When Joshua heard, literally “And Joshua heard,” may be understood as “Then Joshua heard” (Durham), “Joshua, hearing” (Revised English Bible), or simply “Joshua heard” (Good News Translation). Joshua has not been mentioned since 24.13, but we may assume that he had accompanied Moses part way to the top of the mountain and waited there for him. (See the comment at 24.14.) The noise of the people as they shouted is literally “the sound of the people in its shouting.” (The “its” refers to the people, which is singular in form.) The word “sound” may be understood as noise, “uproar” (Revised English Bible), or “racket” (Durham), but it was evidently the sound of human voices.

He said to Moses indicates that Moses had descended to the place where Joshua was waiting. There is a noise of war in the camp is literally “a sound of fighting in the camp.” Revised English Bible seems more natural, “Listen! There is fighting in the camp,” or one may say “Listen, I hear people fighting each other in the camp.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .