As a consequence of taking things condemned to destruction, Israel herself has become condemned to destruction. Achan’s sin has placed him under the Lord’s curse, and the curse is now communicated to all Israel. That is why the Israelites can no longer defeat their enemies. And the Lord threatens to withdraw his help and protection from them unless they destroy what has been devoted to him.

It may be good to unite This is why with because they themselves have now been condemned to destruction: “The people of Israel have themselves been condemned to destruction. This is why they cannot stand against their enemies and must retreat.” Since cannot stand against their enemies is implicit in retreat from them, the two may be combined: “This is why they retreat from their enemies.”

In the Lord’s address to Joshua the shift from they to you (plural) may be somewhat confusing. This problem of the shift from a third person plural to a second person plural in Hebrew has been noted several times previously, and it will frequently occur in the book of Joshua. The translator should be constantly alert to any sort of stylistic adjustments which must be made in the receptor language.

Stay with you is literally “be with you” (Revised Standard Version). The meaning may be rendered as either “stand beside you” or “help you.”

Not stay with you any longer may be expressed as either “will stop being with you” or “will stop helping you.”

The negative unless you destroy the things may be translated by a nonnegative construction if the shift to “will stop being with you” is made; for example, “until you destroy the things.”

You were ordered not to take may take the shape of an active clause with the Lord as subject: “which I ordered you not to take.” Direct discourse may even be substituted: “of which I said, ‘Do not take.’ ”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .