It may help to arrange the contents of this verse somewhat more chronologically: “The LORD your God has fought against your enemies for you, and you have seen everything that he has done.” This restructuring would also have the advantage of deleting one occurrence of the rather heavy phrase the LORD your God. In order to avoid the misunderstanding that the Lord is not also Joshua’s God, the phrase may better be rendered “the LORD our God.” Along these same lines, attention should be given to the need for rendering because of you … for you by inclusive first personal pronouns: “because of us … for us.”

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 .

Now the Lord speaks directly to Joshua again, promising him victory in all his undertakings. Good News Translation introduces Joshua as a noun of address, to indicate that he is the one to whom the Lord is now speaking. For languages which possess both singular and plural forms of “you,” the shift will be obvious without specific mention of the name. In such instances one may translate “No enemy will be able to stand against you (singular).”

Will (not) be able to defeat translates the verb “hold one’s ground, oppose, withstand.”

In Hebrew you (in all of its occurrences in the verse) is singular and refers to Joshua. The Greek Old Testament translators rendered the first occurrence as a plural form, thereby referring it to the people of Israel. However, the focus throughout the verse is upon Joshua as he assumes the role of leadership from Moses, and in languages where distinctions exist, a singular form should be used in translation.

The Lord promises to help Joshua as he did Moses, and tells him he will not forsake or abandon him. The Hebrew uses two synonymous verbs, “to fail, let go,” and “to abandon, forsake”; Good News Translation uses two expressions, negative and positive: I will always be with you; I will never abandon you. In some languages it may be more effective not to have the repetition of verbs. That is, one may use either “I will always be with you” or “I will never abandon you,” but not both. This is especially true in cultures where the accumulation of synonyms tends to weaken rather than to strengthen an affirmation.

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 important that these men not be taken as a reference back to ancestors of the previous verse, as may be suggested by Good News Translation restructuring. In order to ease the situation, one may render “these men who had disobeyed the LORD” or “these men whom the LORD had brought out of Egypt.”

This new generation represents the Hebrew “those whom he (the LORD) raised up in their place.” A literal rendering of the text, such as Revised Standard Version, may suggest that the focus is upon the action of the Lord in raising up a new generation. Actually the real focus is upon the new generation which now takes the place of the previous one, “In the meantime the sons had taken the place of their fathers.”

The meaning of Joshua circumcised is “(whom) Joshua caused (or, commanded) to be circumcised.” Direct discourse is also possible: “It was this generation to whom Joshua said, ‘Get yourselves circumcised.’ ”

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 .

So the LORD was with Joshua may be translated “The LORD stood beside Joshua” or “The LORD helped Joshua in everything he did.”

As the Lord had promised (compare 3.7; 4.14), Joshua’s fame spread through the whole country. Or, expressed in a less abstract manner, “everyone in the whole country heard what a great man Joshua was.” Or in still a different way, “everyone in the whole country told their friends what a great man Joshua was.”

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 following morning (Good News Translation in the morning means “the next morning”) the plan is put into operation: Joshua and the leaders of Israel lead the troops from the camp at Gilgal to the city of Ai (about 25 kilometers). For the leaders of Israel see 7.6. It should be noted that Good News Translation soldiers translates a Hebrew noun which Revised Standard Version and others translate “people.” But in a context such as this, “the people” are not all the individuals, men, women, and children, but the fighting men (New English Bible, New American Bible “the army”). Called … together (Revised Standard Version “mustered”) translates a Hebrew verb which has many meanings: here with soldiers as object, it means to group together in military fashion.

In order to avoid a misunderstanding, it may be necessary to state explicitly that the leaders of Israel were included in this group of fighting men: “the leaders of Israel and the fighting men” or “all the fighting men of Israel and their leaders.” Some languages will require explicit mention of the people’s response to Joshua’s call: “When they had all come together, he and the leaders of Israel led the fighting men to Ai.”

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 .

Because of the promise that their leaders had made (verse 15), the Israelites were not allowed to kill the Gibeonites. This caused a general protest, which the leaders settled by reminding the people of their solemn promise. Even though the friendship treaty had been the result of a falsehood (on the part of the Gibeonites), nevertheless it could not be annulled; it had been made in the name of the LORD, Israel’s God.

To begin the verse But the Israelites could not kill them may sound somewhat strange to the reader, for it may leave the impression that there was some magical power protecting these people. A more sequential arrangement of the events may be advisable:

• But the leaders had made a solemn promise to the Gibeonites in the name of the LORD, Israel’s God. And so the people of Israel were not permitted to kill the Gibeonites. When they complained about this to the leaders, 19 the leaders answered …

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 .