We were afraid translates the Hebrew “our hearts melted”; the synonymous we have all lost our courage translates “and everyone’s spirit no longer rose up.” In place of employing two nonfigurative statements (We were afraid and we have all lost our courage), it may be more effective to use a figurative expression, as the Hebrew text does. Languages abound with their own expressions of fear, and it may be natural to use two such figures, as with the Hebrew. On the other hand, it may be that the intensity of the fear is actually strengthened by the use of a single statement, whether figurative or nonfigurative. It is possible also to combine a nonfigure with a figure: “We were so frightened that our bones knocked.”

The last sentence may be rendered, “The LORD your God rules in heaven above and also here on earth.” Or, it may be necessary to preface the statement with a comment such as “We know that the LORD your God rules….”

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 8 reports that Joshua’s order was obeyed, and the twelve stones were taken from the middle of the Jordan and placed at the camping place. Translators often find it difficult to place the clause As the LORD had commanded Joshua in a satisfactory position in the text. Grammatically it may be less complicated to include it as a coordinate clause in the first sentence: “The man followed Joshua’s orders and did as the LORD had commanded him.”

Difficult also is the positioning of one for each of the tribes of Israel. It may be less difficult if placed at the end of the verse as a separate statement: “They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, carried them to the camping place, and put them down there. These twelve stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel.” Or “… Each of these stones represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel.”

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 same order of march is followed by the Israelites for the next five days; the same groups maintain the same order in line as had been done the first day. In verses 12-13 Good News Translation adds and for the second time, which makes On this second day they again marched unnecessarily repetitious. But the proposed restructuring of verses 12-13 may help to alleviate this difficulty. Moreover, the first sentence of this verse may be rendered, “They marched around the city on this second day, just as they had done on the first day. Then they returned to camp.” On the assumption that it is the march around the city that is in focus, some translators choose to delete and then returned to camp from their rendering. This information would remain implicit, since the reader would assume that the Israelites did return to camp after going around the city, and the omission of it from translation may tend to bring into sharper focus the march around the city.

The final statement They did this for six days includes, of course, the first day’s march (verses 8-11). It may be helpful to indicate that They includes “Joshua’s men and the priests.”

By adding “including the first day” or “counting the first day” after for six days, any problem of misunderstanding is immediately removed.

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 Joshua sent some men, who ran to the tent translates a coordinate construction in Hebrew; literally “So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent” (Revised Standard Version). It may be useful in translation to connect the phrase to the tent with the verb sent: “So Joshua sent some men to Achan’s tent.”

Revised Standard Version “it was hidden” is difficult to understand. What is meant is “the things were hidden.” And “behold” indicates the surprise the men felt when they found the things; Good News Translation expresses this by really (were buried there).

The last part of this verse (and found … at the bottom) may be handled much more economically: “and they found everything just as Achan had described it.”

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 .

In verses 33-35 of this section the people are evidently assembled in Shechem Valley, between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. They are all there, including the resident aliens (Good News Translation the foreigners among them; Revised Standard Version “sojourner”).

Three groups of leaders are specifically named (Revised Standard Version): “the elders” (see verses 7.6 and 8.10); “the officers” (see verse 1.10 and 3.2); and “the judges.” It is difficult to distinguish precisely among them. The officers probably had military responsibilities (see 1.10), and the judges were responsible for judicial matters; but the precise role of the leaders (Revised Standard Version “the elders”) is not clear.

The people stand in two groups, facing each other, with the Covenant Box and the priests in between. The priests stand at either end of the LORD’s Covenant Box, which was carried by means of poles which went through the rings on the sides of the Box (see Exo 37.3-5). In Good News Translation the geographical relationship between the people and the levitical priests is less than clear, if facing is understood to mean that the people and the priests faced each other. How can the people stand on two sides of the Covenant Box and at the same time face the levitical priests who carried it? A few minor adjustments in the order of presentation results in a somewhat more simplified arrangement:

• The Israelites stood in two groups and faced the Covenant Box, which was placed between them. Their leaders, officers, judges, and the foreigners who lived among them stood in these two groups with them. One group of Israelites stood with their backs to Mount Gerizim, while the other group stood with their backs to Mount Ebal. The levitical priests who carried the Covenant Box took their places on each side of it.

The levitical priests is a rather unusual phrase, since it seems to imply that there were also nonlevitical priests. As a matter of fact all priests were Levites (that is, of the tribe of Levi), but not all Levites were priests (see comments on 3.3). The ritual proceeds according to the instructions recorded in Deuteronomy 27.11-13.

At the end of this verse the Hebrew text has “at the first”; it is not clear what this modifies. Good News Translation takes it to modify the time when Moses issued the command: Moses had commanded; similarly Revised Standard Version “as Moses … had commanded at the first” (so Jerusalem Bible); following the cue of Revised Standard Version, it may be translated “according to the instructions which Moses had given.” Bright takes it to go with the action of blessing: “that they should bless the people of Israel first of all,” that is, before the reading of the blessings and curses (verse 34). New English Bible is similar, translating “that the blessing should be pronounced first” (also Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); New American Bible “for the blessing of the people of Israel on this first occasion.” Everything considered, it would seem that the interpretation of New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is to be preferred; the opening words of verse 34 “And afterward” (Revised Standard Version) seem to support this interpretation.

In verse 31 Moses was referred to as the Lord’s Servant; therefore it may not be necessary so soon to refer to him again as the LORD’s servant Moses. The verse is otherwise complicated, and some of the difficulties may be lessened if he is referred to merely as “Moses.” If the exegesis of Good News Translation is followed concerning the phrase “at the first,” one may then translate “Moses had told them to stand this way so that the priests could pronounce God’s blessing on the people.” Or, if the interpretation of New English Bible is pursued, “Moses had told them to stand this way, and have the priests pronounce God’s blessings upon them before Joshua read the Law of Moses to them.”

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 .

An extraordinary statement is made: the Lord obeyed Joshua’s command; that is, he caused the sun to stand still in the sky for a whole day.

A day like it most probably means a day such as this, when the Lord responded to a person in such a manner. This meaning may be translated more clearly: “Never before and never since, has the LORD answered a person’s prayer in that way.” Or, if Joshua is conceived of as giving a command to the Lord, “… has the LORD done what a person commanded him to do.”

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 went and destroyed may be better rendered as “Joshua also destroyed,” since in Hebrew the use of the verb went (Revised Standard Version “came”) in such a context indicates continuation of action rather than movement.

With less complication than Good News Translation, the object of destroyed may be translated, “… the race of giants called the Anakim who lived in the cities of Hebron, Debir, Anab, and in all the rest of the hill country of Judah and Israel.” Or, “… Anakim. They lived in the cities of….” Either of these proposals would avoid the complications involved with the use of a dash.

The race of giants wiped out by Joshua are called the Anakim, that is, the descendants of Anak (see Num 13.33); and for the other names used of the Canaanite giants, see Deuteronomy 2.10-11. Of the places mentioned in the highlands of the south, Hebron and Debir are already known (see 10.36-39); Anab is located about 8 kilometers southeast of Debir. Again the verb completely destroyed is used.

Judah and Israel refer to the southern and the northern parts of the country.

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 .