In Revised Standard Version the LORD’s message for the Israelites through Moses goes from verse 28b to the end of verse 34, while in Good News Translation it continues until the end of verse 35 (see the placement of the single quotation marks in these translations). In the Hebrew of verses 28b-34 the LORD addresses the people directly in the second person, while in verse 35 he speaks to Moses and Aaron again, referring to the people in the third person. Revised Standard Version preserves this difference, but Good News Translation changes the third person forms into second person in verse 35, thus ending the LORD’s message to the people only after this verse. The message that the LORD wanted Moses to pass on to the people (verses 28b-34) is a part of his instructions to Moses (verses 27-35). Revised Standard Version‘s double and single quotation marks are placed correctly and make this clear. It may also be necessary to mark this distinction verbally in the translation by rendering the clause I, the LORD, have spoken at the beginning of verse 35 as “This is what I, the LORD, want you to tell the people.”

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day a year, you shall bear your iniquity, forty years is a fairly literal rendering. New Century Version provides a helpful model in English, saying “For forty years you will suffer for your sins—a year for each of the forty days you explored the land” (similarly Good News Translation). For spied out, see 13.2; for iniquity see verse 18. Good News Translation renders you shall bear your iniquity as “You will suffer the consequences of your sin.” Since the Hebrew word for iniquity is plural, a better model is “you will suffer the consequences of your sins” (similarly New Living Translation) or “you will bear your crimes forty years” (Alter).

And you shall know my displeasure means the people will know that the LORD is displeased with them. However, the meaning of the Hebrew term translated displeasure (tenuʾah) is uncertain. Revised Standard Version‘s rendering seems to be based on understanding its root nawaʾ to mean “disapprove, express disapproval.” Good News Translation seems to to follow this interpretation as well by rendering this clause as “You will know what it means to have me against you!” (similarly New International Version, Revised English Bible). However, the root nawaʾ more likely means “withdraw.” Rashi, the Jewish medieval commentator, noted that it means “turn away.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal follows this sense, saying “Then you shall know what it means when I turn myself away from you” (similarly Zürcher Bibel). Some translations are based on the same interpretation, but they reverse the roles of the LORD and the people; for example, La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle says “and you will know what it is to abandon me,” and NET Bible has “and you will know what it means to thwart me” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

A model for verse 34 based on De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling is:

• Forty days you have spied out the land, so forty years you will bear the consequences of your crimes, one year for each day. Then you will find out what it means when I take my hands off you.

I, the LORD, have spoken: Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation translate this clause in the same way, but Good News Translation places it at the end of verse 35 rather than at the beginning. The Hebrew expression here differs from the one rendered “says the LORD” in verse 28, but both expressions make it clear that this message comes from the LORD.

Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation that are gathered together against me: The Hebrew expression rendered surely (literally “if not”) indicates that the LORD’s words here are an oath. Good News Translation makes this explicit by saying “I swear.” The demonstrative pronoun this near the beginning of this sentence can refer backward to the punishment mentioned in verses 28-34 (so New International Version, New Living Translation), or it can refer forward to the summary of punishment in the next sentence (so Revised Standard Version). For this wicked congregation, see verse 27. The Hebrew noun for congregation and the verb for gathered together come from the same root, so there is a play on words here. If possible, all this wicked congregation that are gathered together against me should be rendered in a way that reflects this wordplay; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “all that wicked band that has banded together against Me.” Another possible model is “this whole assembly that has assembled against me here.”

In this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die: The Hebrew verbs rendered come to a full end and die look similar, so there is another wordplay here. This wordplay emphasizes that all the people who ganged up against the LORD will die in the desert. Good News Translation loses the emphasis here by combining these clauses, saying “Here in the wilderness every one of you will die.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh also combines them, but is able to keep their emphasis by saying “in this very wilderness they shall die to the last man.” Another possible model is “There will be an end of them here in this wilderness; right here they will all die” (similarly Revised English Bible).

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 .