complete verse (Numbers 2:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 2:23:

  • Kupsabiny:

    Three clans shall spread/set up on the West side and the clan of Ephraim shall be in charge. Those clans are these:

    Clan Leader Number of soldiers
    Ephraim Elishama son of Ammihud 40,500
    Manasseh Gamaliel son of Pedahzur 32,200
    Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni 35,400

    The total/all is 108,100.
    The community of Ephraim shall be number three following the others.

    (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)

  • Newari: “Their section numbered 35,400 [men].” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:

    ‘The tribes of Efraim, Manase, and Benjamin are-to-camp on the west, under the banner of their own/[lit. each] tribe. These are the names of their leaders/[lit. heads] and numbers of their people/men:

    Tribe Leader Number
    Efraim Elishama son/child of Amiud 40,500
    Manase 32,200 Gamaliel son/child Pedazur 32,200
    Benjamin Abidan son/child of Gideoni 35,400

    (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

  • English: “Abidan, the son of Gideoni, will be the leader of the 35,400 men of the tribe of Benjamin.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 2:18 - 2:24

Most of the comments on verses 3-9 apply here as well.

On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim means Ephraim and the other tribes in its group must camp on the west side of the Tent of Meeting. In many languages the cardinal point west is translated in reference to the setting of the sun. The west side in Hebrew is literally “seaward” since it is in reference to the Mediterranean Sea. The camp of Ephraim refers to the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.

The leader of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud: See 1.10.

And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: This clause is slightly different from the parallel clauses in verses 5, 12 and 27, since it is lacking “those to encamp” in the Hebrew. But in this context this variation does not lead to a difference in meaning. The pronoun him refers to the tribe of Ephraim. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by rendering this clause as “On one side of Ephraim will be the tribe of Manasseh.”

The leader of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur: See 1.10.

In some languages it will be more natural and seem less repetitive if Then the tribe of Benjamin (verse 22) is moved to the beginning of verse 20, combining it with the tribe of Manasseh as follows: “Those [to camp] next to the tribe of Ephraim shall be the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin….”

The leader of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni: See 1.11.

They shall set out third on the march: The pronoun They refers to the three tribes under the banner of Ephraim. Set out … on the march renders the same Hebrew verb as at the end of verse 9 (see the comments there).

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 .

Translation commentary on Numbers 22:2-3

And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites: The Hebrew does not specify at this point that Balak was the king of Moab. But in many languages it will be helpful or even necessary to add this information here (so Good News Bible with “the king of Moab, Balak”), although it might reduce the suspense built up in the narrative. The Hebrew text first calls him “the king of Moab” in verse 4. The name Balak may be a royal praise name. It can be taken to mean “devastator.” The Hebrew root for this name is balaq, which means “to lay waste” or “to crush.” Nothing is known about Zippor, who may have been the actual father of Balak, or a more famous ancestor. The Hebrew verb for saw expresses that a person has come to know something of significance, whether he found out by actually seeing it or not. In English this idea is often expressed with the verb “hear,” so Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version say “heard.” In some languages it may be more natural to translate “learned” (PV) or “discovered” (Bible en français courant). For the Amorites, see 13.29.

And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many: For Moab see 21.11. In this context Moab refers to the people of Moab, not the land. In some languages Moab would give the impression that this is a different subject, having nothing to do with Balak, so Good News Bible says “he and all his people,” which is a helpful model. If Balak is specified as the king of Moab in verse 2 (so Good News Bible), this sentence may be rendered “he and his people were terrified because there were so many Israelites” (similarly NIRV).

Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel: This sentence repeats the idea of the previous one for emphasis. The Hebrew verb here refers to extreme fear (compare Exo 1.12, where the same verb is used). Many languages will have an idiom to express this extreme emotion; for example, Chewa says “they fell down with fear….”

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 .