complete verse (Numbers 32:37)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 32:37:

  • Kupsabiny: “The clan of Reuben renewed the cities of Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, Nebo, Baal-meon, and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities that they built.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “And the tribes of Ruben built-up Heshbon, Eleale, Kiriataim” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 32:37-38

Verses 37-38 list the cities that Moses assigned to the Reubenites. It may be helpful to use a separate paragraph for this second set of cities (so Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation).

And the sons of Reuben built …: As in verse 34 (see the comments there), built may be rendered “rebuilt” (Good News Bible, New Jewish Publication Society Version) or “fortified.”

Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, and Baal-meon … and Sibmah: These are the specific locations where the Reubenite soldiers left their dependents before crossing the Jordan River to fight alongside the other tribes in the conquest of Canaan. The previous ruler of these cities had probably been the Amorite king Sihon, whose capital city was Heshbon (see 21.25-26). See verse 3 for Elealeh, Nebo, and Sibmah (where it is spelled “Sebam”). For a fuller description of the land that Moses assigned to the Reubenites, see Josh 13.15-23.

(Their names to be changed) … and they gave other names to the cities which they built: As Rashi noted, some of these cities bore names associated with pagan gods. The Israelites were impelled to rename these cities, so that the pagan gods were not mentioned when reading the sacred text. Good News Bible renders the parenthetical phrase their names to be changed as “this name was changed.” It is not clear how many names this phrase refers to in Hebrew, which is literally “name being changed.” Translations vary on this, but NET and WV leave it ambiguous by saying “with a change of name,” and so does Alter with “changed in name.” If an ambiguous rendering is not possible, Good News Bible is a good model to follow, since the name Baal-meon stands out as a name associated with a pagan god, that is, Baal (see 25.3). Nebo is the name of a god in Isa 46.1, so like Rashi, Contemporary English Version and De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling apply this phrase to both Nebo and Baal-meon. Contemporary English Version renders verses 37-38 as follows:
• 37 The tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Sibmah, as well as the towns that used to be known as Nebo and Baal-Meon. They renamed all those places.

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 .