sanctuary

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “sanctuary” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with opatulika or “separated place.” This is understood in a religious setup as a place designated for worship. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (Numbers 7:86)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 7:86:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, all the things that those leaders gave for the anointing/inauguration of the altar are these: Twelve plates made from silver, twelve bowls made from silver and twelve small bowls made from gold which things that smell sweet filled. The total weight of silver reached twenty-eight kilos following the standard for weighing decided in the Tent of God. The total weight of gold reached one and a half kilo following the weight which was decided in the Tent of God.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “And each of the twelve flattened gold vessels full of incense weighed [lit.: was] 10 shekels according to the shekel of sanctuary. All together the gold incense vessels came to 120 shekels.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The twelve golden small-cup filled with incense has a weigh of about 120 grams each one according to the weigh-scale-(that-is-used) by the priests. The weight of all together about 1,440 grams.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When the altar was dedicated to Yahweh, those twelve leaders brought these gifts:
    —twelve silver plates and twelve silver bowls, weighing a total of about 60 pounds/27.6 kg., each of them being weighed on the scales kept in the Sacred Tent;
    —twelve gold dishes filled with incense, weighing a total of about three pounds/1.4 kg., each being weighed on those same scales;
    —twelve bulls, twelve full-grown rams, and twelve one-year-old rams, to be sacrifices that were completely burned, along with the grain offerings;
    —twelve goats to be sacrificed to forgive the people for the sins they have committed;
    —and 24 bulls, 60 full-grown rams, 60 goats, and 60 rams that were one-year-old, to be sacrifices to maintain the people’s fellowship with Yahweh.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 7:84 - 7:88

This final list in verses 84-88 summarizes the totals of the offerings given by the chiefs during the twelve days. If the target language has a way of marking such a concluding or summary paragraph, it should be used here. If this passage is not clearly marked and Revised Standard Version is followed more or less literally, it may suggest to listeners that at the end of the twelve days this huge offering by all the chiefs of Israel was made all at once.

This was the dedication offering for the altar, on the day when it was anointed, from the leaders of Israel: This sentence introduces the list of totals for the offerings. The Hebrew does not use any verb form corresponding with the verb was near the beginning of this sentence, which is in line with the list character of the text. The expected norms of the target language for a list should be observed again. For the dedication offering for the altar, see verse 10; for on the day when it was anointed, see verse 1; and for the leaders of Israel, see verse 2.

Twelve silver plates … each silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels: See verse 13.

Twelve silver basins … each basin seventy means each silver basin weighed seventy shekels. See verse 13.

All the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels means the total weight of the silver plates and silver basins was two thousand four hundred shekels, which is equivalent to about 27 kilograms (60 pounds).

According to the shekel of the sanctuary: See verse 13.

The twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece: See verse 14.

All the gold of the dishes being a hundred and twenty shekels means the total weight of the gold dishes was a hundred and twenty shekels, which is equivalent to about 1,370 grams (48 ounces).

All the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old: See verse 15. Cattle renders the generic Hebrew word baqar, which can refer to cows, bulls, sheep, and goats.

With their cereal offering: The pronoun their refers to the animals for the burnt offering. For cereal offering, see the comments on 4.16. Since a cereal offering accompanied each of these animals, Good News Translation uses the plural expression “grain offerings,” which is acceptable.

And twelve male goats for a sin offering: See verse 16.

And all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty: See verse 17.

This was the dedication offering for the altar, after it was anointed: This repeats what is said in verse 10 (see the comments there). This repetition provides a concluding bracket (inclusio) around verses 10-88.

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 .