family / clan / house

The Hebrew terms that are translated as “family” or “clan” or “house” or similar in English are all translated in Kwere as ng’holo or “clan.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In the English translation by Goldingay (2018) it is translated as “kin-group.”

See also tribe.

Levi

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Levi” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies a menorah referring to the temple service of the tribe of the Levites. The same sign is also used for the tribe. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Levi” or “Levite” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

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

See also Levite, Levi and the Tribe of Levi .

complete verse (Numbers 26:58)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 26:58:

  • Kupsabiny: “Other small houses which hail from the clan of Levi are house of Libni, house of Hebron, house of Mahli, house of Mushi and house of Korah.
    Kohath had his son who was called Amram.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The clans of the tribe of Levi was like this —
    the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites,
    the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites,
    the clan of the Korahites.
    Kohath was the ancestor of Amram.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “And from them came the families of Libni, Hebron, Mali, Mushi and Kora.
    Korat was the ancestor of Amram;” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “These also included people from the clans of Libni, Hebron, Mahli, Mushi, and Korah. All of them were descendants of Levi. Kohath was the ancestor of Amram,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 26:58

These are the families of Levi …: This verse may seem confusing after the previous one. However, out of the clans of the Gershonites, Kohathites and Merarites, this verse selects only a few specific “subclans” (Good News Bible). Libni was a son of Gershon (3.18), Hebron was a son of Kohath (3.19), Mahli and Mushi were Merari’s sons (3.20), and Korah was a son of Izhar, who was a son of Kohath (3.19; 16.1). Therefore the renderings of Contemporary English Version and New International Version are not helpful here. Contemporary English Version begins this verse with “as well as the clans of Libni, Hebron, Mahli, Mushi, and Korah,” and New International Version has “These also were Levite clans: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan.” The expressions “as well as” and “also” give the wrong suggestion that these clans were outside of and in addition to the clans of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. We advise translators to follow Good News Bible and Bible en français courant here by using the word “subclans” instead of “clans.”

And Kohath was the father of Amram: For the Hebrew verb rendered was the father of (holid), see the comments on verse 29. Amram was mentioned already in 3.19. This clause starts a short paragraph referring to Amram’s children (Aaron, Moses, and Miriam) as well as Aaron’s sons (verses 59-61). The parentheses around this paragraph in New International Version may give the wrong suggestion to some readers that its information is unimportant. The point of this specially included paragraph is to remind readers of the preeminent place of Aaron, his sons, and Moses in the clan structure of the tribe of Levi. It is placed here at the conclusion of the second census to ensure the continued priority of the Aaronic priesthood for the new generation. So it seems much better to print verses 58b-61 as one paragraph, without parentheses (so New Living Translation).

New Living Translation has the following helpful model for verse 58:
• The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites.
Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram….

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 .