complete verse (Numbers 2:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 2:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “The people of Israel shall spread/set up their tents with each person being where the house/family of his father is at the flag of his clan. They shall set up their tents to surround and not come near my Tent.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The Israelites must stay, each having set up their tents in their own places under their own family banners, all around the Tent of Meeting, a bit distant from it. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Each tribe of Israel are-to-camp under the banner of their own/[lit. each] tribe. The Meeting-Together-Place Tent will-be-put/placed at the center of the camp.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘When the Israelis set up their tents, they should set them up in areas that surround the Sacred Tent, but not close to it. The people of each tribe must set up their tents in a different area. Each tribe must erect in that area a banner of their own clan and a flag that represents their tribe.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 2:2

The people of Israel shall encamp each by his own standard: This clause may give the wrong suggestion that each Israelite had his own banner. Good News Translation expresses the sense here clearly by saying “When the Israelites set up camp, each man will camp under the banner of his division.” For encamp see 1.50; for standard see 1.52.

With the ensigns of their fathers’ houses: Revised Standard Version‘s rendering of this verse may suggest that the ensigns were on the standard itself, while in Good News Translation the word “and” suggests that the “flag” and the “banner” were different things. The Hebrew lacks “and” and is therefore somewhat ambiguous at this point. But the rest of this chapter makes it clear that there were only four banners or standards, one for the leading tribe of each set of three tribes mentioned, that is, Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan (see verses 3, 10, 18, 25). For that reason the standard and ensigns should be treated as different things. It is not clear from the Hebrew whether the ensigns were really flags; a more generic rendering such as “signs” would be correct, leaving open what kind of visual markers they were. However, if no meaningful generic term is available, then “flags” may be the less undesirable option. In any case, the target language term for an (advertising) signboard should not be used. Revised English Bible has “emblems.” Fathers’ houses is better rendered “families” rather than “clans” (so Good News Translation; see the comments on 1.2).

They shall encamp facing the tent of meeting on every side is literally “they must encamp from a distance around the Tent of Meeting.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation seem to have missed the Hebrew term for “from a distance” (minneged). The tribe of Levi was to camp all around the Tent of Meeting, in close proximity to it. All the other tribes had to be further away. Possible models for this sentence are “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it” and “they must camp at some distance around the tent of meeting” (NET Bible). For the tent of meeting, see 1.1.

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 .