family / clan / house

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.”

See also tribe.

Levite

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” and in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)

In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

For the sign in Spanish Sign Language, see Levi.

More information about Levites .

complete verse (Numbers 26:57)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 26:57:

  • Kupsabiny: “These are the houses of the clan of Levi: House of Gershon, house of Kohath and house of Merari.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The descendants of Levi who were counted according to clan were like this —
    The clan of the Gershonites from Gershon,
    The clan of the Kohathites from Kohath,
    The clan of the Merarites from Merari.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The descendants of Levi were the families of Gershon, Kohat and Merari.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The leaders also counted the male descendants of Levi. They were in clans descended from Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 26:57

The tribe of Levi was enrolled separately from the other tribes, as was the case in the beginning of the book (chapters 3–4). The beginning of this new and distinct subsection may need to be marked in a special way (see the introductory comments on this chapter).

These are the Levites as numbered according to their families is literally “And these [are] the enrolled [males] of the Levites according to their clans.” The demonstrative pronoun These points forward to the Levites clans that are listed. Since the Hebrew construction here lacks a past tense verb, a rendering with the past tense (so Good News Translation) may not be necessary. Instead of the Levites, Good News Translation has “The tribe of Levi” (similar to what it does in verses 5-50). In some languages this will be easier to understand since a tribe consists of several clans. The Hebrew verb rendered numbered is paqad (see verse 7) and the Hebrew word for families is mishpachah (see verses 5-7), so better renderings for this clause are “This is the enrollment of the Levites by their clans” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “These are the enrolled/registered Levites according to their clans” (Willibrordvertaling).

The clans of Levi descended from his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (see 3.17. Good News Translation adds the “Thummim” here, but the Hebrew text only mentions the Urim. A Handbook on Leviticus mentions at Lev 8.8 that in most translations the two terms are simply transliterated, but Moffatt, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Luther render the meaning quite adequately with “the sacred lots.” Other languages may have to say “the lots of God.” Traditional religious or magical terms used for divination (“lots”) in the local culture are best avoided because of the negative connotation that they may still carry for some people. Contemporary English Version does not refer to the Urim at all here, which we also do not recommend.

Before the LORD: Since the LORD is speaking here, some languages may prefer to say “before me” (similarly SPCL). Compare Good News Translation with “who will learn my will.” However, an equally good alternative is “in the holy place” (similarly Willibrordvertaling).

At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in …: See verse 17 for this Hebrew idiom even though the subject here is the Israelites, not their leader. Translators should begin a new sentence here (so Good News Translation). The repetition of the phrase at his word puts emphasis on it. The pronoun his may refer to Eleazar (so the medieval commentator Rashi; Noth, page 215). Good News Translation clearly goes for this interpretation by rendering the last half of this verse as “In this way Eleazar will direct Joshua and the whole community of Israel in all their affairs,” and so does Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch with “According to Eleazar’s decision must he and all the Israelites act.” Reina-Valera Contemporánea makes Joshua the referent for this pronoun by saying “When Joshua commands it, all the children of Israel depart, and when he commands it, all the children of Israel return.” However, this pronoun may also refer to the Urim as the symbolic mouthpiece of the LORD. This interpretation is followed by Alter, who renders this clause as “By it shall they go out and by it shall they come in.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is similar with “It is according to that decision that they go out and that they return,” and so is Willibrordvertaling with “According to the verdict of the LORD [they] … act” (similarly Contemporary Russian Version). This interpretation seems to fit the context well.

Both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation: The pronouns he and him refer to Joshua, and it will probably be necessary to make this reference explicit in the translation in order to avoid possible ambiguity with Eleazar (so 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 .