complete verse (Leviticus 11:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 11:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “Any animal that has four legs and has paws is unclean. If a person has touched that animal when it has died that person is unclean until sunset.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Among all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) are- not -to-touch the dead bodies of the animals that their hooves do-not-have splitting and does-not chew again their cud/food/what-they-ate. You (plur.) are- also not -to-touch the dead bodies of the animals that have four legs which have paws which (are) used-for-scratching. You (plur.) are-to-consider these animals dirty/unclean. Whoever happens-to-touch their dead bodies, he/she should wash his/her garment/clothes, but he/she still is-to-be-considered dirty/unclean until (it) becomes-dusk/twilight.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “From all the animals that walk on the ground, you must not touch the carcasses of those that have paws to walk on. Anyone who touches one of their carcasses must not touch other people until that evening.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Leviticus 11:26 - 11:28

In order to avoid the repetition of several different redundant phrases, Good News Translation has restructured verses 24-28. Revised Standard Version, on the other hand, represents a much more literal rendering of the Hebrew. If a radical restructuring such as in Good News Translation is undertaken in the receptor language, it should be done on the basis of that language’s requirements and not just as a literal rendering of Good News Translation. A careful check should be made to be sure that all the components of meaning appear in the restructured version.

If the restructuring is less radical than in Good News Translation, verse 26 should probably begin by repeating or rephrasing the words at the beginning of verse 24: “By these [animals] you shall become unclean” or “These are the animals that make people unclean….”

Which parts the hoof …: see verse 3. Here two distinct categories of animals are involved: those which are not cloven-hoofed (such as horses and donkeys) and those which do not chew the cud (such as pigs). The text does not intend to speak of two characteristics of a single group of animals but of two separate categories. The translation should make this clear. Note that verse 3 has “cloven-footed,” while here the term is “cloven-hoofed.” However, the same term can be used in translation for both expressions.

That go on their paws: literally “that walk on their palms.” The distinction seems to be between those animals that walk on the flat of their feet (like dogs and cats), and those that have a hollow in their hoofs and whose feet therefore do not completely touch the ground when walking. Some versions make this clearer by using an expression like “flat paws” (New English Bible). Jerusalem Bible translated “on the flat of their foot,” but the revision of New Jerusalem Bible has “on the flat of their paws.” Perhaps the use of the word “paws” by itself, as in Good News Translation, will be adequate to convey this meaning in some languages.

Among the animals that go on all fours: literally “… that walk on fours.” In some languages this may be redundant, coming after the words that go on their paws.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .