tabernacle (noun)

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

See also tabernacle (verb) / dwell, festival of Tabernacles and ark of the covenant.

bronze

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “bronze” in English is translated in Newari as “bell-metal,” since bells are made of bronze in Nepal (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also bronze vessel.

complete verse (Exodus 38:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 38:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “All the pegs were made of bronze right from those for stretching the Tent and the courtyard.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The pegs of the tent and the pegs of the courtyard were bronze.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “All the pegs that-support the Tent (were) pure bronze and the curtain around it.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And they took bras for making the small holders for the shelter’s ropes and [for] the ropes of the fence also, and so later they pounded them into the ground.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “And nail of tent and nail of fence all, they pound it with metal red.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “All the tent pegs to support the Sacred Tent and the curtains around the courtyard were made of bronze.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 38:19 - 38:20

These verses repeat the rest of the information given in 27.16-19. Their pillars is the same grammatical problem as in 27.16, for there seems to be no antecedent for the pronoun their. This may be changed to “its pillars,” referring to the “screen” in verse 18. Good News Translation has “It was supported by four posts.” Their four bases, of course, refers to the pillars or “bronze posts” (Contemporary English Version). The overlaying of their capitals is the same as verse 17 above. This expression is not included in chapter 27 but is found in 36.38. (See the comment there.) And their fillets suggests that the “rods” (Good News Translation) or “bands” (New Revised Standard Version) were also overlaid with silver. (See the comment on fillets at 27.10.)

Verse 20 is the same as 27.19, except that there is no reference to the “utensils … for every use.” (See the comment there.)

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 .