firstborn

The Hebrew that is translated as “firstborn” in English is translated in Elhomwe here as “first-born male children.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also firstborn.

consecrate, consecration

The Greek and Hebrew that are translated as “consecration” or “consecrate” in English is translated in Poqomchi’ as “set apart” (when applying to a ritual not to a moral status). (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Newari it is translated as “make holy” (source: Newari Back Translation) and in Kwere as “put to holy work” when it refers to making someone or something suitable for priestly duties, when it refers to individual consecration outside of the priestly duty, “offer (yourselves) for my sake” is also used. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also holy / sacred / taboo.

complete verse (Exodus 13:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 13:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘Dedicate/set aside for me all the firstborn males/boys. Any firstborn of an Israelite is mine. All the firstborn young bulls and rams are also mine.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Consecrated to me all the firstborn male Israelites. All first born males belong to me. Also dedicate to me all the first born male animals.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Dedicate to me all the first-born males of the Israelinhon and all the first-born animals. They (are) mine.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘You (pl.) must put my taboo/mark of ownership on all your firstborn male children so that they exist as my own. And you must put my mark of ownership also like that on the firstborn children of your tame animals.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “«Children firstborn males of people of Israel all, you make them [that] they might be holy for me. Children of firstborn males of people and animal all, they will be mine.»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Set apart all the firstborn males in order that they may belong to me. The firstborn males of the Israeli people and of their animals will be mine.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Exod 13:1-2

The LORD said to Moses introduces again the words of Yahweh to Moses, since 12.50-51 is a narrative summary inserted within this instructional material. It is significant that Aaron is not included this time.

Consecrate to me is the verb “to be holy,” but it is used here as an imperative with the meaning “you [singular] designate or set apart as holy.” Although this is addressed only to Moses, it is intended for all Israelites. “Dedicate” has the same meaning. To me means to Yahweh. Durham has “set apart for me.” Another way to express this is “Set apart as belonging to me.” All the first-born probably refers just to “the first-born males” (Good News Translation). (See verses 12 and 15, and the comment at 11.5.)

Whatever is the first to open the womb is a technical expression that means the same as first-born. It should be noted, however, that this Hebrew expression does not specify the gender, whether male or female, so Translator’s Old Testament‘s “first child” is perhaps more accurate. (See also verses 12-13 and 34.19-20.) Good News Translation simply repeats “Every first-born male Israelite,” and Contemporary English Version has “the first-born son of every family”; but in some languages it may be necessary here to specify the firstborn of the mother. Revised English Bible has “the first birth of every womb,” and Translator’s Old Testament has “the first child born to every Israelite woman.” Among the people of Israel, literally “sons of Israel,” means “Israelites” in general (New Revised Standard Version).

Both of man and of beast uses the generic term for both “human beings” and “animals” (New Revised Standard Version). On the basis of verses 12 and 15, Good News Translation indicates that “male” is intended in both cases. Is mine is literally “to me that,” meaning “belongs to me” (Good News Translation). In some languages it will be helpful to have a separate sentence for this clause; for example, “These belong to me.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The LORD said to Moses, “You [plural] must set apart as belonging to me all the firstborn sons of every Israelite family and the firstborn males of your animals. These belong to me.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .