Translation commentary on Joshua 7:10

Why are you lying on the ground like this? is literally “Why have you fallen on your face?” The reference is to the actions described in verse 6, and whereas Hebrew focuses upon the initiation of the action (the falling), Good News Translation describes the result (lying on the ground). It may be better to invert the order of the Lord’s two remarks so that Get up follows the question. One may even shift the question to a command: “Quit lying on the ground like this! Get up!”

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 8:20

This verse depicts the confusion of the men of Ai; seeing the city in flames, they know that the enemy is there, so that retreat to the city is impossible; and now the main Israelite force turns around and attacks them: there was no way for them to escape.

When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke rising avoids the problem of Revised Standard Version: “So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up….” That is, Revised Standard Version assumes the sequence: (1) the men looked back; (2) the smoke went up. However, the sequence is more naturally assumed to be: (1) the smoke went up; (2) the men looked back.

There was no way for them to escape may be translated “There was no place for them to run” or “… where they could run for safety.”

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 10:3

We learn from verse 5 that the four kings to whom Adonizedek sent the message were Amorite kings, as was King Adonizedek himself. It may be useful to introduce that information at the beginning of this verse, and to indicate that the four kings to whom the message was sent were neighboring kings of Adonizedek. For example:

• At that time there were four other Amorite kings in the region besides King Adonizedek. They were King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. So Adonizedek sent a message to each of them. 4 He said …

Four cities are listed: Hebron, about 32 kilometers south of Jerusalem; Eglon, about 56 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem; Jarmuth and Lachish were between Eglon and Jerusalem, Lachish being nearer to Eglon. The word Amorite (verse 5) is equivalent to Canaanite; it may be that the term was especially used of the native peoples in the hill country (verse 6; see 3.10).

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 11:9

Joshua obeyed the Lord’s command: he crippled their horses and burned their chariots.

Some languages may require that a portion of this verse be given in direct discourse: “ ‘After you defeat your enemies, cripple their horses and burn their war chariots.’ So Joshua did as the LORD had commanded.” It may be preferable to describe Joshua’s actions in the same terms as the command: “… so Joshua did as the LORD had commanded. He crippled their horses and burned their chariots.”

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 13:22

Among those whom of Good News Translation translates “also” (Revised Standard Version) of the Hebrew text. One may render “Together with these” or “In addition.”

The noun fortuneteller is made from a Hebrew verb which means “practice divination,” something that was generally done by consulting lots which had been cast.

For the fortuneteller Balaam, see Numbers chapters 22–24; his death (and that of the leaders of Midian) is reported also in Numbers 31.8.

The identifying noun phrase son of Beor makes restructuring into English somewhat awkward. Without this phrase one could translate “In addition the people of Israel also killed Balaam the fortuneteller.” In some languages son of Beor may be rendered following Balaam without this problem, since that is the formal way of indicating a person’s name, as, for example, “Ismael bin (son of) Hussain.” But for English readers “Balaam son of Beor the fortuneteller” would cause the reader (particularly the person who hears the scripture read) to understand Beor as the fortuneteller. If “son of Beor” is retained in the text, the verse may be translated as two sentences: “In addition the people of Israel killed Balaam the fortuneteller. He was the son of Beor.”

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 15:15

For Debir see 10.38-39.

The people living in Debir is almost a word-for-word repetition of the Hebrew text; see Revised Standard Version “the inhabitants of Debir.” The sentence may be formulated to say “From there he went to attack the city of Debir, which used to be called Kiriath Sepher.”

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 17:17 - 17:18

Joshua encourages the people of Ephraim and West Manasseh, telling them that they will be able to defeat the Canaanites, despite their superior armament.

In Hebrew There are indeed many of you is joined to you are very powerful by the conjunction and, as Good News Translation indicates. However, it is quite possible that the function of and in such a structure is to indicate that the clause which follows expresses either a cause or a result. In other words, Joshua says that the strength of the tribes of Ephraim and West Manasseh lies in the large number of people in their tribes. So one may translate “There are indeed many people in your tribes, and for that reason you are very powerful.”

You shall have more than one share. 18 The hill country will be yours may be translated, “I will give you more than one share. 18 I will give you the hill country as well.”

In order to avoid the Even though construction, the second sentence of verse 18 may be translated, “This land is a forest, but you will (be able to) take possession of it and clear it from one end to the other.” In this proposed restructuring it should be noticed that the verbs clear and take possession of are given in reverse order so as to indicate logical sequence.

As for the Canaanites, you will drive them out is a difficult structure which may be simplified: “You will drive out all the Canaanites, even though they do have iron chariots and are a strong people.” Or the two clauses may be reversed: “The Canaanites do indeed have iron chariots and they are a strong people. But you will (be able to) drive them out of their land.”

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 20:7 - 20:8

Six cities are chosen, three on each side of the Jordan. On the west side (verse 7): Kedesh in the north, Shechem in the center, and Hebron in the south; on the east side (verse 8): Bezer in the south, Ramoth in the center, and Golan in the north. All six cities are listed as levitical cities in chapter 21.

Verses 7-8 may be translated separately or they may be translated as a unit. But whatever is done, the pronoun they in both verses needs to be specified as “the people of Israel,” since they were last referred to in verse 2. (1) If the verses are translated separately: “So the people of Israel set apart (or, chose) three cities on the west side of the Jordan River. These cities were….” (2) If placed together, verses 7-8 may be translated:

• So the people of Israel set aside (or, chose) six cities, three on the west side of the Jordan River and three on the east side. The cities west of the Jordan River were: … The cities east of the Jordan River were:….

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 .