horn

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “(ram’s) horn” or “trumpet” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Yakan: tabuli’ (big sea shell used to give signals) (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Mairasi / Bariai: “Triton shell trumpet” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • German Luther translation: Posaune, today: “trombone,” originally with the meaning of a wind instrument made from cow horn (from Latin bucina [bovi- / “cow” + the root of cano / “sing”]. Incidentally, bucina is also used in the Latin Vulgate translation). By the time of Luther’s translation it referred to the natural trumpet or a fanfare trumpet (see also trumpet). Once the meaning morphed to “trombone” in the 19th century, trombone ensembles started to play a central role in Protestant German churches and do so to the present day. In 2016, “Posaunenchöre” became added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list . (Note that Exodus 19:13 is the only exception in the Luther Bible. From the 1956 revision on, Widderhorn or “ram’s horn” is used here) (source: Zetzsche)

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 horn was a wind instrument made from the horn of an animal, usually a male sheep.

Usage: The animal horn was softened so that it could be shaped. The point of the horn was cut off to leave a small opening through which the user blew. The vibration of the lips produced the sound.

The ram’s horn served two general purposes:

1. It was blown in certain religious contexts, not as musical accompaniment to worship but as a signal for important events. Some of these events were the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, the Day of Atonement, the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, and the coronation of kings.

2. It also served as a signal or alarm when war was approaching. Such references are particularly common in the prophetic books, when the prophets are calling the people to repent (Hosea 5:8; 8:1; Joel 2:1; 2:15; Amos 3:6).

Translation: In many passages the purpose of the ram’s horn called shofar in Hebrew was to sound an alarm. This will be easy to express in those cultures where the horns of animals are used as musical instruments to give signals to large groups of people. In other cultures it may be possible to find another instrument that is used for an equivalent purpose. In some languages, for example, instruments such as bells or drums are the warnings for war. Some translations have transliterated the word shofar. Unless the instrument is well known, such a borrowing should normally be accompanied by a footnote or a glossary entry.

In some passages it will be necessary to expand the translation in order to indicate that the blowing of the ram’s horn was not just for music; for example, in Ezekiel 7:14 Contemporary English Version has “A signal has been blown on the trumpet,” and the German Contemporary English Version says “An alarm is sounded” [elsewhere, the same German version refers to the horns as Kriegshörner or “war horns.”]

Man blowing ram’s horn (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)

Quoted with permission.

Ephraim

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ephraim” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “palm tree” referring to the palm of Deborah in the land of Ephraim (see Judges 4:5. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

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

For Deborah, see here.

More information about Ephraim and the Tribe of Ephraim .

complete verse (Judges 3:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 3:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Ehud reached the highlands of Ephraim he blew a horn wanting to call for battle. The people of Israel gathered there.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then after he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, he blew the trumpet. And the Israelites came down from the hills. He kept in front of them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When- he -arrived there, he sounded a horn/trumpet in the mountains of Efraim to summon the Israelinhon to fight. Then the Israelinhon came-down from the mountains led by Ehud.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “There he blew a trumpet to signal that the people should join him to fight the people of Moab. So the Israelis went with him from the hills. They went down toward the Jordan river, with Ehud leading them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 3:27

Ehud has killed the Moabite king and escaped to safety, but his exploits are not yet over. He becomes the model of a deliverer who rallies his men and leads them to battle, again against the Moabites. Ehud’s courage will later be seen to contrast with other leaders’ reluctance to go to battle. The phrase the hill country forms an inclusio around this verse.

This verse opens with the Hebrew word wayehi (literally “And it was”), which Revised Standard Version has not translated. There is a change in scene here, and in many places the wayehi expression marks a new paragraph. However, most English versions let the story flow here, marking no break.

When he arrived is literally “when he came,” showing that Ehud has arrived at a new location. verse 3.26 identifies this place as Seirah, which may be in the mountains. Translators might say “Having arrived there” or “When he arrived [in Seirah].”

He sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim means Ehud called the people of that region together. Sounded translates a Hebrew verb that means “give a blow [or, blast].” Sounding the trumpet in the Old Testament can be a call to worship, but it also can warn people of an invasion or call them to war. Good News Translation makes the purpose here clear by saying explicitly “he blew a trumpet to call the people of Israel to battle.” In this context the Hebrew word for trumpet (shofar) refers to a ram’s horn, which is still used in some parts of the world today to rally people. Translators should avoid referring to metal trumpets that are used in modern musical groups today. The text seems to imply that Ehud himself sounded the trumpet. But it is possible that he commanded one of his men to do so. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh sees Ehud, as the leader, giving orders to others, and so says “he had the ram’s horn sounded….” Here again, there is a play on words, since the Hebrew verb rendered sounded (taqaʿ) is the same one used to describe Ehud driving the sword into Eglon’s body (verse 3.21, there translated “thrust”). The same verb will be used in a later episode, as Jael drives a tent peg into the head of one of Israel’s enemies (verse 4.21).

For the hill country of Ephraim, see verse 2.9. It is likely that this territory was not completely under Israelite control at that time.

And the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country: Once again the people of Israel is literally “the sons [or, children] of Israel” (see verse 1.1). The Hebrew verb for went down (yarad) implies movement from a high elevation—the hill country—to a lower elevation, but it also implies military activity (see comments on verse 1.9). The Moabites were probably down in the Jordan Valley near Jericho. It is already clear that Ehud is leading the Israelites. The phrase with him indicates that they rally around him as their leader, ready for battle. The mountains are a place of safety and refuge, so the people’s willingness to leave this place shows they have put their confidence in Ehud’s leadership. However, Ehud is a Benjaminite, and he appears here to be leading people mainly from Ephraim. It is worth noting, however, that the territories of Benjamin and Ephraim were next to each other in the territory north of Jerusalem.

Having him at their head is literally “and he [was] before their faces.” This clause is a simple but emphatic statement of Ehud’s role as Israel’s leader. It also implies that he was physically in front of them. Like Hebrew and English, many languages may have an idiomatic expression to speak of Ehud going out before them. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “and he took the lead.”

Some translation examples for this verse are:

• Having arrived there, Ehud sounded the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim to call Israel to battle. Then he took the lead and led the Israelites down from the mountains.

• When Ehud got there, he sounded the battle call throughout the hill country of Ephraim. And the Israelites rallied and followed him down from the mountains.

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 .