complete verse (Deuteronomy 4:48)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 4:48:

  • Kupsabiny: “That land started from Aroer which was at the edge of the valley of the river Arnon and it went to the mountain of Sirion, and that is the mountain of Hermon.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “From Aroer, which is above the gorge of the Arnon river in their country, up to Mount Sion. (This is also called Mount Hermon.)” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Their land which were-taken-over by the Israelinhon begin from Aroer, above of Arnon which is the channel/water-course/place-where- the water -flows going to Mount Sirion which is- also -called Hermon,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Their land extended from Aroer town in the south along the Arnon River, as far north as Sirion Mountain, which most people call Hermon Mountain.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 4:48

Aroer … on the edge of the valley of the Arnon: see 2.36; 3.12.

Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon): as the Revised Standard Version note states, the Hebrew has “Sion”; Syriac reads “Sirion.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew text, and states “ ‘Sion’ may be another name for ‘Sirion.’ ” (It should be noted that “Sion” is not the same name as the Hebrew for “Zion”.) In light of 3.8-9 translators may prefer “Sirion,” perhaps with a footnote stating that the Hebrew text has another name for the same mountain, “Sion,” with a reference to 3.8-9. The Good News Translation model will be a helpful one for many translators.

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 .