complete verse (Deuteronomy 21:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 21:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “If that happens that man should bring that woman to his home. The woman should cut her hair and trim her nails,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “bring her into your home. Then she must shave the hair of her head, and she must cut her fingernails.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If this happens, he shall-take the woman to his house and shave-(her)-head trim/cut the nails,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He should take her to his home, and there she must shave all the hair off her head and cut her fingernails to signify that now she does not belong to her people-group any more, but instead she is becoming an Israeli.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 21:12

You shall bring her home to your house: again the point of view is important; some languages will prefer “bring her,” but in others it will be better to say “you will take her home with you.”

She shall shave her head and pare her nails: as the Good News Translation footnote shows, the Hebrew phrase translated shave her head can mean “trim her hair.” The Hebrew text has the third person feminine singular, as translated; the Septuagint has the second singular, “you will shave….” It is recommended that translators follow the Hebrew. Another way to express this is “You shall have her shave her head and pare her nails.” These are signs of a new identity: she is breaking her relationship with her own people and becoming a member of the people of Israel.

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 .