cattle, livestock

The Hebrew and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “livestock” (or “cattle”) is translated in Newari as “living beings brought up in a house” or “living beings cared for in a house” (source: Newari Back Translation). Specifically “cattle” is “cows and oxen.”

In Kwere it is “animals that are being kept.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Deuteronomy 13:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 13:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “you must kill the people of that city and kill all the animals that are in that place.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You must kill with the sword all the people who live in that city and destroy that city. Kill everyone along with their herds.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “you (plur.) must certainly put-to-death all the residents of that-particular town as-well-as their animal. You (plur.) are-to-destroy them completely.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “kill all the people in that town. And kill all their livestock, too. Destroy the town completely.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 13:15

The punishment is severe: the towns are to be put under a ban, that is, completely destroyed. (See in 2.33-36 how the towns ruled by Sihon were dealt with; see also 7.26.)

Put … to the sword … with the edge of the sword: if possible the translation should keep the word sword; for example, “you must take your swords and kill every one” (Contemporary English Version). But if the word that is used means a dagger, or hatchet, or bolo, or knife, it will probably be better to use the general verb “to kill” (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, and others).

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 .