The Greek and Hebrew that is typically translated as “covenant” or “testimony” in English and refers to the stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai are translated in Kupsabiny as “two stones (that are flat-and-thin) on which the law is written,” in Hiligaynon as “the wide stone on which is-written the Law.” (Source: Kupsabiny and Hiligaynon Back-Translations), and in the interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) as miyala iŵiri ija yolembedwapo mau a chipangano or “those two stones on which are written the words of the agreement” (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 110).
In the EnglishTranslation for Translators it is translated as stone slabs and in the New English Bible as Tokens (source: Elizabeth Lewis).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 10:3:
Kupsabiny: “So, I constructed a box of acacia wood and shaped two stones which were like those of before, and then I climbed up on the mountain with those two stones.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Since it was like that I made an ark of acacia wood, then, chiseled out like first two tablets, I made two stone tablets। Then, taking those tablets in my hands, I went up the mountain.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘So I made an acacia box and cut/shaped/[lit. chisel] two wide stones like those first-one, and went-up on the mountain with/[lit. carrying] the two stones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “‘o I made a chest. I used wood from an acacia tree to make it. Then I cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I went up the mountain carrying the tablets.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The plural form of shittah (shittim) is used sometimes as a place name (see Shittim), which is evidence of the wide distribution of this tree in Sinai and southern Palestine. The acacia referred to in the Bible was of two kinds, the Umbrella Thorn Acacia Acacia tortilis and the Common Acacia Acacia raddiana.
The Acacia tortilis is found in the hot Arabah Valley, whereas the Acacia raddiana tends to be found in cooler conditions throughout Sinai. A third variety (Acacia albida) is found in lowland Israel, the Sharon Plain, and lower Galilee. The common acacia was the only tree available to the Israelites for construction of the Tabernacle.
Both types of acacia are short, reaching 3-5 meters (10-17 feet) tall, but having a wide crown. As members of the Mimosa family, they have sharp spines, finely divided leaves, and tiny pale yellow flowers arranged in drooping bunches. The bean pod they produce is twisted and looped when dry.
Since the acacia is widespread in dry areas of Africa, Arabia, India and Australia, translators in those areas should be able to use a local word. In such languages a local species should be used, especially one that is used for building. Elsewhere, if none of these is available, the translator can transliterate from Hebrew (shittah) or from a major language, for example, sunt or talh (Arabic), akasiya (English/French/Spanish via Latin). West African translators need to beware of confusing “acacia” and “cassia,” a common tree with yellow flowers.
Acacia raddiana, photo by Ray PritzAcacia flowers, photo by Gloria Suesss
Acacia wood: the Hebrew is “shittim [wood],” a word that appears in the place-name “Abel-shittim” (Num 33.49), which, for obvious reasons, Good News Translation translates “Acacia Valley.” It was a durable wood, brownish orange in color, and these trees are still found in that part of the world. Where the acacia tree is unknown, we may say, for example, “wood from the tree called ‘acacia,’ ” and then, when the term appears again, leave out the phrase “tree called.” It will also be helpful to include a note in the Glossary describing this tree.
Like the first: exactly like the first two stone tablets, which God had made.
In my hand: the normal way of saying this in English is “in my hands” (New International Version, Revised English Bible); or else we may use the verb “holding…” or “carrying [the two tablets].”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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