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Description

There are many numbers in the Bible. They can be written as words, such as “five” or as numerals, such as “5.” Some numbers are very large, such as “two hundred” (200), “twenty-two thousand” (22,000), or “one hundred million” (100,000,000.) Some languages do not have words for all of these numbers. Translators need to decide how to translate numbers and whether to write them as words or numerals.

Some numbers are exact and others are rounded.

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. (Genesis 16:16 ULT)

Eighty-six (86) is an exact number.

That day about three thousand men out of the people died. (Exodus 32:28 ULT)

Here the number three thousand is a round number. It may have been a little more than that or a little less than that. The word “about” shows that it is not an exact number.

Reason this is a translation issue: Some languages do not have words for some of these numbers.

Translation Principles

  • Exact numbers should be translated as closely and specifically as they can be.
  • Rounded numbers can be translated more generally.

Examples from the Bible

When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years. He became the father of more sons and daughters. Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. (Genesis 5:18-20 ULT)

The numbers 162, eight hundred, and 962 are exact numbers and should be translated with something as close to those numbers as possible.

Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands (Genesis 24:60 ULT)

This is a rounded number. It does not say exactly how many descendants she should have, but it was a huge number of them.

Translation Strategies

  1. Write numbers using numerals.
  2. Write numbers using your language’s words or the gateway language words for those numbers.
  3. Write numbers using words, and put the numerals in parenthesis after them.
  4. Combine words for large numbers.
  5. Use a very general expression for very large rounded numbers and write the numeral in parentheses afterward.

Examples of Translation Strategies Applied

We will use the following verse in our examples:

Now, see, at great effort I have prepared for Yahweh’s house 100,000 talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron in large quantities. (1 Chronicles 22:14 ULT)

  1. Write numbers using numerals.
  • I have prepared for Yahweh’s house 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron in large quantities.
  1. Write numbers using your language’s words or the gateway language words for those numbers.
  • I have prepared for Yahweh’s house one hundred thousand talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron in large quantities.
  1. Write numbers using words, and put the numerals in parenthesis after them.
  • I have prepared for Yahweh’s house one hundred thousand (100,000) talents of gold, one million (1,000,000) talents of silver, and bronze and iron in large quantities.
  1. Combine words for large numbers.
  • I have prepared for Yahweh’s house one hundred thousand talents of gold, a thousand thousand talents of silver, and bronze and iron in large quantities.
  1. Use a very general expression for very large rounded numbers and write the numeral in parentheses afterward.
  • I have prepared for Yahweh’s house a great amount of gold (100,000 talents), ten times that amount of silver (1,000,000 talents), and bronze and iron in large quantities.

Consistency

Be consistent in your translations. Decide how the numbers will be translated, using numbers or numerals. There are different ways of being consistent.

  • Use words to represent numbers all of the time. (You might have very long words.)
  • Use numerals to represent numbers all of the time.
  • Use words to represent the numbers that your language has words for and use numerals for the numbers that your language does not have words for.
  • Use words for low numbers and numerals for high numbers.
  • Use words for numbers that require few words and numerals for numbers that require more than a few words.
  • Use words to represent numbers, and write the numerals in parentheses after them.

Consistency in the ULT and UST

The unfoldingWord® Literal Text (ULT) and the unfoldingWord® Simplified Text (UST) use words for numbers that have only one or two words (nine, sixteen, three hundred). They use numerals for numbers that have more than two words (the numerals “130” instead of “one hundred thirty”).

When Adam had lived 130 years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and he called his name Seth. After Adam became the father of Seth, he lived eight hundred years. He became the father of more sons and daughters. Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. (Genesis 5:3-5 ULT)