complete verse (Numbers 20:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 20:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, Edom did not allow the Israelites to go through their country. Then the Israelites followed another route/road.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In this way, since Edom did not allow them to go through their land, the Israelites came back from there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Because the ones whom-from-Edom would- not -let- (them) -pass-by/through in their territory, the Israelinhon just kept-away (from them).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So, because the king of Edom refused to allow the Israelis to travel through his country, the Israelis turned and traveled a different way.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 20:21

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory …: Verse 21 summarizes the final outcome of this narrative episode, which began in verse 14. Some languages may have a special introductory word or phrase to indicate this discourse function; for example, Chewa renders Thus (literally “And”) as “In this way/manner.” A possible model for this whole clause is “In this way the Edomites refused to let the Israelites pass through their territory.”

So Israel turned away from him: This rendering might give the impression that the Israelites disapproved of or were disgusted with the Edomites. However, the Hebrew clause here only refers to a change of direction, so better models are “the Israelites turned and went another way” (Good News Translation) and “Israel drew away from his territory” (Willibrordvertaling). The people of Israel avoided further confrontation with Edom (see 21.4), possibly because the LORD had given that territory to Esau’s descendants (Deut 2.4-5).

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 .