complete verse (Numbers 4:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 4:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those people of the house of Kohath must not enter into the Tent to see even a little those things that are honored. If they see (them) they shall die.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy items, not even for a moment, or else they will die."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “For if no-one-accompany them, they must not enter/go-(in) to look at the holy things for even for a moment, so they will- not -die.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘When the descendants of Kohath approach the sacred items in the Sacred Tent to take them to another location, Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and show each of them what work to do and what things to carry. But the descendants of Kohath must not enter the Sacred Tent at any other time and look at the things that are in it. If they do that, I will get rid of all the descendants of Kohath.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 4:20

But they shall not go in to look upon the holy things even for a moment, lest they die: In verse 15 it was enough for the Kohathites not to touch the most sacred objects. But here the prohibition seems to go even further: they were not even allowed to see them while they were still uncovered! The pronoun they refers to the Kohathites, which may have to be made explicit (so Good News Translation). The phrase even for a moment is not in the Hebrew text. It is found in many translations and does not change the main point of the prohibition here. Good News Translation follows the Hebrew more closely here. In Hebrew this verse is literally “and they shall not go in to see when [the priests] engulf/envelop the holy things, and they die.” King James Version follows the Hebrew closely by saying “but they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die” (similarly Buber). The Kohathites were not allowed to see the most sacred objects while they were uncovered. Two possible models for this verse are:

• But let the Kohathites not come inside and look while the sacred objects are still being covered/enveloped, lest they die.”

• But let the Kohathites not come inside and catch a glimpse of the sacred objects while they are still being covered/enveloped, lest they die.”

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 .