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 3:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 3:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “When I killed the first-borns of the Egyptians, I set aside every firstborn boy of an Israelite to become mine. Also the firstborns of the animals you keep became mine. I am God. Instead of making the firstborn sons of the Israelites become mine, I took out the clan of Levi to become mine.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I have taken the Levites instead of the first-born son of every woman in Israel. Therefore, the Levites are my people. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘I chose the descendants of Levi as replacement/substitute of the first-born males of Israel. Each descendant of Levi is mine,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Note that from all the Israelis, I have chosen the men of the tribe of Levi to take the places of all the firstborn sons of the Israeli people. The male descendants of Levi belong to me,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Numbers 3:12 - 3:13

Verse 13 gives the historical background of verse 12 and recalls the Exodus (see Exo 11.5; 13.2, 15). Good News Translation has reversed the order of these verses and combined them in order to present a sequence that is easier to follow in English.

Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every first-born that opens the womb among the people of Israel: Behold renders the Hebrew word hinneh, which emphasizes what the LORD is saying here. He declares that he himself has chosen the male Levites to belong to him in a special way in place of the firstborn sons of Israel. The Hebrew expression rendered Behold, I have taken (literally “And I, behold, I take”) should not be translated in the past tense. A past tense rendering does not take the function of the Hebrew verb into account here. A more accurate translation that fits the context better is “I hereby take” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Every first-born refers to every firstborn son in this context. That opens the womb renders a technical Hebrew expression that has the same meaning as first-born. A literal rendering of this phrase as in Revised Standard Version may be offensive or embarrassing in the target language. If a local idiom is not available, then this phrase may have to be left implied.

The Levites shall be mine, for all the first-born are mine: All the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to God, but he accepted the male Levites as a substitute for them. For renders the Hebrew connector ki, which introduces and emphasizes why the Levites belonged to God. Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie translate it correctly as an emphatic particle here, saying “Indeed.”

On the day that I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt: I slew is literally “I struck/attacked.” In this context it means “I killed” (Good News Translation). Here it is important to avoid the negative overtones of a verb like “murdered” in English. The first-born in the land of Egypt refers to the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.

I consecrated for my own all the first-born in Israel, both of man and of beast: I consecrated for my own is literally “I declared holy to myself,” which may be rendered “I claimed for myself” (New Afrikaans Version) or “I set apart [or, chose] for myself” (New Living Translation). All the first-born in Israel, both of man and of beast refers to all the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals of the Israelites. Man renders a generic Hebrew word for human beings, and beast translates a generic word for domestic animals. Contemporary English Version renders this whole phrase as “the first-born sons in every Israelite family and the first-born males of their flocks and herds.”

They shall be mine: In the immediate context the pronoun they refers to all the first-born in Israel, both of man and of beast. La Nouvelle Bible Segond makes this clear by rendering this clause and the previous one as “I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel; those of man as well as those of beast belong to me.” Good News Translation wrongly suggests that the pronoun they refers to the Levites.

In the last half of verse 13 the change from past tense (I consecrated) to future or present tense (shall be mine; “belong to me” in New Afrikaans Version) may be awkward in translation. If so, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh provides the following helpful model: “I consecrated every first-born in Israel, man and beast, to Myself, to be Mine.”

I am the LORD: This clause gives the reason why the firstborn people and animals belong to the LORD. Bijbel in Gewone Taal makes this clear by saying “because I am the Lord.” In addition to its function as a emphatic conclusion, this formulaic divine self-designation may also be an abbreviated way of referring to certain parallel passages in the Pentateuch, for example, Lev 11.44-45. It should be translated consistently, if possible, in some distinctive manner that highlights its function; for example, Chewa has “I it is me Chauta [the LORD].”

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 .