OET interlinear NUM 25:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁ֣י הָ⁠עָ֔ם

DOM (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said YHWH to/towards Mosheh take DOM all/each/any/every leaders_of of,the_people and,impale ,them to/for=YHWH in the,sun so,that_it_may_turn_away fierce_of also/though YHWH from,Israel )

This could mean: (1) that Moses was supposed to seize and execute all the Israelite leaders, even those who had not worshiped Baal. Alternate translation: [every one of the heads of the people] (2) that Moses was supposed to seize and execute only the Israelite leaders who had worshiped Baal. Alternate translation: [all of the heads of the people who worshiped Baal]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רָאשֵׁ֣י הָ⁠עָ֔ם

leaders_of of,the_people

Here Yahweh is speaking of the leaders of the people as if they were the heads of the people. In this culture, the head was thought of as the leading part of the body. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the leaders of the people]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠הוֹקַ֥ע אוֹתָ֛⁠ם

and,impale ,them

Here, the word translated hang could mean: (1) that the leaders would be executed and their bodies hung up. Alternate translation: [and kill them and hang their bodies] (2) that the leaders would be impaled and their bodies left there. Alternate translation: [and impale them]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לַ⁠יהוָ֖ה

to/for=YHWH

This could mean: (1) that the leaders were hung in Yahweh’s presence. Alternate translation: [in Yahweh’s presence] (2) that leaders were hung for the sake of or as a sacrifice to Yahweh. Alternate translation: [for Yahweh’s sake] or [as a sacrifice to Yahweh]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

נֶ֣גֶד הַ⁠שָּׁ֑מֶשׁ

in the,sun

Here, the sun represents the open daylight, where everyone could see. Yahweh means that this should be done publicly. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [in open daylight where everyone can see]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠יָשֹׁ֛ב חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהוָ֖ה

so,that_it_may_turn_away fierce_of also/though YHWH

Yahweh is using the burning of the nose of Yahweh as a common expression of the culture to refer to his anger, and for it to return means that his anger will stop. If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [let the fierce anger of Yahweh turn away]