The Hebrew particle translated Now is used to strengthen the urgency of Rahab’s request; it is not a temporal marker.

By him is literally “by the LORD” (Revised Standard Version), but since the Lord has last been referred to by name at the end of the previous verse, it is more natural in English to follow with a pronominal reference as Good News Translation has done.

Now swear by him may be rendered “Now make me a (solemn) promise in the name of your God.”

Rahab gets the spies to promise that she and her family will be spared when the Israelites destroy Jericho. In verse 12 treat … kindly (Revised Standard Version “deal kindly”) translates the verb “do,” followed by a word which more often means “goodness, love, loyalty”; it is a word particularly appropriate in the context of an agreement, a pact, a covenant, and it characterizes the spirit of faithfulness and loyalty with which each party of the covenant will follow its stipulations.

It may be helpful to rearrange this verse in a somewhat chronological order, such as “I have shown kindness to you. Now swear by the LORD your God that you will treat my family with the same kindness.”

My family translates the Hebrew phrase “the house of my father.” The next verse defines the extent of Rahab’s “family”; in translation one should be careful not to use a term which might include merely the immediate family, since the extended family is obviously intended.

And give me some sign that I can trust you translates a passage which is lacking in the Septuagint; some commentators believe it is not original, but it is in the Hebrew text. The red cord in verse 18 is the sign (or signal).

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 .

Verse 9 deals with another set of twelve stones, which Joshua placed in the river exactly where the priests … had stood. The writer of the account added the note: “And they are there to this day”—that is, to the time when this comment was written.

Joshua also set up twelve stones must not be interpreted to mean that Joshua himself did this particular work. Joshua is the one responsible for having it done, but the implication is that he gave the orders and others did the work. One may need to translate “Joshua also commanded (or, caused) the men to set up twelve stones….” Or, if one assumes that the men who set up the stones in the middle of the Jordan were not the same as the ones who had carried the stones to the camping place, one may translate “Joshua also had some men to set up twelve stones….”

Good News Translation places the last sentence of this verse, (Those stones are still there), within parentheses in order to indicate that this is an added comment. The force of the parentheses may be lost on readers who are lacking a certain degree of sophistication, and most translations do not use parentheses here.

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 .

It is specified that everyone rose at daybreak of the seventh day for the day’s activities (as in verse 12; see also 3.1); that day they marched around Jericho seven times. Although Good News Translation has once again considerably shortened the text from that of the Hebrew (see Revised Standard Version), it is possible to make it even shorter. The verse may be translated. “On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched around the city in the same way. Only on this day they marched around it seven times.”

In the same way translates the Hebrew “according to this manner (or, rule)”; they followed the pattern described in verses 8-9.

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 objects are brought out of Achan’s tent and placed in the presence of the LORD, that is, in front of the Covenant Box (see comment on verse 14).In verse 23 laid them down translates the Hebrew verb yatsaq, which means “pour out”; Syriac and Septuagint seem to suggest the Hebrew verb yatsag “place, put.” These are all condemned to destruction and so are presented to the Lord.

It is difficult to determine with precision the exact numbers of actions narrated in this verse. But the following reconstruction seems possible. The men bring the items dedicated for destruction immediately back to Joshua who is standing in the presence of the Covenant Box. By this action both Joshua and all the people of Israel who are gathered there see the items. Then, without change of location, the men lay the goods down beside where Joshua is standing. It is best in translation not to imply that the goods were carried in sequence to Joshua, the people, and then finally taken and placed in the presence of the Covenant Box.

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 then reads the whole Law, including the blessings and the curses. It is important to translate read aloud, as with Good News Translation, to make clear that an oral reading to the people is indicated. Revised Standard Version (“And afterward he read all the words of the law”) does not require that the reading be oral, though “before all the assembly” of the following verse does clarify the situation. Another translation may still be clearer: “Then Joshua read (aloud) the whole Law to all the people.”

As elsewhere in this book, the Law is probably part if not all of what is now the book of Deuteronomy. It is, of course, not possible to make this identity in translation. Nor would a comment of this nature be appropriate in Bible Society publications.

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 .

As commentators point out, verse 15 does not fit here. The campaign against the Amorite forces is still going on and ends only in verse 39. After the summary statement in verses 40-42, the Israelites return to camp at Gilgal (verse 43, which is identical with verse 15). Bright thinks that by mistake a copyist included the statement in verse 43 here after verse 14 because the endings of verse 14 and 42 are similar. Both verses 15 and 43 are omitted from the Septuagint.

Although this verse may not fit well here, it is obviously a part of the text and must remain. Its absence from the Septuagint represents an attempt of the Greek translators to smooth over the problem. However, if After this is translated more specifically, the problem is at least minimized: “After their victory” or “After Joshua and his men had defeated the Amorites.”

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 .

Israel (literally “the land of the descendants of Israel”) means the whole country and includes the same territory referred to as Judah and Israel in the previous verse. Therefore it would be less confusing not to mention Israel by name in this verse. Accordingly one may translate “He killed all of the Anakim who lived in the land, except for a few who lived in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.”

Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod were Philistine cities on the Mediterranean coastal plain.

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 .