firstborn

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “firstborn” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • “he/she that opens the gown” in Batak Toba (because formerly a woman stopped wearing a gown and started using a bodice after the birth of her first child)
  • “he/she that damages the stalk (i.e. the body)” in Uab Meto (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • “the oldest son of all” in Mezquital Otomi
  • “oldest child” in Isthmus Zapotec (source for this and one above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • “firstborn child, who was a boy” in Elhomwe (to make clear, without ambiguity, that Mary did not have daughters before) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Bawm Chin, the term can imply the existence of younger siblings, so a translation is needed that brings out the fact that Jesus is superior to all else, not just the first of a series. (Source: David Clark)

See also only begotten son / (one and) only son and firstborn.

complete verse (Numbers 33:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 33:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “As they left, the Egyptians were burying their firstborn sons whom God had killed. God showed that he had power beyond/surpassing the idols/gods of Egypt.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “That day the Egyptians were burying their first-born sons, whom the LORD had killed. By doing this the LORD had punished their gods.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “who are-burying all their first-born males whom the LORD have-killed because of his judgment of their gods.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “As they/we left, the people of Egypt were still burying the bodies of their firstborn sons. By killing them, Yahweh showed that the gods that the people of Egypt worshiped were false gods.” (Source: Translation for Translators)