As indicated in the general introduction to this section, the event described here presupposes a separation of time and place from that of the previous narrative. Therefore in place of the transitional Then, which may suggest immediate succession of events, it may be better to translate “Some time later.”
Although the Hebrew does say Joshua built, the meaning is certainly “Joshua caused to be built” or “Joshua commanded his men to build, and they built.”
A stone altar is built, and the instructions written in Exodus 20.25 are followed: If you make an altar of stone for me, do not build it out of cut stones, because when you use a chisel on the stones, you make them unfit for my use (Good News Translation); see also Deuteronomy 27.5-6. In translation one must take care to select a verb for “build” which will not contradict these instructions.
It is possible to combine verses 30-31 and to shift Joshua’s commands to direct discourse:
• Some time later Joshua and the people of Israel came to Mount Ebal. When they got there, Joshua told some of the men, “Build an altar to the LORD our God. Build it according to the teaching in the Law of Moses. Moses, the LORD’s servant, said to build an altar made of stones which have not been cut with iron tools.” So the men built the altar. Then all the people offered burnt sacrifices to the LORD, and they also presented their fellowship offerings to him.
No indications is given of the size of this stone altar, but it was large enough to accommodate the sacrifice of a large number of animals. Burnt sacrifices were those in which the whole animal was consumed by the fire; fellowship offerings were sacrifices in which only a part of the animal was burned, and the rest was eaten by the worshipers. Burnt sacrifices may then be translated “those sacrifices which must be completely burned on the altar,” and fellowship offerings may be rendered “those sacrifices that you are allowed to eat a part of.”
For the Law of Moses see 1.7, 8.
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 .