complete verse (Numbers 16:44)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 16:44:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then God said to Moses,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “And the LORD spoke to Moses,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “and the LORD said to Moises,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“tell”)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, tsuge-rare-ru (告げられる) or “tell” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Numbers 16:43 - 16:45

And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting: The conjunction And may be rendered “Then” (New Revised Standard Version) or “At that [immediate point in] time” (Chewa). It introduces the next event. The front of the tent of meeting may be translated “the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.”

And the LORD said to Moses: See 1.1.

Get away from the midst of this congregation is literally “Lift yourselves from the midst of this community.” The Hebrew verb here is plural, referring to Moses and Aaron. This verb may be rendered “Withdraw” or “Separate yourselves.” More expressive translations in English are “Stand back!” (Contemporary English Version) and “Stand well clear” (Revised English Bible). This congregation is better translated “this community” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; see 1.2)

That I may consume them in a moment: See the comments on verse 21.

And they fell on their faces: The pronoun they refers to Moses and Aaron. Good News Translation makes this clear by saying “The two of them,” and so does New Century Version with “Moses and Aaron.” For fell on their faces, see verse 4 and 14.5.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .