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.

complete verse (Numbers 3:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 3:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “The men of the stomach of Gershon were counted and those were the house of Libni and Shimei.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The clans of Libni and Shimei were from Gershon. These were the clans of Gershon.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The descendants of Gershon were the families that came-from Libni and Shimei.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The two clans descended from Gershon are those that were descended from his sons Libni and Shimei.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 3:21 - 3:22

The Hebrew has no past tense verbs in these verses. From the book’s point of view, only verse 22 is bound to refer to the past. La Nouvelle Bible Segond uses the present tense in verse 21, and the past tense in verse 22. In some languages it may be possible to bring out the list character of the text here by leaving out verbs altogether.

Of Gershon were the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shime-ites; these were the families of the Gershonites: Verse 18 already refers to Gershon and his sons Libni and Shimei. As in verse 18, the Hebrew word for family and families (mishpachah) is better rendered “clan” and “clans” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, La Nouvelle Bible Segond). Although the literal rendering of Revised Standard Version may seem repetitive here, Good News Translation‘s less repetitive model is misleading, because it speaks of “The clan of Gershon.” However, there were two Gershonite clans, not one. Therefore Good News Translation should not be followed as a model here. If it is necessary to reduce the repetitiveness, Bible en français courant provides a better model, saying “Gershon was the ancestor of the Gershonites, [who were] divided into two clans, those of the Libnites and of the Shimeites.”

Their number according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was seven thousand five hundred: The pronoun Their refers to the clans of Libni and Shimei. The Revised Standard Version footnote here mentions that the Hebrew repeats “their number.” Their number is better rendered “Their enrollment” (New Revised Standard Version) since the Hebrew word for number is the verb paqad (see 1.3, where it is translated “number”). The actual Hebrew word for number occurs in the phrase according to the number. Good News Translation expresses both the ideas of “number” and “enroll” here. For the possible meaning of the Hebrew word for thousand (ʾelef) as “contingent” or “division” at an earlier stage in the transmission of the Hebrew text, see the comments on 1.20-46. However, the present text no longer allows for this meaning since it adds up seven thousand five hundred and other high numbers in verse 39, so translators should keep the high numbers.

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 .