Inasmuch as verses 2-4 give the details of the southern border of Judah, it may be useful to introduce this information by some formula such as “Specifically, this southern border ran….”

It may also be helpful to identify Zin (verse 3) as the wilderness of Zin, and Kadesh Barnea, Hezron, Addar, Karka, and Azmon as cities. Furthermore, in place of went southward (verse 3) it would be more nearly accurate to render “went in a southwesterly direction.”

In restructuring, it may be wise at some point to break the lengthy sentence which runs from the last half of verse 2 to the first part of verse 4. For example: “4 went on to the city of Azmon. From there it followed the stream on the border of Egypt in a northwesterly direction to the Mediterranean Sea.”

In Hebrew That was the southern border of Judah is in direct discourse, and it states “This shall be your southern border” (see Revised Standard Version). This statement is addressed either to the people of the tribe of Judah or to the Israelites as a whole; Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends the second interpretation, which is not followed by Good News Translation.

Since the southern borders of Judah and the Israelite nation are the same, it is possible to combine both interpretations: “That was the southern border of Judah and also of all the tribes of Israel.” Or, on the assumption that it is implicitly the southern border of Judah, one may translate “That was at the same time the southern border of all the tribes of Israel.”

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 .