cubit

The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated as “cubit” or into a metric or imperial measurement in English is translated in Kutu, Kwere, and Nyamwezi as makono or “armlength.” Since a cubit is the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, one armlength (measured from the center of the chest to the fingertips) equals two cubits or roughly 1 meter. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Similarly, in Akoose, the translation is “arm distance.” (Source: Joseph Nkwelle Ngome and Marlie van Rooyen & Jacobus A. Naudé in Communicatio 2009, p. 251ff.)

In Klao it is converted into “hand spans” (app. 6 inches or 12 cm) and “finger spans” (app. 1 inch or 2 cm) (source: Don Slager) and in Bariai into leoa or “fathom,” which comprises the distance from a person’s fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched, app. 6 feet (source: Bariai Back Translation).

complete verse (Exodus 38:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 38:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “And (concerning) both sides of the gate, each one had a curtain of about seven meters and three pillars together with three things which those pillars stood on.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They made fifteen-fifteen cubits long curtains at both sides of the entrance and made three-three pillars and bases for it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The entrance of-the yard/courtyard was-on the east, and it has curtain also on the side. The curtain on the right was-about 22 and a half feet long, and it-was connected/attached to-the three posts which is-inserted also to-the three bases.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And at the fence’s opening on this side and that side, they hung two cloths, one on one side, and the other on the other side, having a length which amounted to three fathoms and an extra part extending to our (incl.) opposite elbow’s bending. They made those two sides of the fence’s opening together with six posts, three on one side, and three on the other side, together with their bras post-bases.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Also they make door on it. They hang clothes on the left at door, so that its width be joint of hand which be 15, and its hanging wood three, and its planting-hole three,” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “On each side of the entrance, they made a curtain 22-1/2 feet/6.6 meters wide. On each side they were hung from three posts, and one base was under each post.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 38:13 - 38:16

Verses 13-15 repeat almost word for word what is said in 27.13-15, and verse 16 repeats part of 27.18. The word order is different, especially in verse 15, which reads literally “and for the second shoulder, from this and from that to the gate of the court, hangings of fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their bases three.” Good News Translation again combines these verses in order to bring out the meaning more clearly: “On each side of the entrance there were 7½ yards of curtains, with three posts and three bases.” (The British edition has “6.6 metres of curtains.”)

Verse 16 summarizes what was true for all hangings, namely, that they were all made from fine twined linen, literally “fine linen twisted.” (See the comment at 26.1.)

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 .