Lodebar does not represent the actual form of the Masoretic text, which seems to mean “to Debir” (so Revised Standard Version “to the territory of Debir”; see also An American Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). New English Bible, New American Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible are like Good News Translation;Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says that this is surely the city of Lodebar (see 2 Sam 9.4,5; 17.27; Amos 6.13), and the committee voted “A” for this identification. But since Lodebar would here be a conjecture, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, following the Septuagint and the Tiberian vocalization of the Masoretic text, says the text should be represented in translation by “Lidebor.” Good News Translation has no footnote, since the consonants of the Hebrew text are retained, but supplied with different vowels.

It would perhaps be advisable to make verse 26 into a complete sentence, and also to identify Heshbon, Ramath Mizpeh, Betonim, and Mahanaim as cities or towns and Lodebar merely as a place, since scholarly opinion differs regarding exactly what it is.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .