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).

mercy seat

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “mercy seat,” “cover of the ark” or similar in English is translated by the interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) as or “the cover of that box which was the place for forgiving sins upon” (source: Wendland 1998, p. 110) and in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with Sühnedeckel or “atonement cover.”

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 37:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 37:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “He made for that Box a cover/lid of pure gold. That cover had a length of forty five inches and a width of twenty seven inches.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He made a Mercy Seat of gold of two and half cubits long and a cubit and half wide.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They also made a lid/cover of pure gold for the Box/Ark, which is about 40 inches long and about 27 inches wide.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And he made the box’s top from good gol, having a length which extends to our (incl.) opposite shoulder, and its width extending to our armpit. That top of the box, it’s the place in which blood wipes away people’s bad deeds, and so God is at peace again concerning them.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “And he took gold which not [eye] mixed with other things, go forged it for its head which is named place-of-mercy. He made its length it be joint of hand two and a half, and he made its width it be joint of hand one and a half.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “He made a lid for the chest. That was the place where Yahweh would forgive people’s sins. It also was 45 in./110 cm. long and 27 in./66 cm. wide.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 37:6

This verse is identical with 25.17, with the exception of the verb And he made, meaning that Bezalel did the work.

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 .