The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “as numerous as the sand on the seashore” or “as numerous as the sand by the sea” in English is translated in Bauzi as “as many like the tree flowers of the jungle” (source: David Briley in Kroneman 2004, p. 539), in Afar translated as mari mangah arrooqih gide akkuk yeneeniih: “are as numerous as gravel” or loowo sinni: “not countable” (source: Loren Bliese), in Angal Heneng as “like the hairs on a dog” (Source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1077), and in Copainalá Zoque as “their number is like ants” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965, p. 2ff.).
complete verse (Revelation 20:8)
Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 20:8:
- Uma: “and he goes to deceive people all over the world, who are figuratively-named God and Magog. The King of Evil-ones gathers them to fight. Their amount is like sand on the seashore.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “And he will come out to go and deceive the tribes that are scattered over the four corners of the earth. They are called Gog and Magog, that means enemies of God. The leader of demons will gather all those people so that they will fight. There will be very many people like the sand at the seashore.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He will come out so that he might deceive Gog in the land of Magog, which is to say, the people in all the kingdoms on all the earth. Satan will gather them together to fight against God. They will be very many for they are like the sand on the shores of the sea.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “and he will go deceive those designated as Gog and Magog who are the collective-people in the collective-towns/countries at the four corners of the world. He will gather-them -together to go wage-war. Their number (lit. manyness), it is like the not countable sand on the shore of the ocean.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “What else but he will continue on again with that activity of his of deceiving the people. He will go to all the nations here under the heavens. He will-round-up-to-join-him Gog and Magog, which means, those nations. Really the number of these who will be rounded up by Satanas, they are like sand on the beach. He will gather all these together and they will go to fight.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Again he went to deceive the people who live all over the world. these are the people who are named Gog and Magog. He gathered the people to make war against God. Very many people did he gather, it was like as many as grains of sand in the sea.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)