complete verse (Leviticus 27:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 27:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “That person cannot replace (it) with another animal whether it is a good one or not good. But if he proceeds to replace with another animal, both are then dedicated/set aside.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He must not exchange the animal vowed to be offered to the LORD [for another one]. He must not exchange a good animal for bad animal that is not good, or [lit.: and] bad animal he must not exchange for a good animal. If he offers a substitute animal instead of the other [originally vowed] animal, both animals will be holy.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He must not exchange this with another animal, even-if this (is) still better. If he does this, the animal that he vowed and the animal that he exchanged both will- now -belong to the LORD.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The person who promised to give it must not give another animal instead of the one that he promised; he must not substitute a bad animal for a good one or even a better one than the one offered. If he would substitute one animal for the other, both animals would belong to me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 27:10

He: this refers to the person who made the promise to God.

Substitute … exchange: these two verbs have very similar meanings but may be slightly different. According to some writers substitute gives the idea of replacing one animal by an exact equivalent, while exchange is to replace with something different. But the Septuagint translated the two by a single term. And they may be translated by a single verb in the receptor language, if synonyms cannot be found, or if it would be unnatural to use two verbs here.

A good for a bad, or a bad for a good: this information is left implicit in Good News Translation, but it emphasizes that substitutes are forbidden under all circumstances—even when the worshiper wants to provide a better animal than originally presented. In some languages this may be stated as follows “even if a better animal is presented.”

Be holy: dynamically rendered “belong to the LORD” in this context.

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 .