complete verse (Leviticus 11:40)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 11:40:

  • Kupsabiny: “And if a person has eaten any portion of that dead animal, he must wash his clothes and that person remains unclean until sunset. Any person who has carried the dead animal needs to wash his clothes and that person is unclean until sunset.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “One who eats flesh of the animal’s carcass or carries the carcass away, must wash his clothes and he will be unclean until evening time.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Whoever/Anyone who gets/picks-up or eats its body he should wash his clothes, but consider him/her dirty/unclean until (it) becomes-twilight/dusk.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Anyone who eats some meat from that carcass must wash his clothes, and then he must not touch anyone until that evening.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 11:40

Who eats of its carcass: some may wish to translate “who eats any meat from the [dead] animal.” This detail is unnecessary in the rest of the paragraph, because unclean animals are dealt with for the most part.

Shall wash his clothes: see verse 25.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .