gnat

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “gnat” or similar in English is translated in Bariai as “sand fly” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

Aaron

The name that is transliterated as “Aaron” in English is translated in Catalan Sign Language and Spanish Sign Language as “stones on chest plate” (according to Exodus 28:15-30) (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

In Colombian Sign Language, Honduras Sign Language, and American Sign Language, the chest plate is outlined (in ASL it is outlined using the letter “A”):


“Aaron” in ASL (source )

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

See also Moses, more information on Aaron , and this lectionary in The Christian Century .

complete verse (Exodus 8:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 8:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “Aaron stretched out his hand with his stick and struck the ground. The dust in the whole land of Egypt became gnats and it swarmed to the people and the animals.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They did the same. Aaron stretched out his hand with a stick and hit the dust on the ground. Then the men and animals were covered by the gnats. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They obeyed this, and when Aaron struck his staff/walking-stick on the ground, the dust-particles throughout the land of Egipto became/were-made-into mosquitoes. And the mosquitoes attacked the people and the animals.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Therefore the two of then did like that. Aron lifted up his stick and then struck the ground, and then all the dust of the ground in Isip became sand flies. And sand flies were swarming around humans and tame animals also.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “And they did it thus. Aaron reached out hand, took cane, hit dust of earth. Therefore, dust of earth changed into mosquito in country of Egypt all. And mosquito be present on people and animal.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “So they/we did that. Aaron struck the ground with his stick, and all over Egypt, the fine particles of ground/dirt became gnats. The gnats covered the people and all their animals.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 8:17

And they did so means that both Moses and Aaron followed the instructions given in verse 16; Moses told Aaron what to do, and Aaron did it. These words are omitted in some ancient versions, so some translations today do not include them (Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation omits them for reasons of dynamic equivalence; they are not really needed, since the following words clearly indicate that the instructions were carried out. Some translators, however, will wish to keep these words. Other ways to express them are “They obeyed” (Contemporary English Version), or even “They did what the LORD commanded them to do.”

Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod is an expansion of the similar clause in verse 16, which does not mention his hand. This does not need to be shown in translation, for there is only one action intended, and struck the dust of the earth. This is why Good News Translation combines both clauses into one, “So Aaron struck the ground with his stick.” The longer description, however, may add a bit of drama and suspense to the story.

And there came gnats on man and beast is literally “and there were gnats on man and beast.” It should be clear that the dust was changed to gnats at this time. Good News Translation makes this explicit by combining this clause with the rest of the verse: “and all the dust in Egypt was turned into gnats.” The translator must be sure the reader will not think that gnats started attacking people first, and then the dust gradually changed into more gnats. Contemporary English Version‘s rendering avoids this problem: “gnats started swarming on people and animals. In fact, every speck of dust in Egypt turned into a gnat.”

All the dust of the earth means wherever there was loose soil in Egypt, and throughout all the land of Egypt means that no part of the country escaped this plague.

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 .