hand drum / frame drum

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “tambourine,” “timbrel,” or “drum” in English is translated in the following ways:

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: The drum consisted of a membrane, usually of animal skin, which was stretched over a shallow circular, triangular, or square frame.

Usage: The drum was struck sharply with one or two hands, depending on where it was situated. It could be held in the left hand, under the left arm, or against the chest and struck with the right hand, or it could be held on the knees or the ground and struck with one or two hands. The fingers of the left hand could be used to tighten or loosen the tension on the membrane as it was struck with the palm of the right hand.

Translation: The use of the Hebrew word tof is usually associated with singing, processions, and festivals. Archaeological evidence indicates that drums with metal circlets on the frame (“tambourines” or “timbrels”) were not known in biblical times. As a general rule, the best translation for this word will be “hand drum” or simply “drum.”

Lyre (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)

Quoted with permission.

complete verse (Judges 11:34)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 11:34:

  • Kupsabiny: “After that, Jephthah returned home there in Mizpah. He had one child only and it was a girl. At that time/Then the child came out to welcome her father. That girl was shaking a tambourine singing with happiness.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When Jephthah came back home in Mizpah. Suddenly his daughter came out to meet him, beating a tambourines and dancing. She was his only daughter; he had no other sons or daughters.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Jefta went-home to Mizpa, he was-met by his female child/(daughter) who was-dancing while playing the tambourine. She was the only child of Jefta.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was joyfully playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no sons and no other daughters.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 11:34

Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah: After Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, he returned home. Then, which renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, introduces the next event in the story. However, many versions change this independent clause into a dependent temporal one. For example, Good News Translation has “When Jephthah went back home to Mizpah.” Came to his home is literally “came to his house.” For Mizpah see verse 10.17.

And behold, his daughter came out to meet him …: The audience has been waiting to hear who or what will come out first to meet Jephthah (see verse 11.31). The narrator marks this scene with the Hebrew word hinneh (behold), which calls the reader’s attention to this climax in the story. Translators should use a similar expression, such as “Suddenly” or “All of a sudden.” There may be special idioms that are appropriate, such as “Then and there” and “Right on the spot.” Jephthah’s daughter comes into the story for the first time here. Despite the fact that she remains unnamed here, her role in the story and her words of wisdom are crucial. The text does not say how old she was, but in light of what is said, she was probably nearing the age to marry. So she was a young woman, not a girl. Came out renders a Hebrew participle, a form that often occurs following the word hinneh. This grammatical construction adds liveliness to the scene, making it seem like the action is just happening. Translators should try to render this vividness here.

With timbrels and with dances: The traditional way of welcoming home the victors or celebrating a victory was with timbrels and dances (see Exo 15.20-21; verse 1 Sam 18.6-7). A timbrel was a drum-like instrument held in one hand and struck with the other. It is similar to the tambourine. It was associated mostly with women and processions or celebrations. Timbrels accompanied dances. If timbrels are unknown, we might say “playing a small drum and dancing.” It may also be helpful to add an illustration of a woman playing a timbrel and dancing.

She was his only child: This is the first of two clauses that describe Jephthah’s daughter as his only child. This detail emphasizes how special and important she was to Jephthah. In this way the storyteller heightens the tension, and emphasizes Jephthah’s pain upon seeing her. This clause begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction, but here it clearly introduces background information and may be omitted as Revised Standard Version has done.

Beside her he had neither son nor daughter is literally “there was not to him apart from him, [another] son or daughter.” Most versions understand “apart from him” to mean “apart from her” (so Revised Standard Version, New International Version). The repetition here is important for the story, stressing the girl’s value to her father and underlining the sadness of this event. Good News Translation omits this clause, losing much of the drama of this scene.

A translation model for this verse is:

• After the war Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah. It was his daughter, his only child, who came out [first] to meet him. Apart from her, Jephthah had no other children. She ran out to meet him, playing her tambourine and dancing for joy.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .