Miriam

The name “Miriam” or “Abataza” means “bitterness,” “rebellion” and “star of the sea.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In some Semitic languages, the transliteration for “Miriam” is identical to “Mary,” testifying to the fact that these names are identical (Arabic and the many translations that are reliant on Arabic: مَرْيَم, Hebrew: מִרְיָם, Ge’ez / Amharic and related languages: ማርያም).

It is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “tambourine” referring to Exodus 15:20. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Miriam” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

The following is part of an artwork by Indian-German artist Lucy D’Souza-Krone (b. 1949):

“D’Souza’s painting of Miriam dancing at the river is one of a series of ‘Biblical Women’ reproduced as the 1990 Lenten veil of Misereor, Germany. Miriam, the prophetess and sister of Moses and Aaron, celebrated the liberation of her people from their Egyptian oppressors. Her dance was supported by other women who joined with her in an act of celebration. Writing of the story the artist adds that ‘water is a predominant element in the scene reminding us also of the physical hardship facing women in India as they often have to walk many miles for a pot of water.'” (Source for this and the image: The Bible Through Asian Eyes by Masao Takenaka and Ron O’Grady 1991)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Miriam .

complete verse (Numbers 12:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 12:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then right away God spoke to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, ‘You all three come to my Tent.’ They went there.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Immediately, the LORD spoke to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Go, all three of you, to the front of the Tent of Meeting!" All three of them went there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So immediately/right-away the LORD spoke to Moises, Aaron, and Miriam, ‘You (plur.) three come-out and go to the Meeting-Together-Place Tent.’ So the three of them came-out and went to the Tent.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So immediately Yahweh spoke to Moses/me and to Aaron and Miriam. He said, ‘All three of you must go and stand at the Sacred Tent.’ So they/we did that.” (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 Numbers 12:4

And suddenly the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam: The word suddenly is specified in the Hebrew text; it is as if the LORD were right there on the scene listening to the preceding conversation. Rashbam, the Jewish medieval commentator, noted that suddenly means “immediately” (so also New Living Translation, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) in this context. By saying to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, Revised Standard Version groups Aaron and Miriam separately from Moses, but the Hebrew does not do so here. The Hebrew has “to Moses and to Aaron and to Miriam,” which is equivalent to saying “to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Good News Translation). The LORD addresses the three as a group, which is brought out by what he says to them.

Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting: The Hebrew verb rendered Come out does not imply leaving the main camp of the Israelites, since the Tabernacle was in the middle of the camp. So it may be better to say “come over” or simply “come” (New Century Version). For the tent of meeting, see 1.1.

And the three of them came out: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam went to the Tabernacle as the LORD requested. New International Readers Version says simply “So they did.”

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 .