Misaligned Expectations of "Embodiment": A Case Study of Exodus 30:11-16

In this paper, “embodiment” of Scripture describes the way that people use the translated text. It has long been recognized that the translators’ expectations for this “embodiment” must be informed by the audiences’ expectations. This paper provides a practical example of misaligned expectations, manifested in a commonly taught interpretation of Exodus 30:11-16 from a regional language translation in north-eastern DR Congo. First, I present this particular interpretation, followed by an analysis of the way that meaning-based translation practices contribute to this interpretation due to misaligned expectations. I conclude that translations in our region should not use the word “tax” in the section heading, and that, if teams choose to use a section heading, then they should seek a way to tie this section to “atonement”. Additionally, the term תְּרוּמָה ‘offering, contribution’ should be rendered by one of the terms used in the rest of the book rather than as “tax”. And in vv.15-16, concerning the key terms related to the root כפר, the verbal phrase “to atone for your lives” could be distinguished from “ransom”. For our geographic region, I propose that we need to pay particular attention to helping the audience grasp the theological context of the OT, and I encourage translation projects to consider formatting options, media, and other art forms that could enable the audience to situate passages in their theological context.