complete verse (Exodus 12:46)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 12:46:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is eaten in one house and no meat should be taken outside that house and none of its bone are broken.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You are to eat where the feast has been prepared. Take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones of the animal that has been killed for the feast.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “It must be-eaten inside a house where it was-prepared; the meat should never be-brought outside the house, and never to break its bones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘You (pl.) must eat that food inside your individual houses. You can’t/mustn’t take any of its flesh to go outside. And you can’t/mustn’t break any of that animal’s bones.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “you shall eat it at house, do not animal out bring [many times]. Do not its bone break.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Each family must eat the Passover meal inside their own house. Do not take any of the food outside the house. And do not break any of the bones of the lamb that is sacrificed.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 12:46

In one house should be understood as one house for each passover animal or “meal” (see verse 7.) As explained in verse 43, The it may refer either to the meal or to the animal itself. Good News Translation is to be preferred: “The whole meal must be eaten in the house in which it was prepared.” In languages that do not use the passive voice, one may express this as “You must eat the whole meal [or, all the food] in the house where you prepare it.” You shall not carry forth is literally “you [singular] will not cause to go out,” meaning outside the house.

Any of the flesh is literally “from the flesh,” meaning “any of the meat” (New Jerusalem Bible, Translator’s Old Testament), or “any of the animal” (New Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation‘s “it must not be taken outside” seems to refer to the “meal” rather than just the animal. If this interpretation is followed, it will be more accurate to say “no part of the meal must [or, may] be taken outside,” or “you may not take any of the food outside.” Most translations retain the ambiguity, but Revised English Bible here takes the it to refer to the “Passover victim,” meaning the animal.

And you shall not break a bone of it is literally “and a bone you [plural] will not break in it.” Here the it clearly refers to the passover animal, so it may be necessary to make this clear. Good News Translation does this: “And do not break any of the animal’s bones.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .