complete verse (Deuteronomy 20:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 20:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if those people refuse to accept for you to rule them and they want to fight, surround that city.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But if, by not agreeing, they prefer to do battle, lay siege to that city!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But if they will- not -surrender but will-fight against you (plur.), you (plur.) attack them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But if they refuse to surrender peacefully, and decide instead to fight against you, your troops must surround the city and break through the walls.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 20:12

But if it makes no peace … but makes war: these are the negative and the positive aspects of the same action. If it is not unnatural to use both forms in a given language, they should be used, for emphasis. An alternative way of expressing these two clauses is “But if the people of that city will not accept your offer of peace, but decide to fight you….” Instead of it, the town, it may be better to say “the inhabitants,” or “the people who live there.”

Besiege it: this means to put troops around the walls of the town, and to use devices to break through the walls, or to climb over them, so that the attackers can enter the town (see further at verse 19). In some languages translators will need to use a descriptive phrase; for example, “then have your fighting men surround the town and attack it.”

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 .