complete verse (Deuteronomy 3:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 3:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “I gave to the house of Makir the land of Gilead.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I gave Gilead to Machir.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I gave Gilead to the family of Makir.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The northern part of the Gilead region I allotted to the Machir clan, who are descendants of the tribe of Manasseh.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 3:15

To Machir I gave Gilead: Machir was the son of Manasseh (Gen 50.23); here the name stands for “the clan of Machir of the tribe of Manasseh” (Good News Translation), or “the descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh” (Bible en français courant). See Num 32.39-40.

This refers to the northern part of Gilead; the southern part was assigned to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. So we may translate:

• I assigned the northern half of the territory of Gilead to the descendants of Machir, who was a son of Manasseh.

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 .