OET interlinear NUM 16:38

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

אֵ֡ת מַחְתּוֹת֩ הַֽ⁠חַטָּאִ֨ים הָ⁠אֵ֜לֶּה בְּ⁠נַפְשֹׁתָ֗⁠ם וְ⁠עָשׂ֨וּ אֹתָ֜⁠ם רִקֻּעֵ֤י פַחִים֙ צִפּ֣וּי לַ⁠מִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כִּֽי־הִקְרִיבֻ֥⁠ם לִ⁠פְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וַ⁠יִּקְדָּ֑שׁוּ

(ʼēt maḩtōt ha⁠ḩaţţāʼim hā⁠ʼēlleh bə⁠nafshotā⁠m və⁠ˊāsū ʼotā⁠m riqquˊēy faḩīm ʦipūy la⁠mmizbēaḩ kiy-hiqrīⱱu⁠m li⁠fənēy-yəhvāh va⁠yyiqdāshū)

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: [These ones sinning against their lives presented the censers to the face of Yahweh, and they are holy. Because of that, they shall make them hammered sheets of thin plates, plating for the altar]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

אֵ֡ת מַחְתּוֹת֩ הַֽ⁠חַטָּאִ֨ים הָ⁠אֵ֜לֶּה בְּ⁠נַפְשֹׁתָ֗⁠ם וְ⁠עָשׂ֨וּ אֹתָ֜⁠ם רִקֻּעֵ֤י פַחִים֙

(ʼēt maḩtōt ha⁠ḩaţţāʼim hā⁠ʼēlleh bə⁠nafshotā⁠m və⁠ˊāsū ʼotā⁠m riqquˊēy faḩīm)

If it would be more natural in your language, you may want to put the information about what should be done with the censers before the information about how these men sinned. Alternate translation: [And they shall make the censers of these ones sinning against their lives hammered sheets of thin plates]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

הַֽ⁠חַטָּאִ֨ים & בְּ⁠נַפְשֹׁתָ֗⁠ם

(ha⁠ḩaţţāʼim & bə⁠nafshotā⁠m)

Yahweh is using ones sinning against their lives as a common expression of the culture to mean “ones who caused their own deaths by sinning.” 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: [ones sinning in a way that ends their lives] or [ones sinning with death as the result]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בְּ⁠נַפְשֹׁתָ֗⁠ם

(bə⁠nafshotā⁠m)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of lives, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [in such a way that they cease living]

Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns

וְ⁠עָשׂ֨וּ

(və⁠ˊāsū)

Here Yahweh is using the pronoun they in a general sense, not to refer to specific people. Use an expression for this that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and people shall make]

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

רִקֻּעֵ֤י פַחִים֙

(riqquˊēy faḩīm)

Here, hammered sheets of thin plates are a kind of metalwork where metal is flattened into very thin pieces. If your readers would not be familiar with what hammered sheets of thin plates are, you could use a more general term or explain it in a footnote. Alternate translation: [thin sheets of metal that they hammered into that shape]

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

צִפּ֣וּי לַ⁠מִּזְבֵּ֔חַ

(ʦipūy la⁠mmizbēaḩ)

Here, plating is a kind of thin metal that is attached to the outside of something, in this case the altar. If your readers would not be familiar with what plating is, you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [close-fitting covering for the altar]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לַ⁠מִּזְבֵּ֔חַ

(la⁠mmizbēaḩ)

Here, Yahweh does not state explicitly which altar he means. He is probably referring to the bronze altar for sacrifices, not the golden incense altar. Alternate translation: [for the altar of sacrifice]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לִ⁠פְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה

(li⁠fənēy-yəhvāh)

Here, to the face of represents being in front of Yahweh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [before Yahweh]

Note 10 topic: writing-pronouns

וְ⁠יִֽהְי֥וּ

(və⁠yihyū)

The pronoun they refers to the censers that were hammered into plating for the altar. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [and the censers that are now plating for the altar shall be]