complete verse (Genesis 8:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 8:14:

  • Kankanaey: “Then on date 27 of the second month, the earth was already dry,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “About two months later the earth was nicely dry.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “On the 27th day of the second month the land throughout the whole world was now very/completely dry.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “By the 27th day of the next month, the ground was completely dry.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 8:14

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month: nearly all translations give the time as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Note that Good News Translation always gives the day before the month as a more natural English style. The flood that began in the seventeenth day of the second month in Noah’s six hundredth year now comes completely to an end in the twenty-seventh day of the second month of the six hundredth and first year of his life, giving a total of one year and ten days.

Earth was dry: dry here is Hebrew ybsh, which refers to a condition of complete dryness. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “well dried,” Good News Translation “completely dry.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .