SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023 – Page 4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 24:26

24:26a

Joshua recorded these things: The phrase these things refers to the statues and ordinances that are mentioned in the previous verse.

in the Book of the Law of God: The Book of the Law of God refers to the book, or scroll, in which Joshua wrote down the laws that he received from God for them. The people of that time wrote things on scrolls rather than in books. Some English versions use the word scroll. For example:

Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God (NET Bible)

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

Then Joshua wrote down all these words in the book that contained God’s laws.
-or-
Then Joshua wrote these things in the book of God’s teachings ⌊for them⌋ .

24:26b

Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak: In many languages it may be more natural to begin a new sentence here. The clause set it up indicates that Joshua stood the large stone up on its end.

He erected a big stone
-or-
He stood a big stone on its end

Then: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces the next event in the storyline. Introduce the next event in a natural way in your language.

oak: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as oak is found only in this verse. It refers to a kind of tree, but scholars do not agree on what kind of tree it was. Some English versions translate this word as “terebinth,” which is a tree in the cashew family.

Here are some ways to translate this word:

oak (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, God’s Word, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version)
-or-
terebinth (English Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible)

near the sanctuary of the LORD: This sanctuary was a place where Yahweh was worshiped. The tree was probably close to this place.

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

He took a large stone and set it up under the oak tree near the holy place of Yahweh.
-or-
He set a large stone on its end under the oak tree, near the place that was set apart to worship Yahweh.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:13

2:13a

that you will spare the lives: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spare the lives can also be translated “let live.” Rahab asked the two Israelites to promise that no one would kill her family when the Israelites conquered Jericho.

of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them: The phrase all who belong to them indicates the families of Rahab’s brothers and sisters as well as her own immediate family.

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

Let my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all their families live
-or-
Save the lives of my whole family

2:13b

and that you will deliver us from death: Rahab asked the Israelites not to kill her or her family. Rahab makes the same request two times, using different words, to emphasize the importance of her request.

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

save us from death
-or-
do not let your people kill us

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 4:4

Paragraph 4:4–7

4:4

There is implied information at the beginning of 4:4. It does not say explicitly that Joshua chose the men. You may wish to include this implied information.

Here is a way to translate the implied information:

⌊Joshua chose one man from each tribe,⌋ and then he called the twelve men

4:4a

So Joshua summoned the twelve men: The phrase Joshua summoned the twelve men indicates that Joshua gathered the twelve men he had chosen in order to give them God’s command.

from the Israelites: The phrase from the Israelites emphasizes that these men were all Israelite men. It may be redundant to translate this phrase in some languages, because it is clear from previous verses that these were Israelite men. It may be more natural to leave this phrase implicit.

4:4b

he had appointed: The phrase he had appointed refers to the men that Joshua chose to carry the stones.

one from each tribe: A similar phrase is found in 4:2b. The purpose of one from each tribe was so that each tribe had a representative.

General Comment on 4:4

It might be helpful to reorder the phrases and to include the implied information. Some other ways to translate this verse are:

⌊Joshua chose one man from each of the twelve Israelite tribes.⌋ Then he called them together
-or-
Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed to represent the twelve Israelite tribes

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 5:12

5:12a

And: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And signals the next event in the storyline.

the day after: The phrase the day after refers to the morning after the Israelites celebrated the Passover feast. This was the day that the Israelites began to eat food from the land of Canaan.

they had: The word had marks a transitional event. Yahweh stopped sending manna when they ate the produce from the land.

eaten from the produce of the land: The phrase produce of the land refers to the barley grain that the Israelites gathered to roast and to make into bread.

5:12b

the manna: The manna is the food that Yahweh gave to the Israelites every morning while they walked through the wilderness. It is described in Exodus 16:13–16.

ceased: The word ceased means “stopped.” The manna appeared on the ground every morning for forty years. Now it no longer appeared. There is implied information: Yahweh is the one who sent the manna, and who stopped sending it.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

Yahweh stopped sending the manna

5:12c

There was no more manna for the Israelites: The clause There was no more manna for the Israelites indicates that God no longer sent them manna from the sky.

5:12d

that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan: The clause the crops of the land of Canaan has the same meaning as the clause “the produce of the land” in 12a.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

that year they ate things that grew in the land of Canaan

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 7:2

Paragraph 7:2–5

Joshua sent the Israelite army to fight against the men of Ai, but the Israelites were defeated.

7:2a

Meanwhile: The Hebrew text has a word that introduces the next event in the storyline. The Berean Standard Bible translates it as Meanwhile, but some English versions do not translate this word. Some English versions begin this verse with the connector “now.” Introduce this next event in a way that is natural in your language.

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai: The men that Joshua sent were Israelites. They were not people of Jericho. The Israelites were camped near Jericho following the battle. The New Living Translation (2004) makes this clear:

Joshua sent some of his men (New Living Translation (2004))

Ai: Ai is the name of a town. It was smaller than Jericho.

7:2b

which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel: These are the names of small towns. Ai was near the town of Beth-aven and was east of the town of Bethel.

7:2c

and told them: Joshua gave the men instructions before he sent them to Ai. The Hebrew text uses a direct quote for Joshua’s instructions. Some English versions put these brief instructions into an indirect quote.

The NET Bible has a direct quote:

and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land” (NET Bible)

The Good News Translation has an indirect quote:

Joshua sent some men…with orders to go and explore the land (Good News Translation)

Use the kind of quotation that is most natural in your language.

Go up: Ai was at a higher elevation than the Israelite camp. Hebrew verbs keep track of elevation, and thus it says Go up. If your language does not keep track of elevation, it may be more natural to say “go.”

and spy out the land: The phrase spy out the land means “look at the land and learn about it.” Joshua wanted to know information that would help him to plan an attack on Ai.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

find out whatever you can (Contemporary English Version)

land: The word land refers to both the town of Ai and to the land that surrounded it.

7:2d

So: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So indicates that 7:2d is the result of 7:2c. Use a natural way to indicate result in your language.

the men went up and spied out Ai: This clause indicates that the men obeyed Joshua’s instructions. In some languages it may not be natural to repeat the information again. If that is true in your language, you may express the idea in a different way. For example:

so they did it
-or-
so the men obeyed Joshua

went up: See the note on “go up” in 7:2c.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:8

8:8a

And: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And is the normal way to indicate the next event of the story. Use a connecting word that is natural in your language.

when you have taken the city: The clause when you have taken the city refers to the time after the Israelite soldiers have captured the town. For example:

After you have taken the city (Good News Translation)

8:8b

set it on fire: Joshua commanded the Israelites to burn the buildings and other flammable objects in the town.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

light the town on fire
-or-
burn the town

Do as the LORD has commanded: Joshua told the Israelite soldiers that this was the command of Yahweh.

8:8c

See: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as See emphasizes the importance of the command. You may have some other word or grammatical marker to emphasize that this command is important.

I have given you orders: The clause I have given you orders refers to the instructions that Joshua gave the soldiers. As Yahweh’s spokesperson, Joshua gave the soldiers Yahweh’s commands.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 9:5

9:5a

They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies: It may be more natural in some languages to translate this as an independent sentence. For example:

They put on ragged clothes and worn-out sandals that had been mended (Good News Translation)
-or-
The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes (New International Version)

9:5b

and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy: The phrase their whole supply of bread refers to the bread they took with them to eat.

moldy: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as moldy is rarely used. Bible scholars and the English versions disagree about its meaning.

(1) It means crumbly or hard rather than moldy. This seems likely because mold requires moisture for growth, and the climate in Palestine is very dry. For example:

And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. (English Standard Version)

(English Standard Version, God’s Word, New American Bible, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version)

(2) It means moldy. For example:

All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. (New International Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation)

It is difficult to know the meaning of this word because it is rare. It occurs only three times in the Old Testament (Joshua 9:5, 12, and I Kings 13:4). Both options are used by English versions. Even though Palestine generally had a dry climate, there was also a wet season and old bread could get moldy. Either option is acceptable.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:10

10:10a

And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel: The clause threw them into confusion indicates that Yahweh caused the Amorite armies to be confused and afraid, so that they could not fight the Israelites.

10:10b

who defeated them in a great slaughter: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as defeated them in a great slaughter is more literally “hit them with a great hit.” This Hebrew idiom means that the Israelite army killed many Amorite soldiers.

There is an interpretation issue in this clause. The verb defeated (or “hit”) is marked as masculine singular and there is no nominal subject. English versions interpret the subject of the verb in three ways:

(1) The subject of the verb is the Israelite army. For example:

and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Good News Translation, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version)

(2) The subject of the verb is Joshua. For example:

Joshua utterly defeated them at Gibeon (Revised English Bible)

(Revised English Bible, New English Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

(3) The subject of the verb is Yahweh. For example:

and He struck them down with a great defeat at Gibeon (New American Standard Bible)

(New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Verses 8 and 11 make it clear that the Israelites defeated the Amorites only with Yahweh’s help, but verse 11 also makes it clear that the Israelites had a part in the defeat.

at Gibeon: The phrase at Gibeon refers to the town of Gibeon, where the battle took place.

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

(Israel) defeated them with a great victory at Gibeon (New International Version)
-or-
Israel thoroughly defeated them at Gibeon (NET Bible)

10:10c

pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon: The phrase along the ascent to Beth-horon indicates that the Israelite army pursued the Amorite armies uphill to Beth-horon.

Beth-horon: There were two towns named Beth-horon. Upper Beth-horon was 66 meters higher in altitude than Gibeon. Lower Beth-horon is referred to in verse 11. The road from Gibeon goes first uphill to Upper Beth-horon, and then down to Lower Beth-horon. Upper Beth-horon was the highest town in that area. It dominated an important mountain pass that led to the lower hills and the plain to the west.

The English versions spell the name Beth-horon in various ways:

Beth-horon (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Revised Edition, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New American Standard Bible, King James Version)
-or-
Beth Horon (NET Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, God’s Word)
-or-
Beth-Horon (Contemporary English Version)

10:10d

and struck them down: The Hebrew idiom that the Berean Standard Bible translates as struck them down is more literally “hit them.” This idiom indicates that the Israelite army killed many of the Amorite fighters.

as far as Azekah and Makkedah: The phrase as far as Azekah and Makkedah indicates that the Israelite army continued to pursue the Amorite armies all the way to the towns of Azekah and Makkedah. Azekah was about 30 kilometers south of Beth-horon and is considerably lower downhill. Makkedah was in the southern part of Canaan, about 14 kilometers west of Hebron.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 24:26

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:13

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 4:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 5:12

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 7:2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:8

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 9:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:10

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