2:23a
Then: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then indicates the next event in the story.
the two men started back, came down from the hill country: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the two men started back, came down from the hill country is more literally “and the two men returned, and they came down from the hills.” The phrase the two men refers to the Israelite spies.
from the hill country: It may be helpful to include the implicit information “where they were hiding.” For example:
they came down from the mountains ⌊where they hid⌋
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Then the two Israelite men came back down from the hilly country
-or-
Then the two spies went down from the hills ⌊where they had been hiding⌋
2:23b
and crossed the river: That Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crossed the river can also be translated “crossed.” On their way back to Joshua, the men had to cross the Jordan River. You may need to make the term Jordan River explicit in your translation.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
and they crossed ⌊the Jordan River⌋
-or-
they crossed ⌊the river⌋
2:23c
So they came to Joshua son of Nun: See the note about Joshua at verse 1:1b. It may be helpful to supply implicit information about the location.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
They returned ⌊to the camp⌋ and went to see Joshua, the son of Nun
-or-
They came to Joshua the son of Nun ⌊at the Israelite camp⌋
2:23d
and reported all that had happened to them: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all that had happened to them is more literally “all the things finding them.” This is a Hebrew idiom. It means “everything that had happened to them.” The word happened is an older way to say “happen.”
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
They told him everything that had happened to them
-or-
They told him all the things that they had learned
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