So Joshua sent some men, who ran to the tent translates a coordinate construction in Hebrew; literally “So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent” (Revised Standard Version). It may be useful in translation to connect the phrase to the tent with the verb sent: “So Joshua sent some men to Achan’s tent.”

Revised Standard Version “it was hidden” is difficult to understand. What is meant is “the things were hidden.” And “behold” indicates the surprise the men felt when they found the things; Good News Translation expresses this by really (were buried there).

The last part of this verse (and found … at the bottom) may be handled much more economically: “and they found everything just as Achan had described it.”

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 .