complete verse (Deuteronomy 24:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 24:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “and then also that second husband sends her away or that man dies,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “then if she is also not pleasing to that man and he writes a paper to give a divorce, and puts it in that woman’s hand, and sends her away, or if the husband dies,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “and she will- again -be-separated again by her second husband or her second husband dies,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “and that man later also decides that he does not like her, and he also writes on paper that he is divorcing her, and he sends her away from his house. Or, suppose that the second husband dies.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 24:3

The latter husband dislikes her: this is a most unnatural construction in English; something like “the second husband” or “this husband” is better. The same thing happens as in the first case: there is something about her that the second husband also doesn’t like. The Hebrew verb is often translated “hates”; but here the more moderate dislikes is better in English. New Jerusalem Bible has “takes a dislike to her.”

Writes a bill of divorce …: the second husband follows the same three-step procedure followed by the first husband.

Or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife: New Revised Standard Version is better, “(or the second man who married her dies).” The point being made is that the woman may not remarry her first husband, so the possibility arises not only that the second husband may divorce her, but also that he may die. The clause who took her to be his wife is redundant information and will be unnatural style in a number of languages.

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 .