The one who is then picked out and found with the condemned goods may be translated, “The man whom I pick out is the one who has the condemned goods.” Or “The man on whom I cause the lot to fall….” If this restructuring is followed, then will be burned may be rendered “Burn him…” It will probably be best also to render for he … my covenant as a separate sentence.

When the guilty man is exposed, then he, his family, and all his possessions are to be burned; they are all condemned to destruction, and anything condemned to destruction has to be completely destroyed by fire (6.24). Will be burned may possibly be misunderstood. That is, it may be taken to mean either burned as a means of torture or burned alive, neither of which is the meaning in the context. One may need to translate “Kill him and everyone in his family. Then burn their bodies together with everything he owns.”

The Hebrew word translated terrible shame (Revised Standard Version “a shameful thing”) is used of particularly odious sins, such as rape (Gen 34.7; Judges 20.6) and adultery (Deut 22.21); sometimes it means “a fool, foolish” (see Nabal in 1 Sam 25.25). At the end of verse 15 covenant translates the same Hebrew word translated agreement in verse 11, and means the same thing.

The order brought terrible shame … broken my covenant represents the opposite sequence from the Hebrew text (Revised Standard Version “transgressed the covenant … done a shameful thing”). As in verse 11, broken my covenant is best taken as a specific reference to the command not to take anything from the city of Jericho. It may be more effectual to maintain the order of the Hebrew and translate “He disobeyed my command not to take anything from the city of Jericho, and his disobedience brought terrible shame on 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 .