trumpet

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “trumpet” in English is translated in the following ways:

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: The trumpet was a wind instrument, frequently used in signaling, especially in connection with war. It was made of metal (the trumpets mentioned in Numbers 10:2 et al. were made of silver). It was a straight, narrow tube, about 40-45 centimeters (16-18 inches) in length. One end had a mouthpiece, while the other end was widened into a bell shape.

Usage: The sound on the trumpet was made by blowing into the mouthpiece in such a way as to vibrate the lips. The vibrations were magnified as they passed along the widening body of the tube.

The purpose of the trumpet in Israel was primarily to signal. Numbers 10 lists a variety of occasions in which the trumpets were to be used, including signaling the people to break camp, calling all of the people together for a meeting, calling only the leaders together, sounding an alarm at the beginning of a battle, and blowing them for liturgical purposes during certain festivals. It is significant that it was the task of the priests to sound the trumpets.

Translation: Generally speaking, translators may distinguish between the Hebrew words chatsotsrah and shofar by rendering chatsotsrah as “trumpet” or “bugle” and shofar with a more generic word for “horn” or with “ram’s horn.” Note the following comment in Translation commentary on Psalm 98:4 – 98:6: “In some languages it will not be possible to make a distinction between the two Hebrew terms translated trumpets and horn. In such cases the local term for a horn will be used. The Greek Old Testament used only one term.”

The exact meaning of the Aramaic word qeren in Daniel 3:5 and following is debated. It probably refers to a brass wind instrument and is best rendered “horn.”

The present-day equivalent for the Greek word salpigx is “bugle.” A bugle is generally smaller than a trumpet and is often associated with the sounding of military signals.

Man blowing a trumpet (source: Horace Knowles (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1954, 1967, 1972)

Quoted with permission.

See also trumpet / bugle.

complete verse (Daniel 7:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 7:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “But while I was still staring/observing, that very horn fought against the people of God until it was about to defeat them.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “While I was watching that horn did battle with God’s holy people and defeated them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I saw this horn fighting against the holy God, and it was-winning.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 7:21

Commentators are divided on the status of verses 21-22. Some consider it to be a later addition to the text, but it is extremely well attested by the manuscript evidence, and it is essential to the explanation that follows. The problem is that there is an implied question raised in verse 19 (“I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast”), but the answer does not come until verse 23. The second implied question (“concerning the ten horns,” in verse 20) is answered first. The structure of verses 19-23 may therefore be diagrammed as follows:

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .