2“Take a census of the whole congregation of the Israelites, from twenty years old and up, by their ancestral houses, everyone in Israel able to go to war.”
The Hebrew terms that are translated as “family” or “clan” or “house” or similar in English are all translated in Kwere as ng’holo or “clan.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the English translation by Goldingay (2018) it is translated as “kin-group.”
In Aekyom, years are counted as “turtles” (ambum).
Norm Mundhenk tells this story:
“Recently I was checking some New Testament material in the Aekyom language of western Papua New Guinea. It seemed relatively clear until suddenly we came to a passage that started, ‘When Jesus had 12 turtles, …’ Surely I had misunderstood what they said.
“‘Did you say that Jesus had 12 turtles?’
“‘Let us explain! Around here there is a certain time every year when river turtles come up on the banks and lay their eggs. Because this is so regular, it can be used as a way of counting years. Someone’s age is said to be how many turtles that person has. So when we say that Jesus had 12 turtles, we mean that Jesus was 12 years old.’
“It was of course the familiar story of Jesus’ trip with his parents to Jerusalem. And certainly, as we all know, Jesus did indeed have 12 turtles at that time!”
In Tok Pisin, krismas (derived from “christmas”) is taken as the fixed annual marker, so Jesus had 12 “christmases” (Jisas i gat 12-pela krismas pinis) or Abram (in Gen. 12:4) had 75 (Abram i gat 75 krismas) (source: Norm Mundhenk). In Noongar it is biroka kadak or “summers had” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 26:2:
Kupsabiny: “‘Count (plur.) all the people of the community of Israel. Count the young men who has twenty years and above that following their houses and (who) are fit for battle.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “From the whole community of Israel count the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war according to their families.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘[You (plur.)] take-a-census of the entire people of Israel according to their family — all who are 20 years old-of-age above who are-able to serve as soldier of Israel.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “‘Count all the people of Israel again. Write down the names of all the men who are at least 20 years old who are able to fight in battles, along with their family names.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel …: See the comments on 1.2. As there, the Hebrew imperative verb rendered Take is plural, but here God is speaking to Moses and Eleazar. In languages that lack a plural imperative form or in which a plural imperative on its own would be awkward or overly ambiguous, it may be helpful to begin this verse with “You and Eleazar are to take a census of the whole Israelite community….”
From twenty years old and upward … all in Israel who are able to go forth to war: See the comments on 1.3. A new generation had grown up to replace the wilderness generation, ready to take part in military activities that would be involved in taking possession of Canaan.
By their fathers’ houses may be rendered “by their ancestral houses” (New Revised Standard Version) or “by families” (Good News Translation). See the comments on 1.2. For naturalness Good News Translation places this phrase earlier in the verse, which other languages may find helpful.
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 .
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