sanctuary

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “sanctuary” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with opatulika or “separated place.” This is understood in a religious setup as a place designated for worship. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (Exodus 36:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 36:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then Moses announced to all the people in that camp that, ‘Nobody should still/again bring any building material for the Tent of God.’ So people did not bring more of those things” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then Moses announced this all around the camp, ‘From now any men and women do not bring any other things to offer for the Tent of Meeting. Therefore the people stopped to bring other offering.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So Moises sent this command throughout the/(to the whole) camp: ‘No one was-to-offer for the cause-to-stand/erect of the Tent.’ So the people stopped bringing their offerings,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “It came about that Moses made strong talk to the people in the camp as follows, ‘No one [any] more is able/permitted to bring anything for making this shelter.’ Therefore they ceased from bring more things forth,” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Therefore, Moses sent messengers they might go go about inside of place of people of Israel they might say like this «Men with women all, they must not gift(s) other take for work of Dwelling-Tent-of-God.» Therefore, they forbid them take other things,” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “So Moses/I gave the skilled men this message that was proclaimed throughout the camp: ‘No one should bring anything more as an offering to make the Sacred Tent!’ When the people heard that, they did not bring anything more.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Moses” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Translation commentary on Exod 36:6 - 36:7

So Moses gave command is literally “and Moses commanded.” And word was proclaimed throughout the camp is literally “and they caused a sound to pass through the camp.” The pronoun “they” is indefinite, so Revised Standard Version and others use the passive form, was proclaimed. The two clauses together introduce the words of the command, so they may be understood as “Moses sent a command throughout the camp” (Good News Translation), or as “Moses issued this order throughout the camp” (Translator’s Old Testament). The exact words of the “command” are marked with the Hebrew word “saying.” Good News Translation changes the direct quote to indirect. However, in some languages one will need to use the direct quote; for example, “So Moses told them to tell all the people, ‘None of you have to give any more things for the sacred tent.’ ”

Let neither man nor woman do anything more is literally “A man and a woman shall not make still a task.” This is like a third person imperative, which New Revised Standard Version changes to “No man or woman is to make anything else.” The Hebrew specifies both man and woman, but Good News Translation considers this to be understood with “no one.” New Jerusalem Bible has “No one, whether man or woman.” For the offering of the sanctuary is literally “for the contribution for the holy [place].” The word for offering is the same word used in the first part of verse 3. (See the comment at 25.2.)

So the people were restrained from bringing is literally “and the people were kept back from bringing [or, causing to enter].” There is no object for bringing, so it may be added from the context: “bringing gifts” (Revised English Bible), or “bringing more” (New International Version). Good News Translation has “So the people did not bring any more,” but the verb for were restrained carries the idea of being prevented. New Jerusalem Bible is better: “So the people were prevented from bringing any more.” In languages that do not use the passive voice, one may say, for example “so they [unknown agents] stopped the people from bringing any more.”

For the stuff they had was sufficient is literally “and the task [or, work] was their sufficiency.” The pronoun they may refer either to the people who had brought the materials or to the workers who now had these materials to work with. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh takes the former view, “their efforts had been more than enough,” and New International Version takes the latter view, “what they already had was more than enough.” Good News Translation avoids taking one or the other view, by changing to the passive voice: “What had already been brought was more than enough,” and Contemporary English Version has “But there was already more than enough to do what needed to be done.” Translators are urged to follow Good News Translation or Contemporary English Version. To do all the work, and more is literally “to do [or, make] and to have remaining.”

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 .