complete verse (Exodus 36:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 36:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “(He/They) tied/wound those blue threads and after that, (he/they) stitched those tied/round things on the edges of those two large cloths.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then they made the loops of blue cloth along the edge of the firstly joined cloth. As same they made the loops along the edges of the cloth that joined later.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then they made seemingly-rings of blue clothing-material on each edge of the two joined-together clothing material;” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And he took blue pieces of cloth and then sewed ring-handles, and so it was for the attachment of those two big cloths, in order for them go and join together. He sewed those ring-handles onto those two big cloths on the edge of one opposite side.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Flax cloth five which they sewed together, they sewed thread green/blue on its edge for holes of loops. They do it thus at edge of flax cloth five other also.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “For each set, they made loops of blue cloth and fastened them on the outer edge of the strip, at the end of each set.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 36:11 - 36:12

And he made loops … is almost identical with 26.4, with the main difference in the verb, he made. Good News Translation and others have “They made,” in keeping with the context. (See verse 8.) Likewise he made them … is also identical except for the verb. The same choice of words used in 26.4 should be used here.

Verse 12 is almost identical with 26.5. Here again the verb is changed from “you shall make” to he made, which is better translated as “they made.” The loops were opposite one another is literally “matching [were] the loops one unto one.” (In 26.5 it is “a woman unto her sister.”)

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 .