complete verse (Numbers 14:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 14:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘For how long will these sinners grumble? I have heard what the people of Israel are grumbling about concerning me.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “How long [lit.: until which time] will this evil community complain from Israelites against me? I have heard their many complaints [lit.: much complaining]. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Until when this wicked community complain against me? I have-heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelinhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘How long will the wicked people of this nation keep complaining about me ? I have heard everything that they have grumbled/complained against me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Numbers 14:27

How long shall this wicked congregation murmur against me?: As in verse 11 (see the comments there), Good News Translation begins this rhetorical question with “How much longer…?” The LORD’s speech here greatly expands upon what he said by way of summary in verses 11-12. For the Hebrew word translated congregation (ʿedah), see 1.2, where we recommended that it be rendered “community” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). However, that rendering would be too positive here. A good model for this wicked congregation is “this evil band of people.” For the verb murmur, see verse 2.

I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel, which they murmur against me: The Hebrew noun for murmurings and the verb for murmur come from the same root. Good News Translation reduces the repetition in this statement but still brings out its emotive force by saying “I have heard enough of these complaints!” Other languages will have similar ways of expressing this emphasis.

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 .