complete verse (Leviticus 11:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 11:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not eat the meat of that animal and do not even touch (it) when it has died because (it) is not clean as far as you are concerned.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The flesh of these animals is not OK for you to eat, furthermore, it is not OK to touch their carcasses. These are unclean for you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But you (plur.) may- not -eat the animals which chews again their cud/food/what-they-ate but their hooves do-not-have splitting, just-like a camel and a rabbit. You (plur.) also may- not -eat the pig, for even-if its hoof is-split, it does- not -chew again its cud/what- it -ate. You (plur.) are-to-consider these animals dirty/unclean. You (plur.) are- not -to-eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “All of those animals are unacceptable for you, so you must not eat their meat or even touch their carcasses.” (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 11:8

The beginning of this verse repeats part of the prohibition already stated in verse 4. This is probably done for emphasis. If the receptor language uses such repetition for emphasis, it should be retained as in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. But it may be omitted in cases where such repetition is contrary to the style of the receptor language or where it is used for other purposes.

You shall not …: see comments on verse 4.

Their flesh: the pronoun here refers to all the animals that were forbidden in the previous verses, not just to the pigs of the previous verse.

Their carcasses you shall not touch: this is additional information in this context (although it has its parallel in 5.2). The supplementary character of this prohibition is highlighted in Good News Translation by the addition of “even.” A similar form may be used in other languages to perform the same function.

To you: this element is again left implicit in Good News Translation because readers will automatically assume this information without its being stated. But it may be retained in many languages. New English Bible has restructured this part of the verse to say “you shall regard them as unclean.” Compare verses 5, 6, and 7 above.

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 .