SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023 – Page 15

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:56

15:56

Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah:

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 17:15

17:15a

Joshua answered them: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Then Joshua said to them
-or-
Joshua answered

17:15b

If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

If you (plur.) have so many people, go up into the forest
-or-
You have many people, so go up into the wooded country

that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

because ⌊you think that⌋ the hill country of Ephraim is not wide enough for you
-or-
because the mountain country of Ephraim is too small for all of you to live in

17:15c

and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim: The Hebrew that the Berean Standard Bible translates as clear refers specifically to the act of cutting down trees and removing shrubs in a forest to create a place to live.

the Perizzites: The term Perizzites refers to the Periz people. The Periz people had lived in the land of Canaan for a long time. The Perizzites were mentioned in Joshua 3:10 and 12:8. It is recommended that you translate the name of these people in the same way here.

the Rephaim: The term Rephaim refers to the Repha people. The Repha people had lived in the land of Canaan for a long time. The Rephaim were mentioned in Joshua 12:4 and 13:12. It is recommended that you translate the name of these people in the same way here.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

and clear land for yourselves there, in the country of the Periz people and the Repha people
-or-
Cut down the trees to make room for yourselves where the Periz people and the Repha people live

General Comment on verse 17:15

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the parts of this verse. For example:

15a Joshua answered them, 15b-c “Go up to the forests, take the land that belongs to the Periz people and the Repha people, and make a place to live there 15b if you have so many people that the mountain country of Ephraim is not wide enough for you.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 19:1

Section 19:1-9

The clan of Simeon received their land

Paragraph 19:1-9

19:1a

The second lot came out: The clause The second lot refers to the second time that Joshua threw the lot. This time the lot showed that the clan of Simeon should receive their land. This verse is similar to verse 15:1 and 18:11. In each case the Hebrew verb is slightly different, but the meaning is the same.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The second lot belonged (NET Bible)
-or-

⌊Joshua threw⌋ the lot a second time

19:1b

for the clans of the tribe of Simeon: The phrase the clans refers to the families among Simeon’s descendants. Simeon was one of the twelve sons of Jacob who had many descendants.

the tribe of Simeon: The phrase the tribe of Simeon refers to all the clans of Simeon.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Each of the families of the Simeon clan received some land
-or-

⌊Joshua threw the lot again.⌋ This second lot showed that the clans of Simeon was the next to receive land. There was some land for each family in the Simeon clans.

19:1c

Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah: The sentence Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah indicates that the land that the clans of Simeon received was inside the boundaries of the land that the clans of Judah had received.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

their land was within the boundaries of the land that belonged to the clans of Judah
-or-
their land was inside the land that the clans of Judah had received

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 19:33

19:33a

Their border started at Heleph: The town of Heleph was at the southwest corner of the land that belonged to the clan of Naphtali.

and the great tree of Zaanannim: The phrase the great tree of Zaanannim is mentioned in Judges 4:11.

Zaanannim: Judges 4:11 says that Zaanannim was near Kedesh. Its exact location is not certain.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Their border began ⌊in the south⌋ at Heleph town, near the tall tree at Zaanannim
-or-
The ⌊southern⌋ border of Naphtali’s land began at the town of Heleph near the large tree in Zaanannim

19:33b

passing Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum and ending at the Jordan: The towns of Adami-nekeb and Jabneel were southwest of the Sea of Galilee.

Lakkum: The town of Lakkum was near the southern end of the Sea of Galilee.

and ending at the Jordan: The south border is described from west to east. The eastern end of the south border was the Jordan River.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The border continued eastward to Adaminekeb, and Jabneel and on to Lakkum. The border ended at the Jordan River
-or-
The border passed Adaminekeb and Jabneel and went on eastward to Lakkum. The Jordan River was the east end of their southern border

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 21:5

21:5a

The remaining descendants of Kohath: The phrase remaining descendants of Kohath refers to the clans of Kohath who were not descended from Aaron.

received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The other families who were descended from Kohath received ⌊their towns⌋ from the families of the clan of Ephraim
-or-
The other families of Kohath were given towns by lot from the clan of Ephraim

21:5b

Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

from the clan of Dan, and from half of the clan of Manasseh. They received ten towns in all by lot.
-or-
from the clan of Dan, and from the half of the Manasseh clan ⌊that lived west of the Jordan River⌋ . They received ten towns.

General Comment on verse 21:5

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the parts of this verse. For example:

The other families who were descendants of Kohath received ten towns by lot. These towns came from the clan of Ephraim, from the clan of Dan, and from half the clan of Manasseh.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 21:37

21:37

Kedemoth: The town of Kedemoth was mentioned in 13:18. It was possibly east of the Dead Sea and north of the Arnon River.

and Mephaath: The town of Mephaath was mentioned in 13:18. Possibly it was south of the town of Amman in what is now the country of Jordan.

four cities, together with their pasturelands: The phrase four cities indicates that the clan of Reuben gave the Merari families four towns in all.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse:

the town of Kedemoth and the grasslands around it, and the town of Mephaath and the grasslands around it. The total was four towns.
-or-
the town of Kedemoth with its grazing lands and the town of Mephaath with its grazing lands. The clan of Reuben gave the families of Merari four towns in all.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 22:24

22:24a

But in fact: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But in fact can also be translated as “surely” or “truly.” It is used as a strong affirmation in an oath formula.

we have done this for fear: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fear can also be translated as “concern” or “anxiety.”

that in the future: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the future is more literally “tomorrow.” In this context it refers to some indefinite time in the future.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

some day
-or-
in time to come

your descendants might say to ours: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as descendants can also mean children. The people of the eastern clans were concerned about what the descendants of the other clans might tell their own descendants. They were not only concerned about their own sons and daughters but about their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Truly we did it because we are worried about what your descendants might say to our descendants someday.
-or-
Surely, we built this altar because we were concerned about what your descendants would tell our descendants in the future.

22:24b

What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?: This is a rhetorical question. It functions as a rebuke. It indicates that future generations of the western Israelite clans might think that the eastern clans are not part of the people of Yahweh. There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question.

As a question. For example:

What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel? (New Living Translation (2004))

As a statement. For example:

You have no relationship with Yahweh, the God of Israel.

The question What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? is a question that they imagine future generations asking. Future descendants of the western clans might ask this question to the eastern clans.

This is part of an embedded quotation. English shows this kind of quotation with a single quotation mark. Think about how to make this clear in your language. Some languages have grammatical markers or other ways to make clear to whom each group of people is speaking.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 24:6

24:6a

When I brought your fathers out of Egypt: The information in this part of the verse is the same as the information in 24:5. The phrase your fathers refers to the ancestors of the Israelites to whom Joshua was speaking. It may be more natural to include the information out of Egypt in verse 5c and leave that information implicit here.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

When I brought your forefathers out of Egypt
-or-
When I led your ancestors out

24:6b

and you reached the Red Sea: In verses 6 and 7 Joshua sometimes used the term “your fathers” and sometimes used the pronoun you, speaking to the Israelites. In some languages it may not be natural to alternate in this way. In that case, you may choose to refer only to the Israelite ancestors, using the pronoun “they.” For example:

I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and cavalry. But when your ancestors got to the Red Sea they cried out to me for help, and I put darkness between them and the Egyptians. I made the sea come rolling over the Egyptians and drown them. You know what I did to Egypt. (Good News Translation)

the Red Sea: In the Hebrew this was more literally “the sea.” It may be more natural in your language to identify it here as the Red Sea as the Berean Standard Bible did.

Here is another way to translate this part of the verse:

you arrived at the Red Sea
-or-
you came to the sea. (Revised Standard Version)

24:6c

the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea: The term chariots refers to small horse-drawn carts with two wheels. Soldiers of ancient times rode in these carts to go to war. The term horsemen refers to soldiers who were riding on horses.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The Egyptians pursued your ancestors to the Red Sea with ⌊men driving⌋ in chariots and men riding on horses
-or-
The Egyptian army chased after your ancestors with their war carts and horse riders up to the Red Sea.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:56

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 17:15

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 19:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 19:33

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 21:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 21:37

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 22:24

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 24:6

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