complete verse (Deuteronomy 3:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 3:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “I gave to the clan of Reuben and that of Gad the land from Gilead until the valley of Arnon. Their border ended at the south side in the middle of that valley, and on the North side, was the river Jabbok which separates itself with the land of the Ammonites.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “To the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave The land from Gilead down to the Arnon river (the middle of the river was the southern boundary Ammonite) and to the Jabbok river in the north which is the boarder of Ammonite boundary.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “And to the tribes of Reuben and Gad I gave to them the land from Gilead as far as Arnon which is channel/water-course of water. The middle/center of Arnon is their boundary at the south, and their boundary at the north is Jabok which is the channel/water-course of water, which is also the boundary of the Amornon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I allotted to the tribes of Reuben and Gad the southern part of the Gilead region, extending south to the Arnon River. The middle of the river is the southern boundary. The northern boundary is the Jabbok River, which is part of the border of the Ammon area.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 3:16

To the Reubenites and Gadites: “To the tribes of Reuben and Gad,” or “to the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad.”

The territory from Gilead as far as the valley of the Arnon: that is, from Gilead south to the Arnon River.

With the middle of the valley as a boundary, as far over as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites: see Good News Translation for clarity and precision. But it must be said that in Hebrew verse 16 is not all that clear. The Septuagint translates as follows: “And to Reuben and Gad I gave [the territory] from Gilead to the Wadi Arnon (the boundary was in the middle of the wadi) and as far as the Jabbok.” Instead of with the middle of the valley as a boundary, as far over as the river Jabbok, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers “in the middle of the river and (its adjacent) territory, and unto the river Jabbok.” The Hebrew Old Testament Text Project Preliminary Report is not at all clear, and translators may stay with Revised Standard Version, or translate in a similar way to New Revised Standard Version, as follows: “… from Gilead as far as the Arnon River, with the middle of the river as a boundary, and up to the Jabbok River.”

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 .