complete verse (Numbers 31:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 31:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “Divide those things into two equal parts. Give one part to the soldiers and the other, give to the people who were at home.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then dividing it all in half [lit.: making it all one-half one-half] give one share to those of the army who went to war, give the other share to the community.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) shall-divide them between the soldiers who fought and the community.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then they must divide all those things, half given to the men who fought in the battle and the other half given to the rest of the people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 31:27

Verse 27 is an initial summary statement concerning the division of the war booty between the soldiers who fought and the rest of the Israelites. Verses 28-29 explain the amount of tax to be raised for the LORD from the booty of each group.

And divide the booty into two parts: Clearly, a new sentence should begin here (so Good News Translation). Good News Translation renders this clause as “Divide what was taken into two equal parts,” which expresses more precisely the meaning of the Hebrew verb here.

Between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation: The warriors is literally “those who took/bore the battle,” so NET Bible says “those who took part in the war,” and King James Version has “them that took the war upon them.” Who went out to battle (literally “who went out to the war”) repeats the idea of the previous expression. The Hebrew word for battle is tsavaʾ (see the comments on verse 3). Good News Translation renders all the congregation as “the rest of the community,” which clearly expresses the sense of the Hebrew phrase here.

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 .