cloak / shirt, mantle

The Hebrew that is translated as “cloak,” “shirt,” or “mantle” or similar in English is translated in Newari as gā (गा), the Nepali shawl wrapped around upper part of body, used by both men and women. (Source: Newari Back Translation)

See also cloak / shawl and loins girded.

complete verse (Exodus 4:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 4:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “God again told Moses that, ‘Put back your hand inside the cloth.’ Moses did like that. And when he removed the hand, (it) was seen to be fitting/well.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Again Lord said, "Put your hand again into your gaa." So he put his hand again inside. When he took it out again, it was as it had been before.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The LORD said, ‘Put your (sing.) hand again inside your (sing.) garment.’ Moises obeyed this, and when he now took-out his hand, it (was) already/now well like the other parts of his body.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And then he spoke to Moses again like this, ‘Put your hand so that it goes inside again.’ And then Moses put his hand so that it went inside again, and he pulled his hand so that it came back out and then he saw [that] his hand had become well like all his body.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “And God said to him «Return it inside of shirt your.» He returned it. When he drew it here out, it returned be good be the same with his flesh other.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Then God said, ‘Put your hand back inside your robe !’ So he/I did that, and when he/I took it out again, surprisingly, it was normal again, just like the rest of his/my body!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Exod 4:7

Then God said should be “Then the LORD said” (Good News Translation), for the Hebrew has only “he said,” and verse 6 identifies the speaker as “the LORD.” Put your hand back into your bosom is literally “Return your hand to your bosom.” (See verse 6 for bosom.) So he put his hand back is also literally “He returned his hand.” This repetitive sentence may be condensed to “He did so” or “He obeyed.”

And when he took it out is exactly the same as in verse 6, but here the Hebrew adds “from his bosom.” Behold is the same particle indicating surprise as in verse 6. Good News Translation expresses this in part by adding the words “this time” and contrasting this action with that in verse 6. It was restored means that his hand became “healthy” again, just as before, and the disease was gone. Like the rest of his flesh compares the “healthy” condition of his hand with “the rest of his body.”

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 .