When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb …: This verse begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”). Since there is new information after this conjunction, it may be better to begin with the phrase “At that time” in some languages instead of the subordinate conjunction When. The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb is a literal rendering that may give the wrong suggestion that there were no other Canaanites living elsewhere. Arad was a city west of the Dead Sea in the southern part of Canaan. For Negeb, which refers to “the southern part of Canaan” (Good News Translation), see the comments on 13.17. Good News Translation renders this phrase as “the Canaanite king of Arad in the southern part of Canaan.” However, the use of both “Canaanite” and “Canaan” may be considered too repetitive in some languages. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch avoids this repetition by saying “the Canaanite king of Arad in the land of the South.” Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting is similar with “the king of Arad—a Canaanite who lived in the land of the South.”

Heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim: In some languages it may be more natural to render Israel as “the Israelites” (Good News Translation) or “the people of Israel.” Contemporary English Version renders by way of Atharim as “on their way to the village of Atharim.” Most translations refer to a place called “Atharim,” whose location is unknown. But the Hebrew actually says “the way of the Atharim” (similarly La Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Several ancient versions, including the Vulgate and the Peshitta, changed the text slightly to read “by the way of the spies.” The Hebrew words for Atharim and “spies” (tarim) are similar. If this phrase refers to the way that the spies took in the Negeb (13.22), then the Israelites followed their route at this time. This reading is followed by the Jewish medieval commentators Rashi and Rashbam, and by a few older translations (so King James Version, Statenvertaling/em>], Buber, Luther [1912]). It is surprising that this reading has not received more attention. However, a proper name is probably intended (so Budd, page 229), so translators may follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation here.