The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “tabernacle” in English is translated in San Blas Kuna as “house of prayer that can be carried.” (Source: Ronald Ross)
In Bandi it is translated as “holy sitting place.” The “sitting place for the Bandi is where you live.” Therefore the tabernacle is the place where God lived. (Source: Becky Grossmann in this newsletter )
In Vidunda it is translated as “God’s tent” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Tibetan as gur mchog (གུར་མཆོག) or “perfect tent” (source: gSungrab website )
In American Sign Language it is translated with with a sign for “tent” combined with a sign referring to the outer court surrounding the tent (see Exodus 27:9 and following). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Tabernacle” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 25:9:
Kupsabiny: “A tent is to be built and all properties/utensils which go with it be made ready/prepared in the way I will direct you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “What I will show you, make tabernacle and all furnishings exactly like this.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Have-(someone)-make this Place-of-Worship Tent and all the things-for-use in-it exactly according-to the plan that I will-tell you.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Bariai: “And you (pl.) must make this shelter of mine together with all its things so that it turns out the same as the image which I will show you (sing.).’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Opo: “That dwelling tent of mine, you make it as I will show you it.»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
English: “They must make the Sacred Tent and all the things that will be used inside it according to the plan/model that I will show you.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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.
And let them make me a sanctuary is literally “And they will make for me a holy place.” New Revised Standard Version has changed this to “And have them make me,” and Good News Translation has “The people must make a sacred Tent for me.” However, since “sacred” means that it is Yahweh’s dwelling place, Contemporary English Version‘s translation is better and will be a good model for many translators: “I also want them to build a special place where I can live among my people.” Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible follow the Septuagint with the second person singular, “[You] make me a sanctuary,” but the Hebrew has the third person plural. There are a variety of ways to translate tabernacle or “sacred Tent”: “The portable house where I will live,” “the temporary shelter where I, Yahweh, will be,” “the tent where the people of Israel will worship me, the LORD,” and so on. That I may dwell in their midst is literally “and I will settle [or, live] in their midst.” The “and” may be read either as “so that” (Good News Translation) or as “and then” (similarly Revised English Bible and New International Version).
According to all that I show you is literally “Like all that I [am] causing you [singular] to see.” The participle, “causing to see,” gives the meaning “I am about to show you,” so one may say “I will show you” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “I shall now show you” (New Jerusalem Bible).
Concerning the pattern of the tabernacle is literally “the form [or, shape] of the dwelling.” (Concerning is not in the Hebrew.) This is really the direct object of the verb show, in the sense that “I will show the form to you.” The word for pattern also means “plan” (Good News Translation), or “design” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). As mentioned before, the word for tabernacle (mishkan) really means “dwelling.” This was translated as tabernaculum in the LatinVulgate. (See the discussion in the introduction to 26.1-14.)
And of all its furniture is another direct object of the verb show: “I will show [to you] the form of the tabernacle and the form of all its furniture.” The word for furniture, literally “objects,” refers to all the “furnishings” (Good News Translation) and “equipment” (Durham) that will be used in the tabernacle. So you shall make it is literally “thus you [plural] will make.” Since this is the main clause of the sentence, it may be easier to place this at the beginning of the verse (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible and others).
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 .
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