making implicit plural form explicit (Judges 8:13)

In many, if not most of the languages in the Philippines, proper nouns, such as personal names, are tagged with a marker that signals their grammatical role within a sentence. For Tagalog and the Visayan languages , this typically includes si to mark the proper noun as the actor or subject (nominative case), ni to mark the proper noun as an owner (genitive case), and kay to mark the proper noun as as an indirect object, i.e. the one to or toward whom an action is directed (dative case). All of these also have plural forms — sina, nina and kina respectively — and unlike in the biblical languages or in English, the plural form has to be used when only a single proper name is mentioned but implicitly that proper name includes more than just one.

In this verse, where English translates “Gideon (returned),” the Tagalog translation translates “sina Gideon” because the context of the text makes clear that Gideon was with 300 men. (Source: Kermit Titrud and Steve Quakenbush)

complete verse (Judges 8:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 8:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “After that, Gideon returned from that battle crossing over the pass of Heres.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Gideon son of Joash returned from battle via the Heres pass.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Gideon and-company went-home now from the battle, they passed-through there at the Ascent/[lit. Going-Up] of Heres.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “After that, Gideon and his men took Zebah and Zalmunna with them and started to return, going through Heres Pass.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 8:13

Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle …: Then, which renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, may give the mistaken idea that the action here happened immediately after the events recounted in verse 8.12. Obviously there is a time gap, since Gideon is now on his way home. Contemporary English Version and New Jerusalem Bible begin with “After the battle,” which is a better transition. The mention of the full name Gideon the son of Joash shows that a new episode is beginning, so most versions have a paragraph break here. Though many modern versions leave out the phrase the son of Joash (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), keeping it is a good way to begin a new literary unit in many languages, as in Hebrew. Returned renders the key Hebrew verb shuv once again (see verse 2.19). Here it means that Gideon is returning home. Contemporary English Version says “set out for home.” Battle renders the same Hebrew word translated “war” in verse 3.1. We could say “was returning from the war.”

By the ascent of Heres: This return route is different from the one Gideon took on his way to the battle (verse 8.11). This new route may be a shortcut. The ascent of Heres refers to a mountain pass, though its location is unknown. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version call the place “Heres Pass.” For ascent see the comments on verse 1.36.

Translation models for this verse are:

• After the battle Gideon and his men started to return home, passing through the mountains at a place called Heres.

• On his way back from the war Gideon the son of Joash went through Heres Pass.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .