SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023 – Page 67

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:1

Section 8:1–29 Israel defeated Ai.

In chapter 7, Israel attacked Ai and the soldiers of Ai defeated them. They were discouraged but they repented of their sin. In chapter 8, God told Joshua to attack Ai again. This time, the Israelites were victorious and defeated Ai.

Verses 8:1–9 describe Joshua’s preparations to attack Ai, with details about the ambush. The soldiers in the ambush left by night ahead of the other soldiers. Verses 8:10–27 describe the movement of the soldiers, and the defeat of Ai. Verses 8:28–29 is a summary of the story.

Here are some other possible section headings:

The fall and destruction of Ai
-or-
Israel conquered Ai

Paragraph 8:1–2

8:1a

Then the LORD said to Joshua: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces the next event in the storyline. Some English versions use a different word to mark the next event. Some do not use any word. For example:

And the Lord said to Joshua (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
The Lord said to Joshua (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to introduce the next event in the storyline.

8:1b

Do not be afraid or discouraged: The two Hebrew words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as afraid and discouraged are imperative commands. The repetition of two synonyms makes this command emphatic. Joshua should not be afraid at all.

Translate this as an emphatic command. It is not necessary to use two verbs unless it is natural to do so. An adverb or an emphatic particle may be a more natural way to express this idea. Some languages have an idiom with this meaning.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (New International Version)
-or-
Don’t be afraid or give up (New Century Version)

It may be helpful to add implicit information to make clear why Joshua might be afraid, as in the Contemporary English Version:

Don’t be afraid, and don’t be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai (Contemporary English Version)

8:1c

Take the whole army with you: The phrase whole army refers to the Israelite soldiers.

8:1d

and go up and attack Ai: The Hebrew that the Berean Standard Bible translates as go up and attack is more literally “arise, go up.” The command “arise” is used to introduce a command. The command is “go up.” Translate this command in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

go on up to Ai (Good News Translation)

attack: As mentioned in the previous note, the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as attack is more literally “go up.” The town of Ai was at a higher elevation than Gilgal, where the Israelites camped. The Israelites went uphill to go from Gilgal to Ai. If your language does not keep track of elevation in this way, you can translate it as:

fight against Ai
-or-
Lead all your fighting men to Ai (New Century Version)

Ai: The town of Ai was mentioned in 7:2. You should translate it in the same way in both places.

8:1e

See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai: It is recommended that you begin a new sentence here.

See: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as See is an emphatic word. It shows the importance of what Yahweh told Joshua. There may be another word or a grammatical particle in some languages to add emphasis. Some versions do not mark emphasis here. Use a word or a grammatical marker that is natural in your language.

I have delivered into your hand: The phrase I have delivered into your hand is a Hebrew idiom. It means that Yahweh will help Joshua and the Israelites to defeat the king of Ai.

your: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your is singular. God is speaking to Joshua. It may be more natural in some languages to translate this as a plural. For example:

I will give the king of Ai into your hands
-or-
I will help you (plur.) to defeat the king of Ai

8:1f

his people, his city, and his land: The word his refers to the king of Ai.

The phrase his people, his city, and his land emphasizes that Yahweh will give Joshua complete victory over every part of Ai. This includes its citizens and all the land that is under the power of the king.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:33

8:33a

The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated but many English versions translate as “and” indicates the next event of the story.

All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike: The phrase All Israel indicates that every Israelite was present at the ceremony.

foreigners and citizens alike: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foreigners refers to foreigners who lived in the Israelite community.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as citizens refers to Israelites who were descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Here are some other ways to translate these two words:

resident foreigners and native Israelites (NET Bible)
-or-
aliens and citizens (New International Version)
-or-
foreigners and native-born (New Living Translation (2004))

with their elders, officers, and judges: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as elders refers to the leaders of tribes and families who represented their tribe on special occasions.

officers: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as officers refers to people who had both military and administrative responsibilities.

Here are some other ways to translate this term:

leaders (NET Bible)
-or-
officials (New International Version)

judges: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as judges refers to people who judged disputes between Israelites. See Exodus 18:17-26 where Moses first appointed judges.

8:33b

stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD: The clause stood on both sides of the ark indicates that the Israelites stood in two groups facing each other. The ark was in-between them.

the ark of the covenant of the LORD: The ark was a wooden box that was a sign of God’s presence. The term ark has different descriptive phrases attached to it in different contexts. In this verse it is called ark of the covenant of the LORD. This emphasizes that inside it were the stone tablets on which Moses wrote the Ten commandments, the symbol of Yahweh’s covenant with Israel.

facing the Levitical priests: Two Levitical priests stood at each end of the ark, carrying it on poles over their shoulders. The two groups of Israelites faced the ark and the priests who carried it.

Levitical priests: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Levitical priests is literally “the priests, the Levites.” The priests were descendants of Levi, and belonged to the tribe of Levi.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the priests, the Levites
-or-
the priests of the Levi tribe

It is also possible to say just “the priests,” and put the literal translation in a footnote. See how you translated this term in Joshua 3:3.

priests: The priests were people who offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. You should translate this the same way you do in the New Testament. See, for example, Mark 1:44.

8:33c

who carried it: It was the responsibility of the priests to carry the ark of the covenant.

8:33d

Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal: The phrase half of them indicates that the Israelites were divided into two large groups.

in front of Mount Gerizim and…in front of Mount Ebal: The Israelites stood in the Valley of Shechem, which was between the two mountains, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. One group stood facing Mount Gerizim and the other group stood facing Mount Ebal.

In Deuteronomy 27:12–13 Moses told the people to stand “on” Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, whereas this verse uses the words in front of. Because the Israelites followed the commands that Moses gave them, it may be that they stood on the slopes of the two mountains, facing in the direction of the opposite mountain. For example:

on the upper slopes of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (New Jerusalem Bible)

8:33e

as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier: This indicates that the Israelites obeyed the instructions that Moses gave them before he died.

earlier: The word earlier refers to the time when Moses gave the Israelites this command in Deuteronomy 27:12–13. For example:

the Lord ’s servant Moses had earlier commanded the people (New Century Version)

General Comment on 8:33

This is a long and complicated verse, and you will have to think about it carefully. It is recommended that you begin a new sentence at 8:33d.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:3

10:3a

Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word: The phrase sent word indicates that the king sent messengers to take his message to the other kings.

King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to… (NET Bible)
-or-
Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to… (New International Version)
-or-
King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to… (New Living Translation (2004))

It may be more natural in some languages to put the title “King” before the names of each of the kings in this list.

10:3b

to Hoham king of Hebron: Hoham is the name of the king of Hebron. Hebron was a town in the hill country southwest of Jerusalem.

Piram king of Jarmuth: Piram is the name of the king of Jarmuth. Jarmuth was a town about 24 kilometers west of Bethlehem in the Elah Valley. It was southwest of Jerusalem.

10:3c

Japhia king of Lachish: Japhia is the name of the king of Lachish. Lachish was about 40 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem.

and Debir king of Eglon, saying: Debir is the name of the king of Eglon. Eglon was about 56 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:35

10:35a

That day they captured Eglon: The clause That day they captured Eglon indicates that Joshua and the Israelite army captured the town and its inhabitants on the same day that they attacked it. In some languages, it is more natural to reverse the order of the words in this phrase. For example:

They captured Eglon City that same day

That day: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as That day is stated twice in this verse for emphasis. It contrasts the fact that the Israelites captured and destroyed the town of Eglon in one day, whereas it took them two days to capture the town of Lachish.

and put it to the sword: The clause put it to the sword indicates that the Israelite army killed the people of the town. This is a Hebrew idiom that was used in 10:28, and it is recommended that you translate it the same way in both places.

10:35b

and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city has the object stated first because this is a way that the Hebrew language indicates prominence or emphasis. Other languages may have a different way to show emphasis. Indicate emphasis that is natural in your language.

Joshua: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Joshua refers to Joshua as the representative of the Israelite army. In some languages it may be more natural to include this implied information. For example:

Joshua ⌊and the Israelite soldiers⌋ utterly destroyed the town of Eglon that day

devoted to destruction: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as devoted to destruction is the same verb used in 10:28c. It refers to people or things that are claimed by Yahweh and cannot be bought back by any means. They must be destroyed.

10:35c

just as he had done to Lachish: The phrase just as he had done to Lachish may be translated as an independent sentence. For example:

He treated Eglon the same way as he had treated Lachish.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 12:1

Section 12:1–24 The kings that Joshua and the Israelites defeated

In this section there is a list of the kings that the Israelites defeated on the east side and the west side of the Jordan River.

Here is another possible section heading:

The kings that the Israelites defeated on both sides of the Jordan River

Paragraph 12:1-6

The kings that the Israelites defeated on the east side of the Jordan River.

12:1a

Now: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now introduces a list of two kings that the Israelites defeated. Many English versions do not translate this word. Use a word that is appropriate to introduce a list in your language.

these are the kings: In some languages it may be more natural to say that these are the names of the kings.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

These are the names of the kings (Revised English Bible)

of the land: The phrase the land indicates the land east of the Jordan River. This is not stated until 12:1c. It may be more natural in some languages to reorder this verse. A way to reorder the verse is found at the end of the notes for this verse.

12:1b

whom the Israelites struck down: The Israelites defeated these kings at an earlier time, before they crossed the Jordan River. This story is found in Numbers 21:21-35. It may be helpful to express this implicit information.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

The people of Israel had defeated these kings ⌊before they crossed the Jordan River⌋

Israelites: The word Israelites indicates the Israelite army.

12:1c

and whose lands they took: The clause whose lands they took indicates that after the Israelites defeated the kings and their armies, they occupied their land and controlled it.

beyond the Jordan to the east: The phrase beyond the Jordan to the east indicates that the land was on the east side of the Jordan River.

12:1d

from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon: The Arnon Valley and Mount Hermon were at the south and the north of the area that the Israelites conquered east of the Jordan River.

the Arnon Valley: The Arnon River flows through a deep Valley that is dry during part of the year. It runs into the Dead Sea. Its valley is halfway between the southern and northern ends of the Dead Sea. This was the southern limit of the land that the Israelites conquered on the east side of the Jordan River.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the valley of the Arnon River

Valley: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Valley refers to a riverbed that has water in it only during the rainy season. This kind of riverbed is sometimes referred to by its Arabic term, wadi.

Here are some ways to translate this word:

gorge (New Living Translation (2004), New International Version)
-or-
ravine (New Century Version)
-or-
wadi (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

Use the word in your language that best fits this context.

Mount Hermon: Mount Hermon is west of Damascus. It was the northern limit of the land that the Israelites conquered on the east side of the Jordan River.

including all the Arabah eastward: The Arabah is the valley of the Jordan River. The land that the Israelites conquered included all the Jordan River valley and the land to the east of it.

General Comment on 12:1

Here are some other ways to translate verse 1. These examples have partially reordered the parts of the verse. They have also broken the verse into two sentences.

These are the kings of the land east of the Jordan River that the people of Israel defeated. Israel also took possession of their land from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern plains. (God’s Word)
-or-
Before Moses died, he and the Israelites had defeated two kings east of the Jordan River. These kings had ruled the region from the Arnon River Gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, including the eastern side of the Jordan River Valley. (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 12:1-5

In the Hebrew text these verses are one long sentence, and the Berean Standard Bible translates them this way. It is recommended that you translate these verses as several sentences. Use the sentence breaks that are most natural in your language. There are some examples of how to do this the end of each verse.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 13:21

13:21a

all the cities of the plateau: The clause all the cities of the plateau summarizes the list of towns that appear in verses 17-21. This clause is almost identical to the clause in verse 13:17b and you should translate it the same way. In verse 17 this phrase was at the beginning of the list, and here it comes at the end of the list.

13:21b

and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites: The phrase the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites indicates that Moses gave the land that King Sihon ruled on the plateau to the tribe of Reuben.

13:21c

who reigned in Heshbon: The clause who reigned in Heshbon indicates that Heshbon was the capital city of King Sihon. Heshbon was mentioned in 13:10 and 13:17, and you should translate it the same way every time.

until Moses killed him and the chiefs of Midian: Moses defeated King Sihon along with all the other leaders of Midian. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. For example:

Moses had defeated him along with the Midianites including Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba (New Century Version)

chiefs of Midian: Midian was one of the sons of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). Midian’s descendants became a group called Midian. They were a nomadic people who lived in northwest Arabia, east of the Gulf of Aqaba.

13:21d

(Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), the princes of Sihon: These five names are the leaders of the Midian people. The story of how Moses and the Israelites fought and killed these leaders is found in Numbers 31:7-8.

princes of Sihon: The phrase princes of Sihon indicates that these leaders of Midian were under the authority of King Sihon.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

all of them had ruled the land for King Sihon (Good News Translation)

who lived in the land: The clause who lived in the land indicates that these five Midianite leaders and their people lived in the land that King Sihon ruled.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:5

Paragraph 15:5a

The east boundary of Judah is marked by the Dead Sea.

15:5a

The eastern border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan: The Salt Sea is another name for the Dead Sea. The phrase as the mouth of the Jordan indicates that the east border of Judah’s land extended the length of the Dead Sea, from its southern point to where the Dead Sea reached the Jordan River in the north.

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

Judah’s east boundary was along the Dead Sea, ⌊from its south end⌋ to where the Jordan River flows into it
-or-
The border on the east was the Dead Sea, going north to the mouth of the Jordan River

Paragraph 15:5b-11

The north boundary of Judah started from the north end of the Dead Sea and went west from there to the Mediterranean Sea. This boundary did not go in a straight line. It swung south to avoid Jerusalem, which was part of the territory of Benjamin.

15:5b

The northern border started: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The north border ran
-or-
The boundary on the north began at

15:5c

from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan: The phrase the bay of the sea indicates the north end of the Dead Sea.

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

from the end of the Dead Sea where it meets the Jordan River
-or-
the ⌊north end of the⌋ Dead Sea where the Jordan River flows into it

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:37

Paragraph: 15:37-41

This paragraph is a list of more towns that were given to the tribe of Judah.

15:37

Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad: This is the beginning of a new list of towns. It may be helpful to make this clear.

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

⌊There were also the towns of⌋ Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad…

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:33

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:35

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 12:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 13:21

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:37

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