Aaron

The name that is transliterated as “Aaron” in English means “light,” “a mountain of strength” “to be high.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Catalan Sign Language and Spanish Sign Language it is translated as “stones on chest plate” (according to Exodus 28:15-30) (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

In Colombian Sign Language, Honduras Sign Language, and American Sign Language, the chest plate is outlined (in ASL it is outlined using the letter “A”):


“Aaron” in ASL (source )

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

See also Moses, more information on Aaron , and this lectionary in The Christian Century .

complete verse (Numbers 16:42)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 16:42:

  • Kupsabiny: “When those people had gathered around Moses and Aaron to oppose (them), they turned their backs to those people to look at the Tent of God. Then they saw a cloud envelope that Tent and the light of God appeared.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The community had gathered against Moses and Aaron, and when they looked towards the Tent of Meeting, suddenly it was covered by a cloud, and the glory of the LORD appeared.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “While they were-complaining together-as-group to Moises and to Aaron, they turned-back to the Meeting-Together-Place Tent and they saw that the Tent was- suddenly -engulfed with the cloud and the LORD showed his mighty presence.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When all the people gathered together to protest about what Aaron and Moses/I had done, they looked at the Sacred Tent and saw that the sacred cloud had covered it, and the glory of Yahweh had appeared.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English means “taken out of the water,” “saved out of the water,” “a son.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It is translated in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language with a sign in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language (and Hungarian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Korean Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the arms held up by Moses to assure the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:11).


“Moses” in Korean Sign Language, source: Korean Sign Language Bible House

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Translation commentary on Numbers 16:42

And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron: Congregation renders the Hebrew word ʿedah again (see the previous verse). For assembled against, see verse 3. New International Version says “gathered in opposition to.”

They turned toward the tent of meeting: Who is the referent for the pronoun they? According to New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Parole de Vie, La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and SPCL, this pronoun refers to Moses and Aaron. However, the Hebrew of this verse seems to favor the entire Israelite community, including Moses and Aaron, as the subject here (so New International Version, Nueva Traducción Viviente, Herziene Statenvertaling, Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting, Willibrordvertaling, La Sacra Bibbia, versione ufficiale a cura della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana). Nueva Traducción Viviente and Herziene Statenvertaling render this pronoun as “the people,” and La Sacra Bibbia, versione ufficiale a cura della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana has “the Israelites.” For the tent of meeting, see 1.1.

And behold, the cloud covered it: The Hebrew word hinneh rendered behold introduces a surprising development in the story (see the comments on 12.10). The force of this word may be conveyed by saying “This is what they saw—the cloud…” or “Look! The cloud….” For the cloud, see 9.15.

And the glory of the LORD appeared: See 14.10.

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 .