Then said Haggai: Next Haggai asks the opposite question, whether defilement can be transmitted indirectly. We are to assume that this question also was asked at the command of the LORD (compare verse 11), though the text does not say so. In this case, there is probably no need to fill in the ellipsis, and Good News Translation does not do so.

Unclean means ritually impure and temporarily unable to take part in the worship of God. Other ways to translate this term are “religiously impure or bad,” referring to ritual defilement, and even “forbidden for use in the worship God.” Some languages express this as something like “having bad taboo.” Translators may also wish to compare the translation used in such places as Mark 7.2-5, 14-23; Acts 10.14-15.

For uncleanness caused by contact with a dead body, see Num 19.13. In this case, the priests ruled that the uncleanness could be passed on. Their answer agrees with Num 19.22, and establishes the principle that defilement is transmitted more easily than holiness. This principle is the foundation for Haggai’s comments in verse 14. A dead body here refers to the corpse of a human being as noted in Num 19.13, although the prohibition could just as well apply to the carcasses of dead animals. If in certain languages there are different words for the corpse of a human and the corpse of an animal, the expression for the human corpse should be chosen.

Touches any of these: Of these refers to the foodstuffs mentioned in verse 12.

Does it become unclean? may be rendered “would they [the foods] become unclean?” (Contemporary English Version) or .”.. have bad taboo?”

The priests answered, “It does become unclean”: The reply of the priests is given in Hebrew with a full verb form (It does become unclean). Natural English requires a shorter form here, and modern versions offer several possibilities: “Yes” (Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Living Translation), “Yes, it does” (Jerusalem Bible), “It will” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible), “Of course they would” (Contemporary English Version). In some languages a short form of the answer will be appropriate, but in others the full verbal form will be necessary. Some modern English versions have an even fuller answer than the Hebrew; for example, “Yes, it becomes unclean” (New Revised Standard Version). This may be a suitable translation model for some languages.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Haggai. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .