18:9a
So the men departed and went throughout the land: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as throughout the land is more literally “they passed through in the land.” The Hebrew verb is different from the verb used in verse 18:4b but the meaning is the same.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
So the men left and went through the land (New International Version)
-or-
So the men went all over the land. (Good News Translation)
18:9b
mapping it city by city into seven portions: The clause which the Berean Standard Bible translates as mapping it is more literally “they wrote it on a book.” This indicates that the men wrote down a description on writing material, perhaps on a scroll. They did not have books in the modern sense of the word.
city by city into seven portions: This indicates that the men described the land according to the towns that were in seven parts of the land.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
and wrote down a description of the land in seven parts, according to the towns that were in each part
-or-
they described in a scroll each town that was in the seven parts into which they had divided the land (Translation for Translators)
-or-
they wrote a report about it on a scroll. The report showed how they divided up the land into seven parts and listed the towns in each part
18:9c
Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Then they returned to Joshua, to the camp in the town of Shiloh
-or-
Then they went back to Joshua. He was at the tenting place in Shiloh
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