complete verse (Numbers 31:53)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 31:53:

  • Kupsabiny: “The things that the soldiers had plundered reached/amounted to one hundred and ninety kilos.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As it turned out, each of the men who had gone to battle had brought his own plunder.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These are from what had-been-taken by each soldier from war.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Each soldier had taken these things for himself.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 31:53

(The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself): Since the Israelite army commanders gave the entire donation of gold (verses 48-52 and 54), The men of war refers to “Those who were not officers” (Good News Translation). These common soldiers took and kept their own spoil from the war with the Midianites. Bible en français courant makes this clear by saying “As for the common soldiers, each kept for himself the booty that he had picked up” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bijbel in Gewone Taal, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling, Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting, Buber).

Revised Standard Version and Contemporary Russian Version place parentheses around this verse because it interrupts verses 52 and 54, which are both about the commanders. The Hebrew word order seems to indicate that this verse is a parenthetical statement. Some languages will have an appropriate way of marking this verbally, without the need for actual parentheses; for example, Chewa begins this verse with “It so happened that the ordinary soldiers had taken….”

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 .