2:5a
At dusk: The phrase At dusk refers to the time when the sun had just set and the sky was becoming dark.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
at sundown (Good News Translation)
-or-
at dark (Revised Standard Version)
when the gate was about to close: Jericho was a town surrounded by a wall. The word gate refers to the door in the wall through which people entered and left the town. It was closed at night to make the town more secure. The clause when the gate was about to close indicates that the gate was not yet closed.
the men went out: Rahab said that the men left through the town gate before it was closed for the night.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
The men went out of the town just before it was time to close the town gate.
-or-
In the evening, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left (English Easy-to-Read Version)
2:5b
and I do not know which way they went: Some English versionsuse an un usual English word order here in order to show the emphasis that is in the Hebrew word order. The Berean Standard Bible uses a natural English word order. Use a word order that is natural in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
where the men went I do not know (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I didn’t find out where they were going (Good News Translation)
-or-
They did not tell me where they were going
2:5c
Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them: The command Pursue them quickly indicates that the soldiers should hurry to follow the two Israelite men.
and: the Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and shows a result. If the men chase the Israelite spies, the result will be that they may catch up with them. In some languages it may be more natural to leave this conjunction untranslated. For example,
Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them. (New International Version)
you may catch them: There is an interpretation issue with the form of the Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you may catch them.
(1) It is a possible event. For example:
you can overtake them (New Revised Standard Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New King James Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004))
(2) It is a future event. For example:
you will catch up with them (God’s Word)
(God’s Word, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with many English versions.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Run after them quickly so that you can overtake them.
-or-
If you go quickly, maybe you can catch them. (New Century Version)
-or-
go quickly and search for them! Perhaps you may catch them! (Translation for Translators)
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