OET interlinear NUM 8:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

נְתֻנִ֨ים נְתֻנִ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙ לִ֔⁠י מִ⁠תּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

ones_being_given ones_being_given they(emph) to=me from,among_of sons_of Yisrael

Here, Yahweh is speaking as if the Israelites were actually given to Yahweh like objects that could be handed over. This represents the formal dedication and appointment of people for service to Yahweh. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [they are appointed, appointed to me out of all the sons of Israel]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

נְתֻנִ֨ים נְתֻנִ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙ לִ֔⁠י

ones_being_given ones_being_given they(emph) to=me

The expression are given, given is a passive verbal form. If your language would not use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who does the action, the context indicates that it is God. Alternate translation: [I have given them, given them to myself]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / reduplication

נְתֻנִ֨ים נְתֻנִ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙

ones_being_given ones_being_given they(emph)

Yahweh is repeating forms of the verb given in order to intensify his expression of the idea that it conveys. If your language can repeat words for intensification, it would be appropriate to do that here in your translation. If not, your language may have another way of expressing the intensification. Alternate translation: [they are wholly given]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

פִּטְרַ֨ת כָּל־רֶ֜חֶם בְּכ֥וֹר

firstborn_of all/each/any/every womb firstborn_of

It might seem that the expression the opener of every womb, the firstborn of contains extra information that would not be natural to express in your language. If so, you could shorten it. Alternate translation: [the firstborn of]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

פִּטְרַ֨ת כָּל־רֶ֜חֶם

firstborn_of all/each/any/every womb

Yahweh is using the opener of every womb as a common expression of his culture to mean “the first child of every woman.” 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. See how you translated this phrase in [3:12](../03/12.md). Alternate translation: [the first child of every woman]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בְּכ֥וֹר כֹּל֙

firstborn_of all

Here and throughout this chapter, the implication is that firstborn refers specifically to firstborn males. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [the firstborn males of]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לָקַ֥חְתִּי אֹתָ֖⁠ם לִֽ⁠י

taken DOM=them to=me

By taken them for me, God means he has selected them to serve him at the tent of meeting. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [I have selected them to serve me at the tent of meeting]