making implicit plural form explicit (Exodus 37:1)

In many, if not most of the languages in the Philippines, proper nouns, such as personal names, are tagged with a marker that signals their grammatical role within a sentence. For Tagalog and the Visayan languages , this typically includes si to mark the proper noun as the actor or subject (nominative case), ni to mark the proper noun as an owner (genitive case), and kay to mark the proper noun as as an indirect object, i.e. the one to or toward whom an action is directed (dative case). All of these also have plural forms — sina, nina and kina respectively — and unlike in the biblical languages or in English, the plural form has to be used when only a single proper name is mentioned but implicitly that proper name includes more than just one.

In this verse, where English translates “Bezalel (made the ark),” the Tagalog translation translates “nina Bezalel” because the context of the text makes clear that Bezalel did not work on the ark by himself (see Exodus 36:2). (Source: Kermit Titrud and Steve Quakenbush)

cubit

The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated as “cubit” or into a metric or imperial measurement in English is translated in Kutu, Kwere, and Nyamwezi as makono or “armlength.” Since a cubit is the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, one armlength (measured from the center of the chest to the fingertips) equals two cubits or roughly 1 meter. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Similarly, in Akoose, the translation is “arm distance.” (Source: Joseph Nkwelle Ngome and Marlie van Rooyen & Jacobus A. Naudé in Communicatio 2009, p. 251ff.)

In Klao it is converted into “hand spans” (app. 6 inches or 12 cm) and “finger spans” (app. 1 inch or 2 cm) (source: Don Slager) and in Bariai into leoa or “fathom,” which comprises the distance from a person’s fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched, app. 6 feet (source: Bariai Back Translation).

distance (long / wide / high)

The concepts of distance that are translated in English with “long,” “wide,” and “high/tall” are translated in Kwere with one word: utali. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Exodus 37:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 37:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “Bezalel made the Covenant Box using acacia boards. That Box had a length of forty five inches, width of twenty seven and the height of twenty seven inches.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Bezalel made an ark of acacia wood of two and half cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and half high.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Bezalel and (company) made the Box/Ark of the Covenant. They used acacia wood. The length of the Box/Ark is about 40 inches, and width is about 27 inches, and hight is about 27 inches.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Besalel made a box from akas wood, its length extending 45 inches (lit. to our[incl] opposite shoulder), and its width extending 27 inches (lit. to our armpit), and its height extending to our armpit also.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “And Bezalel built sacred box with tree white-acacia. He made length of its below it be joint of hand two and a half, and he made its width it be joint of hand one and a half, and he made length of its height it be joint of hand one and a half.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Bezalel made the sacred chest from acacia wood. It was 45 in./110 cm. long, 27 in./66 cm. wide, and 27 in./66 cm. high.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

acacia

The plural form of shittah (shittim) is used sometimes as a place name (see Shittim), which is evidence of the wide distribution of this tree in Sinai and southern Palestine. The acacia referred to in the Bible was of two kinds, the Umbrella Thorn Acacia Acacia tortilis and the Common Acacia Acacia raddiana.

The Acacia tortilis is found in the hot Arabah Valley, whereas the Acacia raddiana tends to be found in cooler conditions throughout Sinai. A third variety (Acacia albida) is found in lowland Israel, the Sharon Plain, and lower Galilee. The common acacia was the only tree available to the Israelites for construction of the Tabernacle.

Both types of acacia are short, reaching 3-5 meters (10-17 feet) tall, but having a wide crown. As members of the Mimosa family, they have sharp spines, finely divided leaves, and tiny pale yellow flowers arranged in drooping bunches. The bean pod they produce is twisted and looped when dry.

Since the acacia is widespread in dry areas of Africa, Arabia, India and Australia, translators in those areas should be able to use a local word. In such languages a local species should be used, especially one that is used for building. Elsewhere, if none of these is available, the translator can transliterate from Hebrew (shittah) or from a major language, for example, sunt or talh (Arabic), akasiya (English/French/Spanish via Latin). West African translators need to beware of confusing “acacia” and “cassia,” a common tree with yellow flowers.

Acacia raddiana, photo by Ray Pritz
Acacia flowers, photo by Gloria Suesss

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 37:1 - 37:2

Verses 1-2 repeat the details mentioned in 25.10-11. The wording is almost identical, but here Bezalel is named as the one who made the ark. The definite article the is used here instead of “an ark” in 25.10, since this is now “old information.” But in some languages it will be more natural style to retain the indefinite article. In contrast with 25.10, which says “they shall make an ark,” it seems that Bezalel alone actually did the work, at least as far as the ark is concerned. (See also 36.8.)

And he overlaid it uses the same verb as 25.11, but here the verb is not repeated as it is there. The only other difference is that here, in reference to the molding, the Hebrew says “he made it for the ark,” while in 25.11 it says “upon the ark.” Good News Translation has “put a gold border around it,” and Contemporary English Version has “and put a gold edging around the top.”

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 .