The Hebrew in Hosea 5:2 that is translated in various ways in English translations (see here ), including “sin,” “slaughter,” “deceitfulness,” “rebel,” and “Shittim” as a place name (see Numbers 25:1, 33:49, Joshua 2:21, 3:1, Joel 3:18, and Micah 6:5 for other references to the place name), is translated by the Good News Translation and the New Living Translation as “Acacia City (or: Valley).” “Shittim” is a word for the Acacia tree and the translators chose “Acacia” since “Shittim,” especially as part of “pit dug deep in Shittim” or similar resembles a rude expression in English, especially when read aloud. (Source: de Blois / Dorn / van Steenbergen / Thompson, 2020)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 33:49:
Kupsabiny: “They set up their tents at the side of the river of Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the plain of Moab.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “They camped by the Jordan river, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim on the plains of Moab.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “They camped there beside Jordan from Bet Jeshimot till Abel Shittim, which is also under-the-jurisdiction of the valleys/plains of Moab.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “They/We set up our tents there; their/our tents stretched for several miles/km. from Beth-Jeshimoth to Acacia.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Hebrew, Greek and Ge’ez that is translated as “Jordan” means “descending (rapidly),” “flowing down.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the river bordering Jordan and Israel, along with the general sign for river. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Jordan river” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )
Again, translators will have to decide whether it is better to condense the verses 41-49 (so Good News Translation) or to record the rhythmic repetition of movements and places that is featured in this section (so Revised Standard Version, but perhaps modifying the conjunctions used to link up each stage with the next).
And they set out from Mount Hor (verse 41): Compare 21.4. A demonstrative link word, such as “there” (Chewa), may be needed to connect this reference to Mount Hor to its last occurrence at the end of verse 39.
Zalmonah (verses 41-42) and Punon (verses 42-43) are not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.
For Oboth (verses 43-44), see 21.10.
Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab (verse 44): See 21.11. In the territory of Moab is better rendered “on the border of Moab” (New International Version, New Living Translation) to agree with 21.11, where it says Iye-abarim was east of Moab.
Iyim (verse 45) is another name for Iye-abarim, so some translations only refer to “Iye-abarim” to avoid confusion (so New Living Translation, New Century Version).
Dibon-gad (verses 45-46): Compare 32.34, where it says that the Gadites built (or rebuilt) Dibon (so Levine, page 521).
Almon-diblathaim (verses 46-47) is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.
For the mountains of Abarim (verses 47-48), see 27.12.
Before Nebo (verse 47) may be rendered “facing Nebo” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), “opposite Nebo” (Reina-Valera Contemporánea, Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap), “near Nebo” (New International Version), or “close to Nebo” (Willibrordvertaling). Nebo may refer to the mountain with that name in the Abarim mountain range, so several translations have “Mount Nebo” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation) or “the mountain Nebo” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nueva Traducción Viviente, La Biblia: Traducción en Lenguaje Actual, Bijbel in Gewone Taal). However, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “the city of Nebo,” which makes equally good sense, since Nebo is mentioned as one of the cities in the Transjordan in 32.3, 38.
In the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho (verse 48): See the comments on 22.1. As noted at 26.3, this phrase is an important discourse boundary marker in the last third of the book of Numbers. It is repeated in verse 50.
They encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab means the Israelites camped between Beth-jeshimoth and Abel-shittim along the east side of the Jordan River on the steppes of Moab. The town of Beth-jeshimoth was located on the northeastern border of Moab, a short distance east of the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. For Abel-shittim, which may be rendered “Acacia Valley” (Good News Translation), see 25.1.
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 .
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