inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Josh. 9:19)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, Bratcher / Newman recommend the inclusive form (including the leaders and the congregation). The Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the exclusive pronoun in the first part (“We have sworn” in English) and the inclusive form in the second part (“we must not touch them” in English).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Josh. 9:20)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, both the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the inclusive pronoun (including the leaders and the congregation).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Josh. 22:19)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, both the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation use the inclusive pronoun (including the priest, the ten chiefs and the people they are representing).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Josh. 22:31)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, Bratcher / Newman recommend the us of the inclusive form (including the priest, the chiefs and the ones who are being addressed). The Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation, however, use the exclusive pronoun for the first occurrence (“today we know” in English) and the inclusive pronoun for the second occurrence (“is among us” in English).

Translation commentary on Joshua 1:18

The response of the tribes to Joshua ends with the refrain “Be strong and courageous!”

Questions your authority translates what is literally “rebels against your mouth” (the word “mouth” here standing for “order,” synonymous with the following “word”). The phrase may be translated “opposes you.” Or, it is possible to take the two verb phrases questions your authority and disobeys any of your orders as a Hebrew parallelism, and therefore synonymous in meaning. One may then translate “refuses to obey any of your commands (or, orders).”

For some readers it will also be advantageous to change the passive will be put to death to an active form, “we will put to death anyone who….” Or, “If anyone refuses to obey any of your commands, we will put him to death.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Joshua 3:13

Joshua announces the miracle that is described in verses 14-17. The Hebrew text has “(the ark of) Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth,” using both the name and the title of God. For the LORD of all the earth see the comment at verse 11.

Will pile up in one place translates what is literally “will stand in one heap” (see Revised Standard Version); the word translated “heap” occurs here and in verse 16, and is also used of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds in Exodus 15.8; Psalm 78.13. The picture is that of the waters solidified into a barrier or dam. This verb phrase may be rendered “will pile up (or, stand up) like waters behind a dam.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Joshua 6:4

The use of the appositional each carrying a trumpet may be avoided if the first sentence of this verse is either broken into two sentences or else made into two coordinate clauses joined by “and.” For example, “Seven priests are to go in front of the Covenant Box. Each one of them is to carry a trumpet.” Or “Seven priests are to go in front of the Covenant Box, and each of them is to carry a trumpet.” It may even be advisable to translate “Seven priests are to go with you each time you march around the city. Each one of them is to carry a trumpet, and they are to go immediately in front of the Covenant Box.”

On the seventh day (verses 4b-5) the march is to be made seven times; the priests are to blow the trumpets; and at the end of the seventh march, one long note is to be sounded, at which time the soldiers are to give a loud shout, and Jericho’s walls will collapse.

The reader may get a false assumption from the statement that your soldiers are to march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. That is, it is possible to conclude that only Joshua and the soldiers are to march around the city, while the priests stand aside, blowing the trumpets. To avoid this misunderstanding, one may translate “On the seventh day all of you are to march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets.” Or “On the seventh day you, your soldiers, and the priests are to march around the city seven times. While all of you are marching around the city, the priests are to blow the trumpets.”

Since in the last sentence the text mentions soldiers before priests, the reader may automatically assume that in the order of the march the soldiers went ahead of the priests. But this is not the case; only an advance guard marched ahead of the priests (verse 7). The order of this procession would have been: an advance guard of soldiers, the priests, the Covenant Box, and then the rest of the soldiers. This is basically a religious procession, though the ancient Israelites would hardly have distinguished between a religious and a military procession. To help the reader understand the order of the procession, one may translate “On the seventh day all of you are to march around the city seven times. The priests will march in front of the Covenant Box and blow the trumpets, and you will march behind the Covenant Box.” The information regarding the advance guard can then be delayed until verse 7, where it is given in the Hebrew text.

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 .

Translation commentary on Joshua 7:12

As a consequence of taking things condemned to destruction, Israel herself has become condemned to destruction. Achan’s sin has placed him under the Lord’s curse, and the curse is now communicated to all Israel. That is why the Israelites can no longer defeat their enemies. And the Lord threatens to withdraw his help and protection from them unless they destroy what has been devoted to him.

It may be good to unite This is why with because they themselves have now been condemned to destruction: “The people of Israel have themselves been condemned to destruction. This is why they cannot stand against their enemies and must retreat.” Since cannot stand against their enemies is implicit in retreat from them, the two may be combined: “This is why they retreat from their enemies.”

In the Lord’s address to Joshua the shift from they to you (plural) may be somewhat confusing. This problem of the shift from a third person plural to a second person plural in Hebrew has been noted several times previously, and it will frequently occur in the book of Joshua. The translator should be constantly alert to any sort of stylistic adjustments which must be made in the receptor language.

Stay with you is literally “be with you” (Revised Standard Version). The meaning may be rendered as either “stand beside you” or “help you.”

Not stay with you any longer may be expressed as either “will stop being with you” or “will stop helping you.”

The negative unless you destroy the things may be translated by a nonnegative construction if the shift to “will stop being with you” is made; for example, “until you destroy the things.”

You were ordered not to take may take the shape of an active clause with the Lord as subject: “which I ordered you not to take.” Direct discourse may even be substituted: “of which I said, ‘Do not take.’ ”

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 .