Verses 10a finishes the account of the crossing. Everything was done just as the LORD ordered Joshua to tell the people to do, and also as “Moses had commanded Joshua” (Revised Standard Version). This reference to two sets of instructions to Joshua, the Lord’s and Moses’, is not smooth and reflects one of the “seams” in the text, according to many scholars. The Septuagint simplifies considerably by having only “until Joshua did everything that the Lord had ordered him to tell the people.” New English Bible follows the Septuagint, but the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project committee believes that the shorter reading reflects an attempt to simplify the text and should not be followed.

This is what Moses had commanded is literally “according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua” (Revised Standard Version). It may also be rendered, “Moses had already given these instructions to Joshua,” or, “Moses himself had given these same instructions to Joshua.”

As least two factors complicate the restructuring of 10a. First, there is the problem of “seams” in the text, already referred to; second, there is the series of commands (the Lord commands Joshua; Joshua commands the people; Moses commands Joshua).

It may be necessary to shift the impersonal passive structure until everything had been done to an active construction: “until the people had done everything.” The last part of the sentence may then be translated, “that the LORD, speaking through Joshua, had commanded them to do” or “that the LORD had ordered Joshua to tell them to do.”

Some translators prefer to close the paragraph at the end of verse 11, forming verses 12-14 into a separate paragraph. Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version separate the last part of verse 10 from the preceding section and join it to the following section; Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible join the whole verse to the following section.

Good News Translation does not have a section heading at 4.10b, but one may be useful so as to break the long narrative. The difficulty is in finding a wording which is not merely a repetition of the section heading at 3.1. “The crossing completed” is satisfactory for translations where an incomplete statement is sufficient, but it is inadequate for readers who expect a complete statement in a section heading. Further complications arise because this entire passage is heavily repetitious of events beginning in 3.1. Perhaps a section heading such as “The people of Israel set up camp at Gilgal” (see verse 19) may best satisfy the needs of the reader.

The people hurried across the river may also be translated, “The people crossed the river as fast as they could.”

On the other side refers to the western shore of the Jordan River. The sentence may be translated, “When the people of Israel had crossed over to the west bank of the river.”

As soon as all the Israelites had reached the west bank, the priests with the LORD’s Covenant Box (“the priests who were carrying the LORD’s Covenant Box”) left the river and took their customary position ahead of the people. So Good News Translation went on ahead; but the Hebrew can be understood “and the Covenant Box of the LORD and the priests crossed ahead of the people,” since the same verb “to pass over” is used of the priests as of the people. This, however, is quite confusing; New English Bible consequently omits “before the people,” which makes sense. But the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says that the second time “to cross over” is used it means “to pass by,” that is, to move up to the head of the column (so New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The text may then be rendered, “When everyone had reached the other bank, the priests with the Covenant Box went over and took their place at the head of the procession.”

One must be careful not to translate went on ahead with the meaning “went on ahead and left the people behind.” It is possible to translate, following Good News Translation exegesis, “… took their place at the head of the people and led them on.”

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 .