complete verse (Psalm 106:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 106:32:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “On the water of Meribah they angered Jehovah
    and problems came to Moses because of those people,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “They also aroused the LORD’s anger at the waters of Meriba,
    because of them Moses experienced trouble.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “There at the spring of Meriba, the Israelites caused- the LORD -to-be-angry,
    and the feelings of Moises were- very -hurt by what they had-done.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “People made the LORD to be angry at the water of Meribah,
    the sin came to Moses because of their matter.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Walimchukiza BWANA katika chemchemi ya katika Meriba,
    Musa akateseka kwa sababu yao.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Then at Meribah Springs our ancestors caused Yahweh to become angry,
    and as a result Moses had trouble.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Moses” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Translation commentary on Psalm 106:32 - 106:33

For the incident reported in these verses, see Numbers 20.1-13; see further references in Psalms 81.7; 95.8. At the beginning of verse 32 it is important to specify that it was the LORD whom the people made angry; otherwise, as Revised Standard Version shows, him could be taken to refer back to Phinehas.

The historical narrative in Numbers is not too clear as to the precise nature of Moses’ sin; here the text says it was his rash words which brought him trouble, that is, God kept him from entering Canaan. On their account may be stated more clearly “because of what they did.”

Verse 33a has been taken in different ways. The Masoretic text is “they rebelled against his spirit,” the verb marah here being the same as the one in verse 7; his spirit is probably Yahweh’s (so New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Dahood, Kirkpatrick, Briggs), although it could be Moses’ (who is the subject of the following line).

But the Masoretic text consonants can be assigned other vowels to become a causative form of the verb marar “be bitter” (so two Hebrew manuscripts, and the Septuagint, Syriac, and Jerome); in this case they made his spirit bitter refers to Moses (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible, New American Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Either interpretation is possible; the majority prefer the second one. In either case the subject of verse 33b is Moses, not God. In many languages made his spirit bitter or Good News Translation‘s “made him so bitter” must be recast to say “they made him so angry….”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .