trumpet

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “trumpet” in English is translated in the following ways:

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: The trumpet was a wind instrument, frequently used in signaling, especially in connection with war. It was made of metal (the trumpets mentioned in Numbers 10:2 et al. were made of silver). It was a straight, narrow tube, about 40-45 centimeters (16-18 inches) in length. One end had a mouthpiece, while the other end was widened into a bell shape.

Usage: The sound on the trumpet was made by blowing into the mouthpiece in such a way as to vibrate the lips. The vibrations were magnified as they passed along the widening body of the tube.

The purpose of the trumpet in Israel was primarily to signal. Numbers 10 lists a variety of occasions in which the trumpets were to be used, including signaling the people to break camp, calling all of the people together for a meeting, calling only the leaders together, sounding an alarm at the beginning of a battle, and blowing them for liturgical purposes during certain festivals. It is significant that it was the task of the priests to sound the trumpets.

Translation: Generally speaking, translators may distinguish between the Hebrew words chatsotsrah and shofar by rendering chatsotsrah as “trumpet” or “bugle” and shofar with a more generic word for “horn” or with “ram’s horn.” Note the following comment in Translation commentary on Psalm 98:4 – 98:6: “In some languages it will not be possible to make a distinction between the two Hebrew terms translated trumpets and horn. In such cases the local term for a horn will be used. The Greek Old Testament used only one term.”

The exact meaning of the Aramaic word qeren in Daniel 3:5 and following is debated. It probably refers to a brass wind instrument and is best rendered “horn.”

The present-day equivalent for the Greek word salpigx is “bugle.” A bugle is generally smaller than a trumpet and is often associated with the sounding of military signals.

Man blowing a trumpet (source: Horace Knowles (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1954, 1967, 1972)

Quoted with permission.

See also trumpet / bugle.

complete verse (Numbers 10:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 10:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “Make two horns which are produced from silver. The horns shall be used to call all people to come to one place and/or to announce to fold their tents.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Make two trumpets by beating silver with a hammer. Use these trumpets to assemble the community and to move camp. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘You (sing.) cause-to-make two silver trumpet and you (sing.) use them to gather the community and to prepare them to travel/moved/[lit. walked].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Tell someone to make two trumpets by hammering each one from one lump of silver. Blow the trumpets to summon the people to come together and also to signal that they must move their tents to a new location.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 10:2

Make two silver trumpets: Trumpets were long and straight metallic instruments used for signal calls. One end of a trumpet had a mouthpiece, while the other end was widened into a bell shape. The sound on the trumpet was made by blowing into the mouthpiece in such a way as to vibrate the lips. The vibrations were magnified as they passed along the widening body of the tube. Translators should select an instrument that readers will expect to be used for the purpose of signaling. Trumpets were different in form from the rams’ horns, which Revised Standard Version sometimes calls “trumpets”. In terms of function, these two types of trumpet are sometimes the same, at other times different. If possible, then, it would be good for translators to distinguish them in the text. An illustration of the silver trumpet in comparison with the ram’s horn might also be helpful at some point in the translation.

Of hammered work you shall make them: As in 8.4, the Hebrew word for hammered work refers to any metal that is beaten or hammered into a desired form or shape. Here it refers to silver that was pounded with a hammer into the shape of trumpets. The Hebrew pronoun for you is singular, referring to Moses. However, God is probably asking Moses to have someone else make the trumpets, so Contemporary English Version renders the first two clauses of this verse as “Have someone make two trumpets out of hammered silver.”

And you shall use them for summoning the congregation, and for breaking camp: The trumpets had to be used to gather the people of Israel and to signal them to move their camp. The Hebrew word for congregation (ʿedah) is better rendered “community” (see 1.2). This term refers to the entire national, legal and cultic society of Israel. Good News Translation uses the vague rendering “people,” which we do not recommend, if it can be avoided. The Hebrew expression for breaking camp refers to taking down tents in preparation for moving to a new location. For camp see the comments on 1.50.

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 .