Translation commentary on Joshua 3:8

Here again it may be more effective to shift back to the direct discourse of the Hebrew. For example, “Tell the priests who carry the Covenant Box, ‘When you….’ ” Joshua’s command to the priests may be translated, “As soon as all of you have gone a few steps into the water, stop and stand there.” Or, “As soon as you have taken your first steps into the water….”

The instruction to the priests is a bit unclear in Hebrew, but it seems to mean what Good News Translation says, namely, that they were to enter the Jordan only a few feet and then stop. See also the discussion on 3.17.

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 5:15

In some languages it may be preferable not to repeat the full title the commander of the LORD’s army. One may translate either “he” or “the man.” If either of these is used of the commander of the Lord’s army, then one may want to mention Joshua by name: “He said to Joshua.”

Take your sandals off; you are standing on holy ground are exactly the same instructions as those given by the Lord to Moses at the burning bush (Exo 3.5). The ground on which Joshua is standing is holy because of the presence of the commander of the Lord’s army. The order of the words may need to be inverted in translation: “You are standing on holy ground. So take off your sandals.” The phrase holy ground may not be understood; or worse, it may be misunderstood as “ground that is taboo,” or in a negative sense as “ground that defiles people who touch it.” One may even be compelled to dispense with the “ground” imagery and translate “You are standing in the presence of the LORD.” If the imagery is maintained one may translate “You are standing on ground where the LORD has chosen to be worshiped.”

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 7:8

The question What can I say…? may be restructured as a statement: “I do not know what to say….” The order may be inverted: “O Lord, our army has retreated from the enemy, and I do not know what to say.” Or “O Lord, the men of Ai made our men turn and run, and I do not know what to say.”

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 8:17

The Hebrew of this verse speaks of “Ai and Bethel” (see Revised Standard Version; Good News Translation footnote); the Septuagint omits “and Bethel,” which Good News Translation, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible follow; there seems to be no reason for supposing that the men of Bethel were involved in this campaign. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project favors the Hebrew text, and a translator should feel free to follow it. Ai was left unprotected, an easy target for the Israelite troops lying in ambush west of the city.

Went after represents two verbs in Hebrew (Revised Standard Version “go out after … pursued”). Some languages will require the retention of two verbs, one indicating departure from the city and the other the actual pursuit of the Israelites.

The city was left wide open refers specifically to the city gates. One may then translate the verse “Every man in Ai left the city and ran after the Israelites. There was no one left to defend the city, and the gates of the city were left wide open.” Or “… and the men of the city had left the gates wide open.”

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 10:1

The news of Joshua’s victories reaches Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem (for king see 2.2), which at that time was a Jebusite city (Good News Translation footnote).The Hebrew adoni-tsedeq means “my lord (is) Zedek”; the Hebrew word tsedeq itself (as a common noun) means “righteousness.” See Melchizedek, king of Salem (Jerusalem), in Gen 14.18; his name is “my king (is) Zedek” (see Heb 7.1-2). The name “Zedek” appears to be, then, the name of one of the Amorite gods. Again (see 8.2), mention is expressly made of the death of the king of Jericho; this will occur later on in this chapter (see verses 28, 30).

Two translational adjustments may be necessary in order to give this verse maximum readability. (1) A link, showing time relationships, may be established between this chapter and the preceding chapter: “At that time Adonizedek was king of Jerusalem.” (2) The events in this verse may be narrated in a somewhat more chronological order:

• He heard that Joshua had captured and destroyed the cities of Jericho and Ai, and he heard that Joshua had killed the kings of these two cities. He also heard that the people of Gibeon …

Or:

• He heard that Joshua had captured and destroyed the city of Jericho and had killed its king. And he heard that Joshua had done the same thing to the city of Ai and its king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon …

Or:

• Joshua had captured and destroyed the city of Ai just as he had done with the city of Jericho. The city had been burned to the ground, and the king and all the people who lived there had been killed. After that the people of Gibeon had made peace with the Israelites and were living among them. When king Adonizedek of Jerusalem learned of this, 2 all the people of Jerusalem became greatly alarmed …

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 11:6 - 11:7

The Lord assures Joshua that he, the Lord will provide the victory; all the enemy will be killed by the next day. Joshua is told to cripple their horses and burn their chariots. To “hamstring” (Revised Standard Version) an animal is to cut the large sinew of the back legs, leaving the animal unable to walk. Although the events of verse 6 are narrated in chronological sequence, the use of the future perfect (will have killed) and of the imperative (You are to) may cause some confusion of time sequence. Moreover, in Hebrew the personal pronoun “I” (of the Lord) is emphatic. The Lord’s instructions to Joshua may then be translated. “Do not be afraid of them, because I, the LORD, will kill them all. By this time tomorrow they will all be dead. After the battle, cripple their horses and burn their war chariots.”

Joshua attacked the enemy by surprise (perhaps by night, verse 7), routed them and killed them all (verse 8). As a comparison of Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version will indicate, the Hebrew (represented by the formal structure of Revised Standard Version) is somewhat more lengthy than Good News Translation. If there is a problem with the pronoun them, it may be rendered either “the enemy camp” or “the enemy.” By surprise may be translated, “before the enemy knew they were there.”

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 13:17 - 13:20

Heshbon (verse 17) was the capital city of King Sihon (see 12.2).

Of all the cities on the plateau (verses 17-20), the following have already appeared: Dibon (13.9) and Beth Jeshimoth (12.3), Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath (verse 18) appear also in 21.36-37; and Bethpeor (verse 20) may be the same as Peor in 22.17.

Verses 17-20 (actually 17-23) form a unit and may be handled in several ways. For example, the arrangement of Good News Translation may be followed, or it may be appropriate to print the names of the city in list form, one below the other. Or, on the basis of on the plateau (verse 17) and of the plateau (verse 21), one may translate “Their territory reached as far as the city of Heshbon. In this region lay the cities of Dibon, Bamoth Baal … 18 … 19 … 20 … 21 and the other cities of the plateau.” This restructuring would take in the text down through It included all the cities of the plateau of verse 21. Following that, a new sentence would begin, as will be indicated in the comments at verse 21.

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 15:12

The people of the families of Judah may be shortened to “the people of Judah.” The sentence may either be inverted (“The people of Judah lived within these borders”) or considerably restructured (“This was the territory that belonged to the tribe of Judah”).

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 .