tabernacle (noun)

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “tabernacle” in English is translated in San Blas Kuna as “house of prayer that can be carried.” (Source: Ronald Ross)

In Bandi it is translated as “holy sitting place.” The “sitting place for the Bandi is where you live.” Therefore the tabernacle is the place where God lived. (Source: Becky Grossmann in this newsletter )

In Vidunda it is translated as “God’s tent” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Tibetan as gur mchog (གུར་​མཆོག) or “perfect tent” (source: gSungrab website )

In American Sign Language it is translated with with a sign for “tent” combined with a sign referring to the outer court surrounding the tent (see Exodus 27:9 and following). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Tabernacle” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

See also tabernacle (verb) / dwell, festival of Tabernacles and ark of the covenant.

complete verse (Leviticus 24:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 24:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “God also said to Moses, ‘Command that finely ground flour be taken and twelve breads which are round and flat be baked from it. Each bread is to be prepared with two two-liter containers of flour.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then, taking good wheat flour, you are to bake 12 loaves of bread. In each loaf there needs to be 2/10 ephah of wheat flour.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] make/(bake) twelve pieces/(loaves) of bread, that each one is- made from four kilograms of the good/(fine) kind of flour.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Also, each week you must take some fine flour and bake twelve very big loaves of bread, using about four quarts/liters of flour for each loaf.” (Source: Translation for Translators)