Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 2:20 - 2:22

Verses 20-23 are another explanatory note that disrupts the narrative. It is well to place these verses within parentheses, as Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and others do. The speech of Yahweh resumes at verse 24.

Verse 20 speaks of an ancient race of giants known by some as Rephaim and by others as Zamzummim. The suffix -im is the Hebrew pluralizer. For Rephaim see verse 11. The origin of Zamzummim is uncertain; some think it was an insulting term used by the Ammonites, but this cannot be proved. This name will have to be transliterated, like any other personal name.

In verse 21 a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim is exactly like the wording in verse 10. The rest of the verse is virtually like verse 12, except that here Yahweh is named as the one who destroys them. Dispossessed them means “to drive out” or “dislodge” the inhabitants. Good News Translation has “took over their land.”

Verse 22 describes the same kind of event with the same kind of language. At the end of the verse, and settled in their stead even to this day is better expressed by Good News Translation “and settled there, where they still live.”

To this day: some translations may wish to imitate Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, which here and elsewhere includes a footnote:
to this day: that is, until the time this account was written.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 22:2

And if … or if …: here the people are told what to do if the owner of the animal lives a long way off or is unknown. The directions are quite clear, and there are no particular problems with the structure of the discourse or the meaning of the words. By saying “its owner,” Good News Translation (also Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) neatly handles the problem of trying to translate your brother. In languages like English, that differentiate between the neuter it (the animal) and the masculine he (the owner), there is no problem in making it clear which is referred to. But where there is no neuter form, a translator must make sure that there is no confusion in determining who or what the pronouns refer to.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• If the owner of the animal lives too far away, or if you [singular] don’t know who owns it, take the animal home with you. When its owner comes looking for it, give it back to him.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .