inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Num 32:18)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding Moses.

complete verse (Numbers 32:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 32:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “We shall not come home until all our other people are living/staying in that country that God promised to (them).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As long as all the Israelites have not taken the inheritance they were told they would be given, we will not return home.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “We (excl.) will- not -go-home until all the Israelinhon will-be-able-to-receive their land which is their inheritance.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “We will not return to our homes until every Israeli has received some land.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 32:18

The two positive statements of commitment in verses 16-17 are now followed by a pair of negative assertions in 18-19.

We will not return to our homes may be rendered more precisely as “We will not come back here to our places of dwelling.”

Until the people of Israel have inherited each his inheritance: Since the Gadites and Reubenites are not referring to themselves here, the people of Israel may be rendered “all the other Israelites” (Good News Translation). Another possible model is “every Israelite” (NET Bible). The Hebrew verb for inherited (nachal) and the noun for inheritance (nachalah) come from the same root. In English the words inherited and inheritance do not combine well stylistically, so New Revised Standard Version renders inherited as “obtained,” and New International Version says “received.” In this context the word nachalah refers to a distinct section of land that has been apportioned or allocated to a family (compare the comments on 16.14). In some languages the term “inheritance” may refer to something received upon the death of a close relative, which is not true here. If so, it is better to say “assigned land” (similarly Good News Translation) or “allotted land.” Each his inheritance refers to the portion of land assigned to each Israelite. Good News Translation says “the land assigned to them,” which loses the emphasis here on the individual. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible provides a better model for this clause, saying “until each of the Israelites is in possession of his inheritance.” Another possible model is “until every Israelite family is in possession of its assigned land.”

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 .