complete verse (Leviticus 11:42)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 11:42:

  • Kupsabiny: “Any animal that moves on the ground on the stomach, those that pull themselves along and have four legs or many legs must not be eaten.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “All the animals that slither [lit.: go, being supported by [their] stomachs] or that go walking on the ground with four paws or with many more than four legs are detestable.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) are- not -to-eat any of the animals that crawl for this is detestable/extremely-awful: whatever crawls by-means-of their belly or four legs or many legs.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘All creatures that scurry across the ground, including those that move on their bellies and those that crawl, are detestable, and they must not be eaten.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Leviticus 11:42

Whatever goes on its belly: this same expression is used in Genesis 3.14; it refers to creatures without legs, such as snakes and other reptiles which are not mentioned elsewhere in this chapter.

Whatever goes on all fours: this is probably intended to correspond with the list given in verses 29-30.

Whatever has many feet: this includes insects without wings which are not mentioned elsewhere in this chapter, as well as the millipedes and centipedes.

In translating these three categories, it is probably best to try to use general terms, since too much would be left out if the translator tried to list the types of creatures intended. One may say something like “those that slide along the ground, those that run on four legs, and those that go along on many legs.” One may possibly want to add “… like snakes … like lizards … like centipedes” in some languages.

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 .