Translation commentary on Numbers 14:24 - 14:25

But my servant Caleb …: But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction here, since the position of the phrase my servant Caleb at the beginning of this sentence in Hebrew indicates that what will happen to Caleb stands in sharp contrast to what will happen to the other Israelites. Translators should mark this contrast in some way. This is the only time in the whole Bible that Caleb is called my servant. Previously Moses was given this title in 12.7 (see the comments there).

Because he has a different spirit is literally “because a different spirit was with him” (compare New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh with “because he was imbued with a different spirit”). The Hebrew word for spirit is ruach. Here it refers to Caleb’s inner frame of mind or disposition (compare 11.17), which was different from that of other people. Good News Translation renders the first clause of this verse as “But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude,” which seems a rather flat translation. Contemporary English Version expresses its meaning more simply and more clearly than Good News Translation by saying “But my servant Caleb isn’t like the others.” Some languages may have an idiomatic expression that is similar to the Hebrew for he has a different spirit, for example, “he has a different heart” (Chewa).

And has followed me fully is literally “and he has filled after me,” which means Caleb was completely loyal to the LORD (so Alter, page 752). Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (“and has remained loyal to me”) give dynamic translations of this Hebrew idiom.

I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it: The Hebrew word for descendants is literally “seed” (see 5.28, where it is rendered “children”). Some languages have a similar singular noun with a collective sense. These two clauses give the result of the previous two clauses. God will allow Caleb to enter the land of Canaan, and his descendants will possess part of it because of Caleb’s different frame of mind and loyalty to God. Some languages may prefer to reorder verse 24 as follows:

• But as for my servant Caleb, I will let him enter the land that he explored, and his descendants will possess it, because he is different from the others and is completely loyal to me.

Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys: For Revised Standard Version and New International Version this clause gives the reason why the Israelites have to turn around and go back into the desert. But the Hebrew construction here does not indicate this. It seems more likely that it is an independent clause in Hebrew, so it is better rendered “Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites occupy the valleys” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly La Nouvelle Bible Segond). Good News Translation and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible connect this clause as subordinate to the preceding verse, which adds to the impact of the promise to Caleb and his descendants. A model that is similar to that in Good News Translation is “even though the Amalekites and the Canaanites now live in the valleys.” For the Amalekites and the Canaanites, and for the valleys where they lived, see the comments on 13.29.

Turn tomorrow is better rendered “Right away tomorrow, turn back” to express correctly the focus here on the Hebrew adverb for tomorrow.

And set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea: God commands the Israelites to go on the way that leads back toward the beginning of their journey through the wilderness. Red Sea, which follows the Septuagint, is the traditional rendering of the Hebrew name here, which is literally “Sea of Reeds” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). Good News Translation says “Gulf of Aqaba” and gives the following Word List entry for Red Sea: “Evidently referred originally to (1) a series of lakes and marshes between the head of the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean, the region generally regarded as the site of the events described in Exodus 13, and was also used to designate (2) the Gulf of Suez, (3) the Gulf of Aqaba.” We do not recommend “Gulf of Aqaba” here because that name was not known then, even though geographically it may be more precise. We prefer “Red Sea” or “Reed Sea” (as in the Hebrew text), because unlike “Gulf of Aqaba,” only these renderings express that the Israelites must go on the way that leads back toward the beginning of their journey through the wilderness. A possible model for this clause and the previous one is “turn around tomorrow and travel south through the wilderness, back toward the Red Sea.” Some commentators suggest that there was actually a well-known road called “the Way of the Red/Reed Sea.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 15:24

Then if it was done unwittingly without the knowledge of the congregation is literally “and it will be if it was done from the eyes of the community to inadvertence,” which means a person or some people unwittingly failed to keep a certain command and the whole community did not know about the sin at the time it was committed. The pronoun it refers to the unintentional sin, which may need to be specified in some languages. Good News Translation specifies this pronoun as “the mistake,” which is rather weak in English. Better models are “the offense” and “the error.” The Hebrew noun in the expression rendered unwittingly comes from the same root as the verb translated “err” in verse 22 (see the comments there). As noted at 1.2 (see the comments there), the Hebrew noun for congregation (ʿedah) is better rendered “community” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

All the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering: For one young bull, which is literally “one young bull, son of a cow,” see 7.15. For burnt offering, see 6.11.

A pleasing odor to the LORD: See verse 3.

With its cereal offering and its drink offering: A grain offering and a libation had to accompany the sacrifice burnt whole. For cereal offering, see verse 4 and 4.16; for drink offering, see verse 5 and 4.7.

According to the ordinance: These offerings had to be done according to the established custom. For the Hebrew word rendered ordinance (mishpat), see verse 16 and 9.3.

And one male goat for a sin offering: For male goat, see 7.16; for sin offering, see 6.11. In some languages it may be helpful to render this whole phrase as a separate sentence; for example, Good News Translation has “In addition, they are to offer a male goat as a sin 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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 16:27

So they got away from about the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram: The pronoun they refers to the Israelite people of the community at large. They did what Moses told them to do. The conjunction So indicates well their compliance. This clause repeats closely the instructions given to them at the end of verse 24 (see the comments there), so it continues the narrative from that point. As in verse 24, the names Dathan and Abiram are not in the Septuagint (so also New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle), but we advise translators to follow the Hebrew text. The narrator again weaves the two groups of rebels into one with respect to divine punishment.

And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones: This sentence does not continue the narrative after the previous one; rather, it continues the narrative about Dathan and Abiram in verses 25-26 (referred to as “Conflict 2” in the introductory comments on this section). It is probably for this reason that Good News Translation starts a new paragraph with this sentence and uses a past perfect tense (“had come out” [so also New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible]). It is important that a confusing sequence of events is not presented in translation. At the door of their tents is better rendered “at the entrances of their tents” (New Living Translation), especially in languages where a “door” refers to something solid that opens and closes on hinges. A curtain was used to cover the entrance of a tent. For little ones, see 14.3. Contemporary English Version omits this sentence, which we do not recommend.

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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 18:30

Therefore you shall say to them: The LORD addresses Moses directly here. This quote frame introduces more instructions that the LORD wants Moses to give to the Levites (compare verse 26a). Good News Translation omits this clause since it has reduced the number of levels of direct speech in verses 25-29. Translators may insert a paragraph break here and keep this quote frame by saying “Give the Levites these further instructions.” New Living Translation is similar with “Also, give these instructions to the Levites.” Therefore renders the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”), which is better translated “also” (New Revised Standard Version) in this context.

When you have offered from it the best of it may be rendered “When you have presented to the LORD the best part [of the tithes from the Israelites].” See verse 29.

Then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the wine press: See verse 27. In many languages it will be helpful to translate the Levites as “you Levites” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or simply “you” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible) since they are being addressed. The rest shall be reckoned (similarly Revised English Bible with “what remains will count”) is literally “it shall be reckoned.” A majority of translations take the pronoun “it” as a reference to all the tithes received by the Levites from the Israelites minus the best part of those gifts (verses 28-29). It refers to the rest of the gifts that remain after the Levites have themselves presented the best part of these gifts as a tithe to the priests. The Levites are allowed to keep the gifts that remain, so Good News Translation renders the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as “you may keep the rest” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Rashi commented that this remainder was considered as undedicated food for the Levites in the same way as it was for other Israelites. This understanding also fits well with verse 31. New International Version, La Nouvelle Bible Segond, and De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling take the pronoun “it” as a reference specifically to the best part of the tithes from the Israelites, so New International Version renders this clause and the previous one as “When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.” New Living Translation is similar with “When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress.” If the pronoun “it” is understood in this way, verse 30 makes essentially the same point as verse 27.

As in Parole de Vie, some languages may find it helpful to divide this verse into several sentences as follows:

• When you have taken it [the best part], you will keep the rest for yourselves. The other Israelites will keep for themselves the rest of their grain and their new wine. It is the same thing.

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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 20:9

And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him: In some languages it may be necessary to express that a change in location was involved when Moses took the rod, so Good News Translation says “Moses went and got the stick.” From before the LORD means from its place before the Covenant Box in the Tent of Meeting (see the previous verse). Good News Translation omits this phrase here since it is added in the previous verse. However, Good News Translation‘s model may give the wrong suggestion that Moses was familiar with the place where the staff was and was just picking it up quickly. If so, it is better to keep this phrase by saying “from the LORD’s presence,” “from the Tent of Meeting,” or “from its place before the Covenant Box.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 22:23

And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road …: The narrative action line resumes at this point. An appropriate conjunction may or may not be necessary to indicate this. Good News Translation begins this verse with “When the donkey saw….”

With a drawn sword in his hand means the angel had a sword drawn from a scabbard ready to use. For sword see 14.3. Some translations render a drawn sword as “a naked [uncovered] sword” (La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Luther). Some common language translations say simply “a sword” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Parole de Vie, SPCL), but this rendering loses the connotation that the angel was ready to strike with his sword. So a better model is “a ready sword” or “a pulled out sword” (Chewa).

And the ass turned aside out of the road, and went into the field means the donkey left the road and went into the bush. In the ancient Near East strange or unexpected animal behavior was often interpreted as a sign that required divination. However, Balaam was not perceptive, so he did not seem to interpret the donkey’s behavior in this way. Instead, he beat it. In this context the Hebrew expression for field does not refer to a farm or garden of some kind, but to “open country” or “bush.”

And Balaam struck the ass: Presumably he hit the donkey with his staff (see verse 27). It may be necessary to make this instrument explicit here.

To turn her into the road indicates why Balaam beat his donkey. Good News Translation changes this purpose clause into a narrative event by saying “and brought it back onto the road.” NET Bible expresses the Hebrew more accurately here as “to make her turn back to the road.” The Hebrew verb for turn … into (natah) is the same one rendered turned aside. Many languages will require different verbs to indicate these contrasting motions.

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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 23:29

This verse is the same as verse 1 (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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 25:14 - 25:15

Because of the social position of both Zimri and Cozbi, their sexual-religious encounter had wider implications: they became a model for the immoral and idolatrous merger of the two peoples, Israel and Midian (or Moab, hence any non-Israelite people), which is punished and condemned in this chapter. The details regarding their names and families are placed here at the end of the account so that they do not deflect from the main point of the narrative, which is the sin of infidelity to the LORD. Furthermore, “Listing the names at the end of the narrative gives them a certain emphasis” (Ashley, page 524). Since these two individuals were from leading families in both nations, they should have behaved better. Since verses 14-15 do not continue the narrative, but rather give background information, they may need to be specially marked as a parenthesis.

The name of the slain man of Israel, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu …: For the Hebrew verb rendered slain (literally “struck”), see the comments on 3.13, where it is translated “slew.” It is repeated here for emphasis. Good News Translation removes this emphasis by beginning verse 14 with “The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu….”

Head of a fathers’ house belonging to the Simeonites describes Zimri, not his father. The Hebrew word for head is nasiʾ, which refers to a prominent and distinguished leader, for example, a sheikh (see the comments on 1.16), so it is better rendered “chief” (Revised English Bible) or “chieftain” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). A fathers’ house is literally “a father’s house.” The Hebrew word for “father” is singular. New Revised Standard Version keeps the singular by saying “an ancestral house” (see the comments on 1.2). The Hebrew phrase rendered head of a fathers’ house also occurs in 3.24, 30, 35. The Simeonites refers to “the tribe of Simeon” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version renders this whole phrase as “one of the leaders of the Simeon tribe” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie), which seems to miss the point that Zimri was actually the chief of one of the extended families within that tribe, and not simply a member of the leadership committee of the tribe as a whole. The Reubenites and the Levites rebelled in chapter 16, but this time a descendant of Simeon, the other son who was cursed by Jacob in Gen 49.3-7, was involved in a rebellious act (so Douglas, pages 203-207).

And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur …: The name Cozbi is quite significant in the narrative since its Hebrew root (k z b) means “to deceive/lie” or “to be voluptuous.” Sexual attractiveness or sexual vigor was an attribute of some fertility goddesses (so Sherwood, page 181). Her father Zur is referred to as a “king” in 31.8.

Who was the head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian: Here the Hebrew word for head is roʾsh, as in 1.4. A fathers’ house is literally “a father’s house,” as in the previous verse. The Hebrew word for people (ʾummah) is literally “peoples.” This word does not occur frequently in the Old Testament, so it not clear how it should be connected to the rest of this clause. Translations connect it in different ways; for example, New Revised Standard Version has “who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian.” Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh are similar with “who/he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.” Bible en français courant, on the other hand, translates “[he] was chief of several clans of a Midianite tribe.” In any case, Cozbi was the daughter of somebody who had an important position among the Midianite people. The unusual expression here seems to be another indication of this.

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 .