Great Sea

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “Great Sea” or similar is translated in Khoekhoe as “Mediterranean Sea.” (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Numbers 34:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 34:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “This is how your border in the North is to stay: It begins from the Mediterranean Sea and stretches like that to the mountain of Hor.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “’Your northern boundary will move on from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘The boundary in the north will-start at Mediteraneo towards Mount Hor,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The border on the north will start from the Mediterranean Sea and extend east to Hor Mountain.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Numbers 34:7 - 34:9

This shall be your northern boundary …: Verses 7-9 describe the northern border of Israel, so they form a distinct paragraph. This border is rather unclear but apparently extends into Syria, well north of Sidon (so Alter, page 856). It largely corresponds with the northern boundary of the tribe of Dan in Ezek 47.15-17 and 48.1 after their migration to the north (see Josh 19.47; so Budd, page 365; Noth, page 249).

From the Great Sea you shall mark out your line to Mount Hor: For the Great Sea, which Good News Translation renders “the Mediterranean,” see verse 6. You shall mark out your line is literally “you shall mark for yourselves [your border].” To eliminate the notion that the people had to literally mark this border for themselves, translators may follow Good News Translation here, which begins verse 7 with “The northern border will follow a line from….” Mount Hor seems to refer to an unknown location in Lebanon; it is not the same mountain where Aaron died, so Contemporary English Version has the following footnote on Mount Hor: “Not the same as in 33.37.”

From Mount Hor you shall mark it out to the entrance of Hamath: For the entrance of Hamath, which Good News Translation renders “Hamath Pass,” see 13.21.

And the end of the boundary shall be at Zedad means the northernmost point of the northern border will be the town of Zedad. This town is also mentioned in Ezek 47.17. Contemporary English Version renders this clause as “and across to Zedad, which is the northern edge of your land.”

Then the boundary shall extend to Ziphron: The exact location of Ziphron is unknown since it is mentioned only here in the Bible. However, it was probably further east than Zedad.

And its end shall be at Hazar-enan means the eastern end of the northern border will be Hazar-enan. Ezek 47.17 locates Hazar-enan as being somewhere near the northern border of the Damascus area (so Ashley, page 641).

This shall be your northern boundary is a summary statement for verses 7-9. Good News Translation omits it, but most other translations keep it.

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 .