complete verse (Numbers 7:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 7:26:

  • Kupsabiny: “On the third day, Eliab son of Helon from the clan of Zebulun also brought things like those.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Also one flattened 10-shekel vessel of gold which was full of incense.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These were-particularly the-(ones-who) brought their offerings:
    On the first day, Nashon child of Aminadad, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Juda.
    On the second day, Netanel child of Zuar, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Issachar.
    On the third day, Eliab child of Helon, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Zebulun.
    On the fourth day, Elizur child of Shedeur, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Reuben.
    On the fifth day, Shelumiel child of Zurishadai, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Simeon.
    On the sixth day, Eliasaph child of Deuel, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Gad.
    On the seventh day, Elishama child of Amihud, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Efraim.
    On the eighth day, Gamaliel child of Pedazur, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Manase.
    On the ninth day, Abidan child of Gideoni, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Benjamin.
    On the tenth day, Ahiezer child of Amishadai, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Dan.
    On the eleventh day, Pagiel child of Ocran, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Asher.
    And on the twelfth day Ahira child of Enan, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Naftali.
    Each one of them brought these offerings: one silver big-plate that weigh about one and one half kilogram, and one silver bowl that weigh about 800 grams according to the weighing-scale of the priests. Each one of them they filled with a good/fine kind of flour that was-mixed with oil for the gift offering. Each one of them also brought one golden small-cup that weigh about 120 grams that was filled with incense; one young bull, one male sheep, and one young male sheep which is one year old as a burnt offering; one male goat as an offering for becoming-clean; and two oxen/cow, five male sheep, five male goats, and five young male sheep/lambs which is one year old as an offering for a good relation.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “These are the gifts that each of the leaders brought:
    —a silver dish that weighed more than three pounds/1.5 kg., and a silver bowl that weighed almost two pounds/800 grams, both of which were full of good flour and mixed with olive oil to be offerings of grain; they both were weighed using the standard scales;
    —a small gold dish that weighed four ounces/14 grams, filled with incense;
    —a young bull, a full-grown ram, and a one-year-old ram, to be sacrifices to be completely burned on the altar;
    —a goat to be sacrificed to enable me to forgive the people for the sins they have committed;
    —and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five male goats, and five rams that were one-year-old, to be sacrifices to maintain the people’s fellowship with Yahweh.
    This was the order in which the leaders brought their gifts:
    on the first day, Nahshon, son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah brought his gifts;
    on the next/second day, Nethanel, son of Zuar, from the tribe of Issachar;
    on the next/third day, Eliab, son of Helon, from the tribe of Zebulun;
    on the next/fourth day, Elizur, son of Shedeur, from the tribe of Reuben;
    on the next/fifth day, Shelumiel, son of Jurishhaddai, from the tribe of Simeon;
    on the next/sixth day, Eliasaph, son of Deuel, from the tribe of Gad;
    on the next/seventh day, Elishama, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Ephraim;
    on the next/eighth day, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, from the tribe of Manasseh;
    on the next/ninth day, Abidan, son of Gideoni, from the tribe of Benjamin;
    on the next/tenth day, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, from the tribe of Dan;
    on the next/eleventh day, Pagiel, son of Acran, from the tribe of Asher;
    on the next/twelfth day, Ahira, son of Enam, from the tribe of Naphtali.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 7:24 - 7:29

On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the leader of the men of Zebulun …: Verses 24-29 are almost identical to verses 12-17 (see the comments there). For Eliab the son of Helon, the leader of the men of Zebulun, see 1.9. Instead of referring to “the tribe of Zebulun” (compare verse 12), the text here says the men of Zebulun (literally “the sons of Zebulun”), which may be rendered “the people of Zebulun” (New International Version) or simply “the Zebulunites” (New Jerusalem Bible).

There are no verbs corresponding to the verb was in the Hebrew of verses 25 and 29 (compare verse 17), which is in line with the list character of the text where there is a tendency to include a certain amount of condensation as the sequence progresses. By including the verb was in these verses, Revised Standard Version somewhat changes the text from a list to a narrative. The Revised Standard Version rendering of verses 24-29 could be adjusted and cast into a list as follows:

24 On the third day: Eliab the son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun.
25 His offering:
one silver bowl (weight: a hundred and thirty shekels),
one silver basin (weight: seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary),
both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering;
26 one golden bowl (weight: ten shekels),
full of incense;
27 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
28 one male goat for a sin offering;
29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
The offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

This model could be used for the other eleven paragraphs in verses 12-83. By using it, the form calls attention to its function as an official record or list, even though it occurs within the context of a narrative report. However, in some languages a verb meaning “offer” may still be needed in connection with each leader (for example, verses 24-25a may be rendered “On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, 25 offered these things:…”). In other languages there may be some type of discourse marker or technical term that immediately signals the genre of such a listing of items. In any case, the same discourse genre should be used in translation if one is available in the target language.

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 .