The western tribes (always identified as the people of Israel) sent a delegation headed by Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest (for Eleazar see 14.1), and composed of one representative from each of the ten western tribes (Phinehas represented Levi).

Each one the head of a family among the clans (verse 14) may be taken to mean “Each one was a respected leader within his clan.”

It may be advisable to indicate at the beginning of verse 13 that a delegation (that is, a group of representatives) is being sent. And it is also important to translate so as to avoid the heavy appositional comment, one from each of the western tribes and each one the head of a family among the clans. The two verses may then be translated as a unit:

• Then the (people of the) ten western tribes sent a delegation to (the people of) the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh in the land of Gilead. They sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, together with a leader from each of their tribes. These ten tribal leaders were also respected leaders within their own clans.

Or:

• … They sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, together with a respected clan leader from each of their ten tribes.

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 .