The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “tabernacle” in English is translated in San Blas Kuna as “house of prayer that can be carried.” (Source: Ronald Ross)
In Bandi it is translated as “holy sitting place.” The “sitting place for the Bandi is where you live.” Therefore the tabernacle is the place where God lived. (Source: Becky Grossmann in this newsletter )
In Vidunda it is translated as “God’s tent” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Tibetan as gur mchog (གུར་མཆོག) or “perfect tent” (source: gSungrab website )
In American Sign Language it is translated with with a sign for “tent” combined with a sign referring to the outer court surrounding the tent (see Exodus 27:9 and following). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Tabernacle” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 38:31:
Kupsabiny: “including the things (bases) on which the pillars of the courtyard and those of the gate stood, pegs for the Tent and for the courtyard.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “and bases around the courtyard and bases for the entrance of courtyard and tabernacle and pegs around the courtyard as well.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The bronze was-also used to make bases of the posts around the yard/courtyard and the entrance of-this, and to make all the pegs for the supports of the Tent and the curtains around it.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Bariai: “And the fence’s post bases they made from that bras also, and they used it for the post bases of the fence’s opening, and they used it for the small holders for the shelter’s ropes and for the fence’s ropes.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Opo: “and planting-hole of hanging-wood of fence and its door, and nail of tent and nail of fence.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
English: “the bases for the posts that supported the curtains that surrounded the courtyard and the bases for the entrance to the courtyard, and the pegs for the Sacred Tent and for the curtains around the courtyard.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
With it means with the bronze listed in verse 29. The bases for the door of the tent of meeting is literally “the bases of the entrance of [the] ʾohel moʿed.” This refers to the bases to go under the four posts at the “entrance” (Good News Translation) of the tent itself, where the “screen” was to be hung. (See 36.38.) The bronze altar and the bronze grating for it refers to the “altar of burnt offering” in 38.1 and the “grating” mentioned in 38.4. (See the comments there.)
The bases round about the court refers to the bronze bases mentioned in verses 10-12 above. The bases of the gate of the court refers to the four bases mentioned in verse 19 above. All the pegs … about the court refers to all the pegs mentioned in verse 20 above.
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 .
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