complete verse (Deuteronomy 1:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 1:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, I took those people that you chose from your clans, and I made them to become your leaders and councilors/judges. I gave some of those people to be in charge of one thousand people each, and others to be in charge of one hundred each, and others to be in charge of ten people each. I chose others from those people to be big people in all the clans.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Since it was like that, I chose the chief men of each of your tribes. They were all men full of wisdom and deserving of respect. And from each of your tribes I chose leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. [I] also chose the leaders for each tribe.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So I caused- the smart/wise men and respectful from your (plur.) tribes -to-rule over you (plur.) (plur.) as judges and officials. Some (were) responsible over 1,000 men, others over 100, and others over 50, and others over 10.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So I took the wise and respected men that your ancestors chose from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to rule/have authority over 1,000 people, some to have authority over 100 people, some to have authority over 50 people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

large numbers in Angguruk Yali

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”

This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:15

So I took the heads of your tribes: the text does not say that the people picked these men out; this may be understood from the narrative, but there is no account of it. It would not do for the translation to go beyond the Hebrew text and say that the people picked out the leaders. By the verb took, the text means that Moses summoned them to come to him.

Wise and experienced men: using two of the three terms in verse 13. We assume that in verse 13 “men” refers to males, and here in verse 15 they are also males. The “leaders” (Good News Translation) of tribes would always have been men.

And set them as heads over you: this seems to suggest an installation ceremony.

Commanders: since this is primarily a military position, the equivalent of “captains” or “chiefs” may be used. In descending order of authority these men were placed in charge of groups of one thousand men, one hundred men, fifty men, and ten men. Languages lacking terms for these quantities will have to use other means to display the difference in the number of men in each of the four groups referred to.

Officers: it is difficult to determine what was the precise responsibility of these men; they appear with the elders (Num 11.16) and with judges (Deut 16.18; Josh 8.33), and also in military contexts (Deut 20.5, 8, 9; Josh 1.10; 3.2). Dhorme translates “scribes,” but this does not seem appropriate here. The English word “officers” will be understood by most readers in a military sense; New Revised Standard Version is better with “officials.” It seems better to choose some more general term; Bible en français courant has “the task of overseeing.” An alternative translation model for this sentence is “I also appointed other officials as overseers of your people.”

Throughout your tribes: this modifies all the actions in the earlier part of the verse. Again, the translator must be aware of the possible misunderstanding of the possessive “your.” Contemporary English Version avoids this problem with “your official leaders,” also leaving tribes implicit.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .