complete verse (Numbers 15:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 15:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “because God gave one/the same law for you and a foreigner who lives among you to follow.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “There will be one law and one [set of] rules [both] for you and for people of other ethnic groups living with you.’"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Yes, just the same laws and regulations you (plur.) and the non Israelinhon who live with you (plur.) will-follow.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You Israelis and the foreigners who live among you must all obey the same instructions.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

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 15:16

One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you: This verse repeats the idea in the previous verse that the Israelites and the foreigners will follow the same laws. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders the Hebrew word for law (torah) as “ritual,” which fits this context well. The general meaning of torah is “instruction, teaching, direction” (see 5.29). The Hebrew word for ordinance (mishpat) can mean “legal decision/judgment” or “established custom” (see 9.3). More than One law and one ordinance are in view here, but an entire interrelated complex of them, so a plural expression may be needed to convey this, for example, “The same rules and regulations” (similarly Good News Translation). The Hebrew pronouns for you are plural, referring to the Israelites.

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 .