24:26a
Joshua recorded these things: The phrase these things refers to the statues and ordinances that are mentioned in the previous verse.
in the Book of the Law of God: The Book of the Law of God refers to the book, or scroll, in which Joshua wrote down the laws that he received from God for them. The people of that time wrote things on scrolls rather than in books. Some English versions use the word scroll. For example:
Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God (NET Bible)
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Then Joshua wrote down all these words in the book that contained God’s laws.
-or-
Then Joshua wrote these things in the book of God’s teachings ⌊for them⌋ .
24:26b
Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak: In many languages it may be more natural to begin a new sentence here. The clause set it up indicates that Joshua stood the large stone up on its end.
He erected a big stone
-or-
He stood a big stone on its end
Then: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces the next event in the storyline. Introduce the next event in a natural way in your language.
oak: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as oak is found only in this verse. It refers to a kind of tree, but scholars do not agree on what kind of tree it was. Some English versions translate this word as “terebinth,” which is a tree in the cashew family.
Here are some ways to translate this word:
oak (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, God’s Word, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version)
-or-
terebinth (English Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible)
near the sanctuary of the LORD: This sanctuary was a place where Yahweh was worshiped. The tree was probably close to this place.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
He took a large stone and set it up under the oak tree near the holy place of Yahweh.
-or-
He set a large stone on its end under the oak tree, near the place that was set apart to worship Yahweh.
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