complete verse (Leviticus 13:38)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 13:38:

  • Kupsabiny: “If there is a man or woman who has white spots on his/her body,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If any man or woman has a spot on the skin that looks white,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If there-are white-spots-developing on the skin of a person,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Then a man or a woman has white spots on the skin,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 13:38

Verses 38-39 have to do with harmless skin conditions.

White spots: literally “spots-spots white ones.” The word translated spots is the same as the one found in verse 2, but here it is reduplicated. It has been translated “streaked with white discolorations” (New Jerusalem Bible), “inflamed patches on the skin” (New English Bible), “spotted with white blotches” (New American Bible), “shiny spots” (Jerusalem Bible), “inflamed spots” (An American Translation), and “bright spots, bright white spots” (Moffatt).

On the skin of the body: in many languages the words of the body will be unnecessary, since they are implied in the word skin (see Good News Translation).

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 .