consecrate, consecration

The Greek and Hebrew that are translated as “consecration” or “consecrate” in English is translated in Poqomchi’ as “set apart” (when applying to a ritual not to a moral status). (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Newari it is translated as “make holy” (source: Newari Back Translation) and in Kwere as “put to holy work” when it refers to making someone or something suitable for priestly duties, when it refers to individual consecration outside of the priestly duty, “offer (yourselves) for my sake” is also used. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also holy / sacred / taboo.

complete verse (Numbers 6:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 6:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “This is the law about a person whose days of dedicating self to God are over. He is to be brought to come to the courtyard of the Tent of God” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “’Here are the tasks that the Nazirite must accomplish after his time of consecration is complete — He must go to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘This is what he (should) do if he is now finished his vow as a Nazirite: He must go to the entrance of the Meeting-Together-Place Tent.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘hen the time that you promised to dedicate yourself to me is ended, go to the entrance of the Sacred Tent” (Source: Translation for Translators)

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Numbers 6:13

Verses 13-20 describe what should be done when Nazirites have completed the time of their consecration. Revised Standard Version has one paragraph for these verses. Good News Translation divides them into three paragraphs as follows: Verses 13-15 mention what the Nazirites are required to offer. Verses 16-18 mention their sacrifices and the shaving of their hair. Verses 19-20 further describe the peace offering. There is a slightly different paragraph division in New International Version, which arranges these verses as an alternating sequence of instructions detailing what the Nazirites must do (verses 13-15, 18, 20b) as distinct from what the priest must do (verses 16-17, 19-20a).

And this is the law for the Nazirite, when the time of his separation has been completed: This sentence introduces what must be done when the Nazirites have completed their vow of separation to the LORD. Law renders the Hebrew word torah. As in 5.29 (see the comments there), it may be rendered “ritual” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) in this context (see also verse 21). Some languages may prefer “rituals” or “regulations.” For his separation, see verse 4.

He shall be brought to the door of the tent of meeting: The Hebrew verb form here seems to imply that another, unspecified, person has to bring the Nazirite. Good News Translation does not reflect this by saying “You shall go to the entrance of Tent.” For the door of the tent of meeting, see verse 10.

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 .