complete verse (Exodus 36:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 36:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those things (loops) were fifty for each cloth and they sat looking at one another (opposite one another).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then they made fifty loops in the first piece of cloth that was joined first. As the same they made fifty loops in the last piece of cloth that joined later.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “with-50-each seemingly-rings for each edge.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “He sewed fifty ring-handles on the edge of one big cloth, and he sewed fifty more ring-handles to the opposite edge of the other big cloth.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “They sewed holes of loops which be 50 at edge of one, with holes of loops which be 50 at edge of another, made it meet mouth.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “They put 50 loops on the edge of the first set, and 50 loops on the edge of the second 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 .