serve (Igede)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also serve.

Levite

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” and in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)

In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

For the sign in Spanish Sign Language, see Levi.

Aaron

The name that is transliterated as “Aaron” in English is translated in Catalan Sign Language and Spanish Sign Language as “stones on chest plate” (according to Exodus 28:15-30) (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)


“Aaron” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In Colombian Sign Language, Honduras Sign Language, and American Sign Language, the chest plate is outlined (in ASL it is outlined using the letter “A”):


“Aaron” in ASL (source )

See also Moses and this lectionary in The Christian Century .

Translation commentary on Numbers 3:9

And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons: The conjunction And introduces another instruction concerning the Levites. Give … to may be rendered “assign … to” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “put … at the disposal of” (Bible en français courant).

They are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel: In Hebrew the passive participle rendered given (netunim) is repeated, which justifies the intensive adverb wholly. Although this passive participle is similar to the Hebrew designation or title netinim (literally “those who are given”; rendered “Temple servants” in Ezra 2.43), it is not a designation or title here (in spite of the La Nouvelle Bible Segond rendering “with the title ‘given’ ”). The pronoun him refers to Aaron. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch uses the pronoun “them,” referring to Aaron and his sons, which fits with the previous sentence. The pronoun him follows Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. The Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch read “me,” which refers to the LORD. These versions probably used the pronoun “me” under the influence of 8.16, where God says about the Levites: “they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel.” But there is no convincing reason to follow these versions here in 3.9. Revised English Bible combines this sentence with the previous one, saying “You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons as especially dedicated to him out of all the Israelites.”

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 .