mourn

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “mourn” or similar in English is translated in Newari as “have one’s heart broken” or “have a bursting heart” (source: Newari Back Translation).

complete verse (Exodus 33:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 33:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “And when the people heard that painful message, they started mourning that there was no one who accepted to continue putting on the arm rings.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When the people heard this distressing word it broke their heart. Then no one put on their ornaments.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When the people heard these hurtful words, they became- very -sad and they did- not -wear their jewelry.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “The people heard this bad message and then were very sorry and so they didn’t continue wearing they gol decorations.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Which children of Israel had heard word bad this, heart their be bad. And there is no one who wear that which be good,” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Yahweh said to Moses/me, ‘Tell the Israeli people, ‘You are very stubborn. If I would go with you for even a moment, I would completely get rid of you/wipe you out. Now take off your jewelry to show that you are sorry for having sinned. Then I will decide how I will punish you (OR, if I should punish you).’’ So when Moses/I told to the people what God said, they started to mourn, and they all took off their jewelry.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exodus 33:4

When the people heard these evil tidings is literally “And the people heard this evil word.” New Revised Standard Version has “these harsh words,” and New American Bible has “this bad news.” Good News Translation simply has “When the people heard this.” They mourned really means to observe mourning rites for the dead, but here it shows the extent of their remorse. Durham has “they plunged themselves into deep mourning,” but this may be too strong. Revised English Bible has “they went about like mourners,” which may be closer to the intended meaning. In some languages it will be necessary to say something like “When the people heard what Yahweh had said, they began to weep, showing their sorrow.”

And no man put on his ornaments is literally “and they did not put a man his ornament[s] upon them.” Ornaments comes from the verb meaning “to adorn oneself,” so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “none put on his finery,” and Durham has “not one of them wore his festive dress.” Good News Translation has “they … did not wear jewelry any more,” but this is not the usual word for “jewelry.” These ornaments may have included both fancy clothing and the “jewelry” not included in the gold earrings that were used to make the golden bull-calf. So one may say “they stopped wearing their beautiful clothes and ornaments.”

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 .