OET interlinear DEU 20:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

וְ⁠יָסְפ֣וּ הַ⁠שֹּׁטְרִים֮ לְ⁠דַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־הָ⁠עָם֒ וְ⁠אָמְר֗וּ מִי־הָ⁠אִ֤ישׁ הַ⁠יָּרֵא֙ וְ⁠רַ֣ךְ הַ⁠לֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְ⁠יָשֹׁ֣ב לְ⁠בֵית֑⁠וֹ וְ⁠לֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖י⁠ו כִּ⁠לְבָבֽ⁠וֹ

and,they_will_repeat (Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_repeat the,officials to,speak to/towards the,people and,they_will_say who? the=man (the),fearful and_(the),weak_of of_(the),heart go and,let_him_return to,house_of,his and=not melt DOM heart_of his_countrymen_of,his like,heart_of,his )

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [And the officers shall continue to ask the people if there is any man who fears and is soft of heart. They shall tell him to go and return to his house, and the heart of his brother will not melt like his heart]

Note 2 topic: writing-quotations

וְ⁠אָמְר֗וּ

and,they_will_say

The term and say introduces a direct quotation. In your translation, use a natural way of introducing direct quotations in your language. It may not be necessary to represent this term explicitly.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִי־הָ⁠אִ֤ישׁ הַ⁠יָּרֵא֙ וְ⁠רַ֣ךְ הַ⁠לֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְ⁠יָשֹׁ֣ב לְ⁠בֵית֑⁠וֹ

who? the=man (Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_repeat the,officials to,speak to/towards the,people and,they_will_say who? the=man (the),fearful and_(the),weak_of of_(the),heart go and,let_him_return to,house_of,his and=not melt DOM heart_of his_countrymen_of,his like,heart_of,his )

If you decided in the previous verse to translate the question as a statement or as an exclamation, you can continue doing that here. Alternate translation: [Any man who fears and is soft of heart should go and return to his house] or [If a man fears and is soft of heart, he must return home]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מִי־הָ⁠אִ֤ישׁ

who? the=man

See how you translated this phrase in the previous verse.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

הַ⁠יָּרֵא֙ וְ⁠רַ֣ךְ הַ⁠לֵּבָ֔ב

(Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_repeat the,officials to,speak to/towards the,people and,they_will_say who? the=man (the),fearful and_(the),weak_of of_(the),heart go and,let_him_return to,house_of,his and=not melt DOM heart_of his_countrymen_of,his like,heart_of,his )

The terms fears and is soft of heart mean similar things. Moses is using these two terms together to emphasize the idea of a soldier lacking courage in battle. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express this emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [who is too frightened to fight bravely] or [who lacks courage for battle]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠לֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖י⁠ו כִּ⁠לְבָבֽ⁠וֹ

and=not (Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_repeat the,officials to,speak to/towards the,people and,they_will_say who? the=man (the),fearful and_(the),weak_of of_(the),heart go and,let_him_return to,house_of,his and=not melt DOM heart_of his_countrymen_of,his like,heart_of,his )

The speakers are using melt … his heart as a common expression of his culture to mean “become afraid.” The image of a melting heart portrays courage dissolving into fear. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [so that he will not make his fellow soldiers lose their courage as well] or [to prevent his fear from spreading to the other soldiers]