complete verse (Numbers 19:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 19:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “This is the law for when a person has died in a tent: Any person who has entered the tent or is in the tent, is unclean for seven days.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If any person dies in a tent, here are the rules: — The people who came into the tent and were inside the tent will be unclean for seven days. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘This is the regulation when someone died inside the tent: Whoever enter the tent that someone had-died or he/she is already there inside at the time of death, will-be-considered unclean/dirty for a period/[lit. inside] of seven days.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘here is another ritual that must be performed when someone dies inside a tent. All those who were inside that tent when that person died or who enter that tent will be unacceptable to me for seven days.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 19:14

After the more general paragraph of verses 11-13, verses 11-22 apply the purification procedure in more detail by means of several particular cases.

This is the law when a man dies in a tent …: The first particular case involves being with a corpse in a tent. For the Hebrew word rendered law (torah), see the comments on 5.29. Here it may be translated “ritual” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “ritual law” (New Living Translation). Good News Translation leaves the idea of law implied here, but it would be better to make it explicit by beginning this verse with “This is the ritual law that applies when someone dies inside a tent…” (New Living Translation). For tent see 1.1.

Every one who comes into the tent, and every one who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days: Good News Translation helpfully adds “at the time of death” to this sentence, saying “anyone who is in the tent at the time of death or who enters it becomes ritually unclean for seven days.”

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 .