Hail

The Hebrew and Ge’ez that is translated as “hail” in English is translated in Tagakaulo as batu na ayis or “rocks of ice.” (Source: Scott and Becky Burton in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 73)

serve

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In Quetzaltepec Mixe, “serve” is translated as “obey.” (Source: Robert Bascom)

complete verse (Exodus 9:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 9:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “Tell your people to lock themselves in the houses and/with their animals, because those hailstones are going to beat (fall on) the people and all the animals that are outside to kill (them).’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Immediately give orders to bring your livestock, people and everything that you have in the fields (to a place of shelter) otherwise when the hail will fall everyone left in the open, man and animals all will die.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So [you (sing.)] command immediately to-have- all your (sing.) animals and all your (sing.) slaves who are in the field -put-under shelter, for all who (are) outside, either people or animals, will-die if (they)-are-hit by ice rain/[rain linker ice].’ ’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Right now you (sing.) must make strong talk to your people in order that they bring their bulmakaos and other things which area outside, to come and enter the house(s). For hard raindrops like stones will be falling onto all humans and animals who are located outside. And so they will die.’ ’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Therefore, you send others, [that] they might go take livestock to house with household things all, because people and animal which not house enter, when hail will pierce them it will kill them.» › »” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “So you should send a message to everyone to put their cattle, and everything else that they own that is out in the fields, under shelters. The hail will fall on every person and every animal that is out in the fields and that is not put under a shelter, and they will all die.’’ So Moses/I did what Yahweh said.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 9:19

Now therefore is literally “and now,” or “So now” (New Jerusalem Bible). Send is addressed to the king only, but there is no direct object to the verb. It can refer to sending out servants, but it is generally understood as sending word (New Jerusalem Bible) or giving orders (Good News Translation). Get … into safe shelter is in the imperative singular, meaning literally “you cause to take shelter,” or “you bring to refuge.” The word safe is not in the Hebrew, but it is implied in the word for shelter. Your cattle refers to the king’s “livestock” (Good News Translation), meaning all his domesticated animals (see 9.3), and all that you have in the field refers to “everything else you have” (Good News Translation), including animals, servants, and equipment. Even though the you is singular, there seems to be no intention of excluding the property of all the Egyptians.

For, or “because” (New International Version), is not in the Hebrew, but it is a natural way to introduce the next clause, which gives the reason why the king should act quickly. Shall come down is literally “shall descend,” but in reference to hail, it “will fall” (Good News Translation). Upon every man refers to all “people,” including women and children. Beast includes both wild and domesticated animals. That is in the field is literally “which is found” or “which happens to be in the field.” Field refers to any place “outside” and “unprotected” (Good News Translation). And is not brought home is literally “and is not gathered to the house.” It means “not brought in” (New English Bible), or “not brought indoors” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “not brought to shelter” (New American Bible).

And they shall die is one word in the Hebrew. This refers to all “people and animals” of the Egyptians (see verse 26) that are “not brought indoors” (New Jerusalem Bible). “They will all die” (Good News Translation) from injuries caused by the hail. Note the three sets of quotation marks in Revised Standard Version (” ’ ”), which conclude the long quotation that began in verse 13. The third level quote, giving the exact words Moses is to speak to the Pharaoh, was introduced with the formula “Thus says Yahweh” (verse 13) and should be understood as a divine oracle.

An alternative translation model for verses 13-19 using indirect speech for the first and third quote levels is:

• The LORD told Moses to go to meet the king early the next morning and say: “Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, commands you to let his people go, so that they can worship him. This time he is going to punish you [plural] more severely than before. He will punish not only your officials and your people, but also you [singular], so that you may know that there is no one like him in the world. In fact, he could have already caused a terrible disease to strike you [singular] and your people that would completely destroy all of you. But he has spared your [singular] life just to show you his power and to cause people all over the world to praise him. But you still won’t release my people. You are so arrogant towards them! All right! About this same time tomorrow, Yahweh will cause large pieces of hail to fall. This will be the worst hailstorm in the history of Egypt. Now give orders….”

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 .