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
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 10:11:
Kupsabiny: “When it was the twentieth day of the second month in the second year from when the Israelites left Egypt that cloud of the Tent of God got up.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “On the 20th day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year of the Israelites departure from Egypt, it happened that the cloud above the tabernacle of the testimony. moved away.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “On the 20th day of the second month, of the second year after the Israelinhon came-out of Egipto, the cloud lifted from above the Tent Worship-Place where the Law was-placed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “On the twentieth day of May in the second year after the/we Israelis left Egypt, the cloud rose up from above the Sacred Tent.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
This paragraph gives a summary of what is to come in 10.13–12.16, as explained above. So 10.13–12.16 does not follow chronologically after this opening paragraph, but overlaps it. If this is not understood, the reader will draw the wrong conclusion that the Israelites arrived in Paran (10.12) before they came to Kibroth-hattaavah and Hazeroth (11.35) and somehow went back to Paran again (12.16). Verse 11 begins with the Hebrew word wayehi (literally “And it came to pass” King James Version), which marks the beginning of a new discourse unit.
In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month: See the comments on 1.1, where the first day of this month is mentioned. This date refers to the second year since the Exodus from Egypt. Good News Bible makes this explicit by saying “the second year after the people left Egypt.” It is only here in 10.11, after the major section on rituals and the system of worship has been completed (7.1–10.10), that the narrative returns to the second month of the second year. A footnote may be necessary to clarify the chronology, the connection with 1.1, and the fact that the people had not moved from the desert of Sinai since that time.
The cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony: The cloud did not rise by its own power. As mentioned at 9.17 (see the comments there), it may give that wrong impression to render the cloud was taken up as “the cloud … lifted” (Good News Bible) or “the cloud … moved on” (Contemporary English Version). For the tabernacle of the testimony, see the comments on 1.50.
And the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai: For the Hebrew verb rendered set out, see the comments on 2.9. Here it may be rendered “moved on,” “journeyed further,” or “marched.” By stages is literally “by their marches/departures.” The Hebrew refers to a series of regular marches, journeying further and further away from the desert of Sinai, to the wilderness of Paran. This is why Good News Bible translates set out by stages as “started on their journey.” New Living Translation is even clearer with “set out … and traveled on from place to place.” For the wilderness of Sinai, see 1.1.
And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran refers to the end of this part of Israelites’ journey, which took some time. For the cloud settled down, see 9.17. It is implied in 12.16 that the wilderness of Paran was in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. It was probably just south of Canaan and west of Midian (see 1 Kgs 11.18). Under normal circumstances it should have taken the people only a few months to journey to Canaan, their final destination. Contemporary English Version expresses this clause clearly, saying “And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “The cloud led them to the desert of Paran; there it settled down.” Another possible model is “The cloud led them to the wilderness of Paran, where it stopped.” It may be helpful to place this clause in parentheses to indicate that it refers to an event after the events in 10.13–12.16.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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