SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:14

2:14a

The Hebrew conjunction that some English versions translate as “And” indicates the next event in the story. Use a connecting word that is natural in your language to indicate this. Some English versions, like the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate this connecting word.

Our lives for your lives: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Our lives for your lives is more literally “Our lives instead of you (plur.) to die.” The two spies promised to protect Rahab and her family even if it means that they must die themselves.

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

We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
We(dual)(excl.) will give our lives to protect your lives

2:14b

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

So the two men answered her
-or-
The men told her

2:14c

If: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If introduces the condition on which the Israelites will keep Rahab’s family safe.

you do not report: The Hebrew inflection that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you is second person plural. It refers to Rahab and her family.

our mission: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mission can refer to any kind of matter or happening. In this context it refers to the men’s exploring the land so that the Israelites could attack it.

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

If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing (Good News Translation)
-or-
If you do not tell anyone about this matter of ours

2:14d

This verse part starts with a Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated. This conjunction introduces result. It explains what the men promised to do if Rahab did what they asked her to do. (They asked her not to tell anybody about them). One way to translate this transition would be as the Revised Standard Version does:

Then (Revised Standard Version)

we will show you kindness and faithfulness: The Hebrew sentence that the Berean Standard Bible translates as we will show you kindness and faithfulness is more literally, “we will do with you loyalty and faithfulness.” This phrase describes acts that are done because people have made a covenant, or agreement, between each other. For example, it is used in Genesis 24:27.

The term kindness translates the Hebrew word ḥesed that was used in verse 2:12 (12b and 12c). You should translate it the same way in each place. The term faithfulness indicates that the two men would be trustworthy in their relationship with Rahab.

you: The pronoun you is singular. The men referred only to Rahab.

when the LORD gives us the land: The clause when the LORD gives us the land refers to the time when Yahweh will help the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan.

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

Then we (excl.) will act with kindness and faithfulness towards you (sing.) when Yahweh gives us this land.
-or-
We will be loyal and true to you when Yahweh helps us to take over the land.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 4:5

4:5a

and: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and indicates the next action in the story. Use a word or particle in your language to show that the story line is progressing.

said to them: The phrase said to them indicates that Joshua told God’s command to the twelve men. In other words, Joshua repeated to the men what God said to him in 4:3. It may be more natural in some languages to use a word such as:

Joshua ordered them
-or-
Joshua commanded them

4:5b

Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan: The phrase Cross over before the ark means that the twelve men must go into the middle of the riverbed, where the priests stood holding the ark of Yahweh.

ark: See 3:3 for ideas of how to translate the word ark.

4:5c

Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder: The clause Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder means that each of the twelve men must pick up one stone and carry it across the river to the other side.

There is implied information here that is not made explicit until 4:8. The men were told to carry the stones to the camping place and put them down there. You may find it helpful to include this implied information here.

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

each of you should take a stone on his shoulder, ⌊and carry them to the camp and put them down there⌋

4:5d

according to the number of the tribes of Israel: The phrase according to the number of the tribes means that the twelve stones which the men carried across the river each represented one of the Israelite tribes.

General Comment on 4:5

There is some uncertainty about how 4:5 (and 4:8) fits into the sequence of events of chapters 3–4.

(1) The Israelites finished crossing the Jordan River. Then the twelve men went back into the river to get the stones from where the priests were still holding the ark of covenant.

(2) The twelve men picked up the stones while they were crossing the river with the other Israelites. Chapter 4 is a flashback that focuses on one aspect of the crossing, namely, the memorial stones.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In 4:1–5 it seems that Joshua talked to the twelve men after the Israelites finished crossing the river. It was after everyone was across that the ceremony of gathering the memorial stones was done.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 5:13

The Israelites conquered Jericho, Ai, and many other towns in the southern part of the land of Canaan. God helped them, and through these events they learned to depend on him.

Section 5:13–6:27 Israel conquered Jericho by God’s power

The Israelites followed God’s instructions and marched around the wall of Jericho town. On the seventh day the wall of the town collapsed and they conquered the town. They killed everybody in it except for Rahab and her family.

Here are some other possible section headings:

The wall of Jericho fell
-or-
The conquering of Jericho

Paragraph 5:13–15

5:13a

Now when: This sentence introduces a new section of the story. In many languages it is natural to start a new section with a time word.

Here is another way to translate this word:

One day…

Joshua was near Jericho: The Hebrew preposition that the Berean Standard Bible translates as near means that Joshua was near the town of Jericho. Perhaps he had come close to the town to spy on it and plan his strategy.

5:13b

he looked up: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he looked up is used to show that something unexpected is going to happen. It may not be natural in some languages to translate he looked up literally. Use an expression or grammatical device that shows that something surprising is going to happen. It is also possible to leave this phrase untranslated. For example:

While Joshua was near Jericho, he suddenly saw a man (Good News Translation)
-or-
One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man (Contemporary English Version)

and saw: The Hebrew expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and saw is another way that the Hebrew language focuses attention on what is going to happen next. You may have a similar expression in your language. It is also possible to leave this phrase untranslated.

5:13c

a man standing in front of him: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man refers to a male person. Some commentators believe that this man was an angel. Others believe that this was Yahweh.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

a man stood in front of him

with a drawn sword in His hand: The phrase with a drawn sword means that he had taken the sword out of its sheath. It was in his hand and was ready to use.

5:13d

and: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and shows that this is the next event in the storyline.

Joshua approached Him and asked: The clause Joshua approached Him and asked can also be translated as:

Joshua approached the man and said

5:13e

Are You for us or for our enemies?: Joshua asked this question to find out if the man would fight with the Israelites or against them. The word enemies means “adversaries.”

for us: With the phrase for us Joshua asked the man if he was a friend of the Israelites.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

one of our friends
-or-
somebody one our side

for our enemies: With the phrase our enemies Joshua asked the man if he was an enemy of the Israelites.

one of our enemies
-or-
somebody who is against us

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 7:3

7:3a

The Hebrew word that the some English versions translate as “and” introduces the next event in the storyline. Use a natural way in your language to indicate this connection. Here is one way that you could translate this transition:

when (Good News Translation)

On returning to Joshua, they reported: It may be helpful in some languages to include the implied information. For example:

⌊After they spied out the land⌋ they returned to Joshua, and said to him

7:3b

There is no need to send all the people: This clause expresses a suggestion from the men who looked at Ai. They suggested that it was not necessary for the whole army to fight against Ai.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

There is no need for everyone to attack Ai. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Do not send the whole army to attack Ai.

all the people: The phrase all the people refers to the soldiers of Israel.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

all the fighting men
-or-
the whole army

7:3c

two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai: The spies suggested that two or three thousand men were enough to defeat the town of Ai. Translate this suggestion in a way that is natural in your language.

two or three thousand men: The whole army of Israel was about 40,000 men. The spies suggested that only a small number out of the whole army should go. It may be helpful to include a word that indicates this comparison. For example:

Send only two or three thousand men to fight (New Century Version)

go up: In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the location along with this verb of motion. For example:

Not all the people will have to go up against Ai (New International Version)

The Hebrew uses the verb go up because the town of Ai was at a higher elevation than the Israelite camp. The soldiers went uphill to the town of Ai to attack it. In some languages it may be more natural to use a simple verb like “go.”

attack Ai: The Berean Standard Bible follows the Hebrew text and includes the phrase attack Ai at the end of 7:3c. In some languages, it may be more natural to put these words at the end of 7:3b, as the Good News Translation does. For example:

There is no need for everyone to attack Ai. Send only about two or three thousand men (Good News Translation)

7:3d

Since: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Since introduces the reason for the preceding clause.

the people of Ai are so few: This phrase refers to the people of Ai.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

There are not many people in Ai
-or-
Ai is not a large town
-or-
There are not many men to defend Ai

7:3e

you need not wear out all our people there: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wear out.

(1) It means “to work hard” or “become weary from working hard.” For example:

Don’t tire out the whole army (NET Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It means “to cause trouble for.” For example:

Why bother the whole army (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Although the meaning is somewhat uncertain, this is the interpretation followed by the majority of English versions.

all our people: This refers to all the army, or all the fighting men.

General Comment on 7:3

In some languages it may be more natural to state the grounds before the result. English versions have done this in various ways. For example:

3e There are only a few people in Ai, 3b so we will not need all our people to defeat them. 3c Send only two or three thousand men to fight. 3d There is no need to send all of our people. (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:20

8:20a

When the men of Ai turned and looked back: The soldiers of Ai were chasing the Israelite soldiers. At some point, they turned around and looked back towards their town. The story does not say why they looked back. Perhaps they heard noise coming from the direction of the town.

8:20b

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated but some English versions translate as “behold” is used to emphasize what happens next. You may have a word or particle in your language that is used for emphasis. Many English versions do not translate this word. It may be more natural to leave this word implicit.

the smoke of the city was rising into the sky: The clause the smoke of the city was rising into the sky indicates that the sky was filled with smoke because the town was burning.

8:20c

They could not escape in any direction: The clause They could not escape in any direction indicates that the soldiers of Ai were surrounded, and so could not escape. They were caught between the two parts of the Israelite army.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

There was no way for them to escape (Good News Translation)
-or-
they had no chance to escape in any direction (New International Version)
-or-
they had nowhere to go (New Living Translation (2004))

They could not escape: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as They could not implies a loss of courage. Some English versions make this explicit. For example:

None of them had the courage to run (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
were so shocked they were unable to flee (NET Bible)

8:20d

and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers: The clause and the troops who had fled to the wilderness refers to Joshua and the Israelite soldiers who had pretended to run away. These are the same people referred to in 8:15.

now became the pursuers: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as became the pursuers is translated as “turned back against the pursuers” in most English versions. With either interpretation, the Israelite soldiers who had run away from the town now turned around and fought with the soldiers of Ai.

the pursuers: According to the Berean Standard Bible interpretation, the phrase the pursuers refers to Joshua and the Israelite soldiers who had pretended to run away. However, most English versions indicate that the pursuers refers to the soldiers of Ai.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 9:17

9:17a

So: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So introduces the next event in the narrative.

the Israelites set out: The clause the Israelites set out indicates that the Israelites left their camp to walk to where the Gibeonites lived and to confront them.

and on the third day: In Hebrew, part of a day was counted as one day when reckoning time. For example, if they started to walk on a Thursday, then they probably arrived on a Saturday. Translate this time reference in a natural way in your language.

arrived at their cities: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as arrived at means “reached.”

their cities: The Gibeonites lived in a group of at least four towns. These towns are named in the next part of this verse.

9:17b

Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim: In some languages it may be clearer to make it explicit that these are names of towns. For example:

⌊the names of⌋ their towns were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:22

Paragraph 10:22–27

10:22a

Then Joshua said: The clause Joshua said indicates that Joshua gave a command to his soldiers. It may be more natural in some languages to make that information explicit. For example:

Then Joshua commanded his soldiers

Open the mouth of the cave: The clause Open the mouth of the cave indicates that Joshua commanded some of his soldiers to roll away the rocks that covered the entrance to the cave.

10:22b

and bring those five kings out to me: The five kings refers to the kings of the Amorites who ran away from the battle and hid in the cave.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 11:11

11:11a

The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword: The clause The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword indicates that Joshua and his army killed every person in the town of Hazor. This is a Hebrew idiom that was used in 10:32. It is recommended that you translate it the same way in both places.

Here is another way to translate this Hebrew idiom:

they put everyone there to death (Good News Translation)

devoting them to destruction: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as devoting them to destruction indicates destroying people or things that were devoted to Yahweh and cannot be saved by any means. This is the same kind of destruction that Yahweh commanded Joshua to carry out at Jericho and Ai (6:24 and 8:8). You should translate this phrase in the same way that you translated it there.

11:11b

Nothing that breathed remained: The clause Nothing that breathed remained indicates that every person in the town was killed. This information is repeated to emphasize it. Joshua obeyed Yahweh’s command to kill all the Canaanites so that the Israelites could live in the land God had promised them.

11:11c

and Joshua burned down Hazor itself: The clause Joshua burned down Hazor itself indicates that Joshua had his soldiers burn the town of Hazor completely.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:14

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 4:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 5:13

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 7:3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:20

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 9:17

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 11:11

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