SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:20

2:20a

And: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces a contrast, so many English version translate it as “But.” In verse 14c the Israelite spies gave the condition on which they will save the lives of Rahab and her family. In this verse they give the condition on which they will not save them. Use a word or a grammar marker which expresses this contrast in your language.

if you report our mission: The phrase if you report our mission uses the same Hebrew words that occurred in 2:14c except that the word “not” is not included. Translate this positive phrase the same way as you did in that verse, without using the negative.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing (Good News Translation)
-or-
but if you tell anyone about this matter of ours

2:20b

The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated introduces what will happen if Rahab tells people about them. In some languages it may be more natural to keep this word explicit by using a word like “then.”

we will be released from the oath you made us swear: This Hebrew phrase is the same as the phrase in verse 17b, except for one word. In verse 17b there is the emphatic pronoun “we.” In this verse the verb “we will be” occurs instead. The meaning is the same.

In both these verses the men give conditions on which they will not keep their promise. In the previous verse, they will not keep their promise if Rahab does not tie the red rope in the window. In this verse they will not keep their promise if Rahab tells anyone about what they were doing.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

we(dual)(excl.) will be free from keeping the promise that you (sing.) asked us to give
-or-
we will be released from the oath you made us take

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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