The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and Greek that is translated in English typically as “obedience” or “obey” is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “thing hearing,” because “to hear is to obey.” (Source: Marjorie Davis in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 34ff. )
In Huba it is translated as hya nǝu nyacha: “follow (his) mouth.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )
In Central Mazahua it is translated as “listen-obey” and in Huehuetla Tepehua as “believe-obey” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in Noongar as dwangka-don, lit. “hear do” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 27:20:
Kupsabiny: “Place on him a portion of your authority so that the people of Israel can honor him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “[So] that whole community of Israel and may obey [him], you are to give him some of your authority.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Give to him some of your (sing.) authority so-that all Israelinhon will-obey him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Give to him some of the authority that you now have, in order that all the Israeli people will know that they must obey him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
You shall invest him with some of your authority is literally “And you shall put some your majesty/power upon him.” The Hebrew word for authority (hod) is typically associated with kings or God (see, for example, Psa 96.6, where it is rendered “Honor”). This word occurs only here in the Pentateuch. It implies that the leader has charisma in order to have the loyalty of those he leads. Some of your authority implies that Moses will keep some of his power. The problem in some languages will be how to express giving only a portion of an abstract personal concept like authority, which is normally understood as a whole. NET renders this clause as “Then you must delegate some of your authority to him.” A more concrete model is “Then you must delegate some of your authority and responsibilities to him.”
That all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey may be rendered “so that the whole community of Israel will obey him” (Good News Bible).
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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