You shall consecrate them is literally “and you [singular] shall make them holy.” Good News Translation has “Dedicate these things in this way,” with the added words “in this way” referring to the use of the special anointing oil. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Thus you shall consecrate them,” using the word “Thus” with similar meaning. New American Bible has “When you have consecrated them.” That they may be most holy is literally “and they will be holy of holies.” This may be rendered as “especially holy” (New Jerusalem Bible), or as “completely holy” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version has “By dedicating them in this way, you will make them so holy that….” One may also express this as “When you dedicate them like this you….”

Whatever touches them is literally “any toucher on them.” This includes “anyone or anything that touches them” (Good News Translation). Will become holy is literally “he [or, it] will be holy.” Revised English Bible weakens this a bit: “whoever touches them will be treated as holy.” Durham interprets it in the same way: “anything touching them must similarly be set apart.” But Good News Translation again gives it the same negative interpretation as in 29.37: “… will be harmed by the power of its holiness.” (See the Good News Translation footnote and the comment at 29.37.) However, as in 29.37, translators are urged to follow the neutral position and say, for example, “anyone or anything that touches them must be treated as holy [or, taboo] also.” And the entire verse may be alternatively expressed as “when you dedicate them in this way, you will make them so holy that when anyone or anything touches them you must treat them as holy also.” The use of “its holiness” in Good News Translation instead of “their holiness” is surprising. Possibly the “its” could refer to the anointing oil, but all the things to be anointed will already have become holy.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .