altar

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

  • Obolo: ntook or “raised structure for keeping utensils (esp. sacrifice)” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Muna: medha kaefoampe’a or “offering table” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Luchazi: muytula or “the place where one sets the burden down”/”the place where the life is laid down” (source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. )
  • Tzotzil: “where they place God’s gifts” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965, p. 2ff.)
  • Tsafiki: “table for giving to God” (source: Bruce Moore in Notes on Translation 1/1992, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: karla-kooranyi or “sacred fire” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “offering-burning table” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “place for sacrificing” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “burning-place” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tibetan: mchod khri (མཆོད་​ཁྲི།) or “offering throne” (source: gSungrab website )
  • Bura-Pabir: “sacrifice mound” (source: Andy Warrren-Rothlin)
  • Kalanga: “fireplace of sacrifice” (source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Cherokee: “fire nurturing place” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 26) (note that the Jewish priest is “fire feeder” in Cherokee)
The Ignaciano translators decided to translate the difficult term in that language according to the focus of each New Testament passage in which the word appears (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

Willis Ott (in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.) explains:

  • Matt. 5:23,24: “When you take your offering to God, and arriving, you remember…, do not offer your gift yet. First go to your brother…Then it is fitting to return and offer your offering to God.” (The focus is on improving relationships with people before attempting to improve a relationship with God, so the means of offering, the altar, is not focal.)
  • Matt. 23:18 (19,20): “You also teach erroneously: ‘If someone makes a promise, swearing by the offering-place/table, he is not guilty if he should break the promise. But if he swears by the gift that he put on the offering-place/table, he will be guilty if he breaks the promise.'”
  • Luke 1:11: “…to the right side of the table where they burn incense.”
  • Luke 11.51. “…the one they killed in front of the temple (or the temple enclosure).” (The focus is on location, with overtones on: “their crime was all the more heinous for killing him there”.)
  • Rom. 11:3: “Lord, they have killed all my fellow prophets that spoke for you. They do not want anyone to give offerings to you in worship.” (The focus is on the people’s rejection of religion, with God as the object of worship.)
  • 1Cor. 9:13 (10:18): “Remember that those that attend the temple have rights to eat the foods that people bring as offerings to God. They have rights to the meat that the people offer.” (The focus is on the right of priests to the offered food.)
  • Heb. 7:13: “This one of whom we are talking is from another clan. No one from that clan was ever a priest.” (The focus in on the legitimacy of this priest’s vocation.)
  • Jas. 2:21: “Remember our ancestor Abraham, when God tested him by asking him to give him his son by death. Abraham was to the point of stabbing/killing his son, thus proving his obedience.” (The focus is on the sacrifice as a demonstration of faith/obedience.)
  • Rev. 6:9 (8:3,5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7): “I saw the souls of them that…They were under the table that holds God’s fire/coals.” (This keeps the concepts of: furniture, receptacle for keeping fire, and location near God.)
  • Rev. 11:1: “Go to the temple, Measure the building and the inside enclosure (the outside is contrasted in v. 2). Measure the burning place for offered animals. Then count the people who are worshiping there.” (This altar is probably the brazen altar in a temple on earth, since people are worshiping there and since outside this area conquerors are allowed to subjugate for a certain time.)

See also altar (Acts 17:23).


In the Hebraic English translation of Everett Fox it is translated as slaughter-site and likewise in the German translation by Buber / Rosenzweig as Schlachtstatt.

tabernacle (noun)

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “tabernacle” in English is translated in San Blas Kuna as “house of prayer that can be carried.” (Source: Ronald Ross)

In Bandi it is translated as “holy sitting place.” The “sitting place for the Bandi is where you live.” Therefore the tabernacle is the place where God lived. (Source: Becky Grossmann in this newsletter )

In Vidunda it is translated as “God’s tent” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Tibetan as gur mchog (གུར་​མཆོག) or “perfect tent” (source: gSungrab website )

In American Sign Language it is translated with with a sign for “tent” combined with a sign referring to the outer court surrounding the tent (see Exodus 27:9 and following). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Tabernacle” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

See also tabernacle (verb) / dwell, festival of Tabernacles and ark of the covenant.

complete verse (Numbers 4:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 4:26:

  • Kupsabiny: “the curtains for the fence, the curtain that closes where one enters the courtyard, all the ropes used to spread it, and everything that is used to prepare all those things.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Also they are to carry the screening cloth all around the courtyard that surrounds the Holy Tent and the altar, its ropes and all the utensils needed there. The Gershonites must do all the work for these furnishings.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “the curtains of the courtyard that goes-around the Tent and altar, the curtain for the entrance of the courtyard, the ropes, and all the things used to serve the Tent. They are to do all the work/doings which are related with these things.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They must also carry the curtains that form the wall that surrounds the courtyard that surrounds the Sacred Tent and the altar, the curtain that is at the entrance to the courtyard, and the ropes that fasten the curtains. They must also do the packing and loading of these things.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 4:25 - 4:26

They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle: The Hebrew word for curtains always refers to tent fabric, or material used in making tents. The curtains of the tabernacle refers to the linen cloth strips and the goat hair cloth strips that formed the inner coverings of the Tabernacle (see Exo 26.1-13; 36.8-18). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh calls them “the cloths of the Tabernacle,” and Good News Translation has “its inner cover.”

The tent of meeting with its covering: See the comments on 3.25. This covering was made of tanned rams’ skins, and was placed over the inner cloth strips (see Exo 26.14; 36.19). Good News Translation says “its outer cover.”

The covering of goatskin that is on top of it refers to the fine leather cover on top of the tanned rams’ skins (see Exo 26.14; 36.19). For goatskin see the comments on verse 6. Good News Translation says “the fine leather cover on top of it.” This covering is not mentioned in 3.25. Contemporary English Version avoids confusion by combining this covering with the previous one, saying “its [the Tent of Meeting’s] two outer coverings.” Contemporary English Version also has a footnote, referring to Exo 26.14, where these two coverings are mentioned for the first time (see A Handbook on Numbers at Exo 26.14).

The screen for the door of the tent of meeting refers to the curtain that covered the entrance to the Tabernacle (see 3.25).

The hangings of the court refers to the curtains that formed a fence around the Tabernacle and its courtyard (see 3.26).

The screen for the entrance of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar refers to the curtain that covered the entrance to the Tabernacle’s courtyard (see 3.26). The idea of gate is not mentioned in 3.26, but it should be included here.

Their cords refers to the ropes that held the Tabernacle’s coverings and curtains in place (see 3.26).

All the equipment for their service refers to all the items used in connection with the objects mentioned in verses 25-26. Good News Translation renders this phrase as “all the fittings used in setting up these objects.” New International Version is more concise with “all the equipment used in its [the Tabernacle’s] service,” and so is New Afrikaans Version with “all the necessary equipment.”

And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them renders a general conclusion in Hebrew (after the more specific listing that precedes). This clause may be rendered “The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things” (similarly Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation).

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 .