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 3:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 3:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “Merari had Mahli and Mushi who were leaders in their houses. These are the houses from the stomach of Levi.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his sons, Mahli and Mushi.
    These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The children of Merari were Mali and Mushi.
    They were the descendants of Levi, according to their families.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. The clans that were descended from them had the same names as those two sons.
    Those are the clans that were descended from Levi.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 3:17 - 3:20

And these were … And these are …: Good News Translation renders verses 17-20 in the past tense. But Revised Standard Version is closer to the Hebrew since it has a past tense in verse 17 only. Revised Standard Version thus brings out more clearly than Good News Translation that these verses are part of a list. In languages where a change of tense from past to present as in Revised Standard Version would be awkward, La Nouvelle Bible Segond provides a good model by using only the present tense.

And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari: See Gen 46.11 and Exo 6.16.

And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shime-i: See Exo 6.17 and 1 Chr 6.17. By their families is better rendered “by their clans,” since families translates the Hebrew word mishpachah (see the comments on 1.2). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders by their families as “by clan,” and La Nouvelle Bible Segond has “clan by clan.”

And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel: See Exo 6.18; 1 Chr 6.2, 18; 23.12.

And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi: See Exo 6.19; 1 Chr 6.19; 23.21.

These are the families of the Levites, by their fathers’ houses: The demonstrative pronoun These refers to Levi’s grandsons. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling expresses clearly the difference in size between families (mishpachah in Hebrew) and fathers’ houses (see 1.2) by rendering this sentence as “These were the clans of the Levites, which in turn were divided into families.” A similar model is “These were the clans of the Levites, which consisted of families.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh makes this sentence the introduction of a new paragraph. But actually it is not just this sentence but all of verses 17-20 that together form an introduction to verses 21-37.

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 .