Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Genesis 11:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:6:

Kankanaey: “he said, ‘If that is what they do now because their minds/thoughts and their language/speech are only-one, there-is-nothing that they will not be-capable-of in the future (lit. addition of days).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “Then He said — All these are of one ethnic group and are speakers of one language. This is just the beginning of the work they are about to do. From now on these [people] will be able to do anything they desire.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “He said, ‘These people are united/of-one-mind and they have only one language. And this [what] they are-doing is only the beginning yet of [what] they still will/would-do. In a short-time/[lit. in not long] they will-do whatever they want to-do.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Yahweh said, ‘These people are one group that all speak the same language. If they have begun to do this now, then there is nothing that they will decide to do that will be impossible for them/they will be able to do whatever they decide to do!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:7:

Kankanaey: “Let us then go there so-that we will-cause-to-be-of-various-kinds their speech/language so-that they will not understand-one-another.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “Let us go down and defeat them by causing their languages to conflict. Then they will not understand what they say to one another.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So hurry, let- us -interfere. Let- us -make- their language -different so they will- not -understand-each-other.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So, okay/now, we will go down there and cause there to be many different languages, so that they will not be able to understand each other.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:8:

Kankanaey: “And-so that is what God did, and afterwards the collective-people separated-from-each-other on the surface of the earth and they didn’t continue to make that city.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “In this way the LORD scattered them all over the earth. And the work of building the city was also stopped.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So the LORD caused- them -to-be-scattered over the whole world because they did- not now -understand-each-other, and their building/erecting of the city stopped.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So Yahweh did that. As a result, the people stopped building the city, and Yahweh caused them to disperse all over the earth.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:9:

Kankanaey: “That is the reason that they named that town/country Babel or Babilonia, because that is where- God -caused-to-be-of-various-kinds the speech/language of people. And starting-from there (in time or space), they were completely repeatedly-scattered (i.e., various scatterings) over the entire world.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “So the name of that city became Babel. For the LORD confused the languages of the people there, and scattered them all over the earth.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This city was called Babilonia because it was there the LORD caused-to-be-different the language of the people, and from there he caused- them -to-be-scattered over the whole earth/world.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The city was called Babel which means ‘confusion’, because there Yahweh caused the people to become confused because the people spoke different languages that the others could not understand, not just one language. From there Yahweh caused them to disperse all over the earth.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:10:

Newari: “Here is the list of the descendants of Shem — Two years after the flood came, when [he] was 100 years old, a son called Arphaxad was born to Shem.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This is the story about the family of Shem. Two years after the very severe flood, when Shem was-age-of 100 years, his son Arfaxad was-born.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “This is a bigger list/I will now tell you more of the descendants of Shem: Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arpachshad.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:11:

Newari: “After that he lived another 500 years. Other sons and daughters were born to him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “After Arfaxad was-born, Shem still lived for 500 years and his children continued to-increase-in-number.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “After Arpachshad was born, Shem lived 500 more years and had more sons and daughters.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:12:

Newari: “When Arphaxad was 35 years old, his son named Shelah was born.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When Arfaxad was now age-of 35 years, his son Shela was-born.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When Arphachshad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:13:

Newari: “After that he lived another 403 years. After that other sons and daughters were born to him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “After Shela was-born, Arfaxad still lived for 403 years and his children continued to-increase-in-number.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “After Shelah was born, Arpachshad lived 403 more years and became the father of more sons and daughters.” (Source: Translation for Translators)