Verses 5-12 give the eastern border, which was the Dead Sea (verse 5a); the northern border (verses 5b-11); and the western border, which was the Mediterranean Sea (verses 11b, 12a).

At this point it may be useful to repeat that the eastern border referred to is that of the tribe of Judah: “The eastern border of the tribe of Judah was the Dead Sea. This eastern border extended as far north as the place where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea.” Or the sentence may be restructured in a slightly different manner: “The Dead Sea formed the eastern border for the tribe of Judah.”

The northern border began there, though representing the Hebrew “And the boundary on the north side runs from” (Revised Standard Version), may be somewhat misleading. That is, although Beth Hoglah (verse 6) is north of the Dead Sea, it is also the point from which the account moves generally in a westwardly direction. There is no way that a reader can be expected to grasp the account fully without looking at a map, but it will be helpful in translation if it is noted that the description of the northern border moves from east (the mouth of the Jordan River) toward the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

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 .

For the role of Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the tribes in dividing the land, see 14.1. Because of the overwhelming number of names in this section, it would seem advisable to omit son of Nun as an identifier of Joshua. This was the biblical writer’s way of distinguishing this Joshua from other Joshuas—something totally unnecessary for today’s readers, for whom there is only one biblical Joshua.

It is possible to place Moses’ command in direct discourse:

• The LORD told Moses, “Zelophehad does not have any sons. So give each of his daughters a share of the land.” Joshua obeyed the LORD’s command. He gave land to Zelophehad’s daughters at the same time that he gave land to their male relatives.

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 .

Good News Translation has to the oak in Zaanannim, while most others have “from the oak” (which is what the Hebrew appears to mean; see Revised Standard Version). As in 15.11, Good News Translation has Jamnia (Revised Standard Version “Jabneel”).

In the translation of this verse it may be useful to indicate that the border referred to is the northern border: “The northern border of its territory went from the town of Heleph to the oak near the town of Zaanannim…”

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 .

The rest of the people of Israel were told may require either a shift to an active construction or else an explicit mention of the person or persons who told them. The entire verse may also be translated as indirect discourse: “The rest of the people of Israel heard that the people of the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth, on their side of the Jordan.” Or, as an alternative solution to the question of who did the telling: “The rest of the people of Israel said to one another, ‘Have you heard that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have built…?’ ”

On our side of the Jordan translates the Hebrew “on the side towards (or, facing) the people of Israel.”Revised Standard Version “frontier” in verse 11 translates the Hebrew el-mul, which in itself does not say whether it means the west bank or the east bank; the Septuagint has “the regions (of the land of Canaan).” Good News Translation regards “the frontier of the land of Canaan” as redundant information which does not need to be represented in translation. It is not certain which side of the Jordan is meant. Bright says the altar was on the east side, but adds “but the sense of the verses is against this (see verses 10, 11 and 19).” The following take it to have been the west bank: Soggin, Smith, Gray; Good News Translation, An American Translation, Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible; the east bank: New English Bible, New American Bible. Bible de Jérusalem translates verse 10 as west side, verse 11 as east side, and adds that verse 11 is a later addition to the text. Good News Translation supplies a footnote with the alternative: “or on the east side.” Certainly the whole incident makes better sense if the altar was on the west side, that is, in the land of Canaan, strictly speaking.

On our side of the Jordan may be more precisely indicated as “here on the western bank, on our side of the river.” Or, if the alternative interpretation of the text is followed, “there on the eastern bank, directly across from our territory.”

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 .

Kept every promise that he made to you may be translated “did every good thing for you that he said he would.” Carry out every threat may be rendered “do every evil thing to you that he said he would.” Or, so as not to assume that the Lord said he would do evil things without reason, “… that he said he would do, if you did not obey him.”

The end of verse 15 in Hebrew is practically the same as the end of verse 16 and of verse 13 (see Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation has not represented it, taking it to be redundant here. Using Good News Translation language, the end of verse 15 could be translated, “… so he will carry out every threat and will remove you completely from this good land which he has given you.” This “removal” is not exile but destruction, 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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .