complete verse (Numbers 2:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 2:26:

  • Kupsabiny:

    Three clans shall set up on the North side and the clan of Dan shall be in charge. Those clans are these:

    Clan Leader Number of soldiers
    Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai 62,700
    Asher Pagiel son of Ochran 41,500
    Naphtali Ahira son of Enan 53,400

    Total/all is 157,600.
    The community of Dan shall be going/moving after the others as their flags are.

    (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)

  • Newari: “Their section numbered 62,700 men.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:

    ‘The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Nephtali are-to-camp on the north, under the banner of their own/[lit. each] tribe. These are the names of their leaders/[lit. heads] and the numbers of their people/men:

    Tribe Leader Number
    Dan Ahiezer son of Amishadai 62,700
    Asher Pagiel son of Ocran 41,500
    Naftali Ahira son of Enan 53,400

    (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

  • English: “The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali must set up their tents on the north side of the Sacred Tent, close to their tribal flags. These are the names of the leaders of those tribes and the number of men whom they will lead:
    Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, will be the leader of the 62,700 men of the tribe of Dan.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 2:25 - 2:31

Most of the comments on verses 3-9 apply here as well. The LORD’s direct speech to Moses and Aaron ends with verse 31.

On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan means Dan and the other tribes in its group must camp on the north side of the Tent of Meeting. The cardinal point north may be difficult to translate. In some languages, with an orientation toward the rising sun (east), north is spoken of as being on the “left hand.” The camp of Dan refers to the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.

The leader of the people of Dan being Ahi-ezer the son of Ammishaddai: See 1.12.

And those to encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher: The pronoun him refers to the tribe of Dan. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by rendering this clause as “On one side of Dan will be the tribe of Asher.”

The leader of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran: See 1.13.

In some languages it will be more natural and seem less repetitive if Then the tribe of Naphtali (verse 29) is moved to the beginning of verse 27, combining it with the tribe of Asher as follows: “Those to camp next to the tribe of Dan shall be the tribes of Asher and Naphtali….”

The leader of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan: See 1.15.

They shall set out last, standard by standard: The pronoun They refers to the three tribes under the banner of Dan. Set out renders the same Hebrew verb as at the end of verse 9 (see the comments there). Standard by standard is literally “by their standards” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; compare New International Version with “under their standards,” and Chewa with “following their flags”). The pronoun “their” refers to the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. Since this phrase helps mark the close of a discourse unit, it should not be simply omitted as in Good News Translation.

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 .