See also Ezek 47.19.
From the wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom refers to the southeastern edge of the territory. For the wilderness of Zin, see 13.21; for the kingdom (or chiefdom) of Edom, see 20.14. Along the side of Edom refers to the western edge of Edom. La Nouvelle Bible Segond says “near Edom.”
And your southern boundary shall be …: This phrase goes back to the beginning of the southern border, resuming its description in more detail. So the translation should not give the wrong suggestion that this phrase continues the southern boundary where the previous verse left it. Good News Translation avoids this problem by translating “It will begin…” (similarly Bijbel in Gewone Taal). Compare also “Your southern boundary shall start…” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly La Nouvelle Bible Segond).
From the end of the Salt Sea on the east refers to the eastern tip of the southern border. For the Salt Sea, which is also called “the Dead Sea” (Good News Translation), see A Handbook on Genesis at Gen 14.3. Chewa says “the Lake of Salt.”
And your boundary shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim: The Hebrew word for ascent comes from the same root as the verb meaning “go up.” It refers to a mountain pass here. In many parts of the world such passes do not exist because there are no mountains, so translators will have to find a descriptive phrase, such as “mountain road” or “way through the mountain.” The name Akrabbim means “scorpion,” but no one knows for sure why this place had this name. It may indicate that this pass was especially steep and dangerous. Some versions may prefer to translate this name for easier comprehension, saying “Scorpion Pass” (Contemporary English Version). This clause is literally “and the border for you will turn from [the] south of the ascent of Akrabbim,” which means Akrabbim Pass lay within the border (so Rashi). De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling makes this clear by saying “It goes in a curve southerly around the Scorpions Pass.”
And cross to Zin means the southern border will pass through the wilderness of Zin. New Century Version says “and go through the Desert of Zin.”
And its end shall be south of Kadesh-barnea is literally “and its extremities will be to the south of Kadesh-barnea,” which means the southern most point of the border will be just south of Kadesh-barnea. For the town of Kadesh-barnea, which is also called “Kadesh,” see 13.26. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling renders this clause as “then it goes directly to a point south of Kadesh-Barnea.” New Living Translation provides a helpful model, saying “Its southernmost point will be Kadesh-barnea.”
Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon: Hazar-addar and Azmon were cities on the southern border of Judah (see Josh 15.3-4). Good News Translation provides a helpful model here, saying “Then it will turn northwest to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon.”
And the boundary shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt: The Brook of Egypt probably refers to the Wadi El-Arish, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea and is located in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Gaza (so Noth, page 249). For the Hebrew word rendered Brook (nachal), see the comments on 13.23. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling provides a helpful model for the Brook of Egypt, saying “the wadi that forms the border with Egypt,” and so does SPCL with “the creek that borders with Egypt.”
And its termination shall be at the sea means the western end of the southern boundary will be the Mediterranean Sea. The sea in this context refers to the Mediterranean (compare 13.29). New Century Version makes this clear by rendering this clause as “and it will end at the Mediterranean Sea” (similarly Good News Translation).
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 .
Moreover renders the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”), which introduces another limitation on the trial proceedings of a killer. Chewa renders it “In addition to this.”
You shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer: The Hebrew pronoun for you is plural, referring to the Israelites. In most languages it will be more natural to render you shall accept no ransom as “you must not accept a ransom” (NET Bible). The Hebrew term for ransom (koper) comes from a root meaning “to cover” or “to make atonement” (see 6.11; 16.46). Some type of “substitution” is implied in this word (so Cole, page 555). Here it refers to a “payment [of money]” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible) to avoid (“cover up”) the punishment of death. However, Good News Translation‘s rendering completely eliminates the notion of substitution, and it will not be easily distinguishable from a “bribe,” which is quite different. Some languages will be able to say “ransom payment” (New Living Translation), sometimes even with a single term (so Chewa). There can be no ransom for a convicted murderer who killed with intent.
Who is guilty of death: This clause gives the reason why a ransom is not acceptable, so Reina-Valera revisida says “because he is condemned to death” (similarly SPCL), which fits the context of a trial. Who is guilty of death may be misunderstood to mean “who is guilty of the death of the victim,” so New Revised Standard Version says “who is subject to the death penalty.” De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling translates “who has been found guilty and condemned to death,” in order to avoid the suggestion that this condemnation might be wrong. Compare also New International Version with “who deserves to die.” Good News Translation omits this clause. Good News Translation seems to assume that the term “murderer” includes the notion of being “guilty of death.” Perhaps that is true but the Hebrew text’s emphasis on personal “guilt” may still need to be made explicit.
But he shall be put to death: The avenger of blood must execute the murderer (see verse 19). Good News Translation moves this clause to the beginning of the verse, saying “Murderers must be put to death.” This clause is an emphatic expression in Hebrew, which is literally “surely to die he must be put to death” (compare verses 16-18). NET Bible provides a more accurate model, saying “he must surely be put to death.”
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 .
Cause him to stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation: A new sentence should begin here. The Hebrew expression rendered cause him to stand does not suggest some inability on Joshua’s part—that he was unable to stand up without some assistance. This expression indicates attentive submission and readiness for service. It may be translated “Bring him to stand,” “Position him” (NET footnote), or “Present him” (New Living Translation). For Eleazar the priest, see 26.1; for congregation (ʿedah in Hebrew), see verse 2.
And you shall commission him in their sight is literally and you shall install him [in office] before their eyes (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). See A Handbook on Deuteronomy at jmp Deut 31.14 for the Hebrew verb here. Some languages may have a specific verb that refers to such a formal inducting into public office (so Chewa, which has a tradition of chiefs as leaders).
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 .