19:7

Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities, along with their villages: There is a textual issue in the first part of the word Rimmon (some versions have “En-rimmon”):

(1) En-rimmon is two towns: Ain and Rimmon. This is the way the vowels are written in the Masoretic text.

(Berean Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, King James Version)

(2) En-rimmon is one town. This is the reading of the Septuagint.

(Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with the majority of English versions. This also agrees with the list of the same towns in Joshua 15:32.

The towns of Ain and Rimmon were in the southern part of Judah’s land. The towns of Ether and Ashan were farther north, in the Shephelah district.

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

⌊They also received the towns of⌋ Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan. There were four towns with the villages that surrounded them.
-or-
Their land also included the towns of Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan. The number of these towns was four towns with the villages that were near them.

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

19:39a

This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Naphtali: This verse is like verse 19:23a, except that here it refers to the clan of Naphtali. It is recommended that you translate this verse in a similar way to that verse.

19:39b

including these cities and their villages: This part of the verse is the same as verse 19:23b. It recommended that you translate this part of the verse as you did that verse.

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

21:11a

They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron): The town of Kiriath-arba is mentioned in 14:15. The word “Kiriath” means “town” in Hebrew. Arba was the name of one of the Anak people.

21:11b

with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

It was in the mountain region that belonged to the clan of Judah. They also gave them the grasslands around it.
-or-
They gave them lands around the town for their animals. Hebron was in the mountains of the clan of Judah.

Arba was the father of Anak: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Arba was the father of Anak is background information. In some languages it may be more natural to place this background information at some other point in the verse.

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

The Israelites gave them the town of Kiriath-arba, which is now called Hebron. Arba was the father of Anak.
-or-
The people of Israel gave them Kiriath-arba town. Arba was the father of Anak. That town had another name, Hebron.

General Comment on verse 21:11

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

The Israelites gave them Kiriath-arba, together with the grasslands around it, in the hill country of Judah. That town was named after Arba, who was the father of Anak. It is also called Hebron.

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

Paragraph 21:43–45

21:43a

Thus: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Thus introduces the conclusion to the account of how the land was assigned to all the clans of Israel. Use a connecting word that is natural in your language in this context. In some languages it may be more natural to leave this conjunction untranslated.

Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:

In this way
-or-
So

the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers: At the beginning of the book of Joshua, in 1:1, Yahweh repeated his promise to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. He promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 13:1.

had sworn: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had sworn was also used in chapter 1:6. You should translate it in the same way as in that verse.

their fathers: The phrase their fathers refers to the ancestors of the Israelites.

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

So Yahweh gave to the Israel people all the land which he had promised to give to their ancestors.
-or-
In this way Yahweh gave the people of Israel all the land. He had promised their ancestors that he would do that.

21:43b

and they took possession of it: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took possession of was used in 1:11. You should translate this verb in the same way as in that verse.

Here are some other ways to translate the verb “took possession:”

captured
-or-
conquered
-or-
took

and settled in it: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as settled can also be translated as “lived.”

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

They conquered that land and they lived in it.
-or-
They took that land and made it their home.

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

Paragraph: 22:30–34

22:30a

When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation—the heads of Israel’s clans who were with him: The group of men who are referred to in this part of the verse are the same group of men as in verse 14.

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

When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community of Israel, the heads of the Israelite families who were with him,
-or-
Phinehas the priest and the leaders of Israel who were with him

22:30b

heard what the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

heard what the people of Reuben, Gad and the clan of Manasseh said
-or-
listened to what the people from the Reuben clan, the Gad clan and the Manasseh clan said

22:30c

they were satisfied: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they were satisfied is more literally “it was good in their eyes.”

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

they were pleased
-or-
they approved of their words

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

24:12a

I sent the hornet ahead of you: The meaning of the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hornet is uncertain. There are two ways to interpret it.

(1) It means terror or panic. For example:

I sent terror ahead of you (NET Bible)
-or-
As you advanced, I threw them into panic. (Good News Translation)

(NET Bible, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Century Version)

(2) It means hornet. For example:

I sent the hornet before you (English Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, God’s Word, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is the interpretation recommended by most Bible commentaries and the one taken by many English versions.

and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you: The clause drove out the two Amorite kings before you indicates that the enemies of Israel ran away as the Israelites went into their lands. They did this because they were afraid of the Israelites.

the two Amorite kings: There is an interpretation issue here. It is not certain to whom the Hebrew pronoun “them” that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the two Amorite kings refers.

(1) It refers to the two kings of the Amorites. For example:

I sent terror ahead of you to drive out before you the two Amorite kings (NET Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word)

(2) It refers to the peoples mentioned in verse 11 as well as the Amorite kings. For example:

I made your enemies panic and run away, as I had done with the two Amorite kings east of the River Jordan. (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, New International Version, King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is followed by most English versions and Bible commentaries.

The two Amorite kings were King Sihon and King Og, who lived east of the Jordan River. The battle between the Israelites and these kings was mentioned in chapter 24:8.

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

I sent terror ahead of you (plur.) and it made the two Amor kings flee ahead of you.
-or-
I caused your enemies to panic as you advanced, ⌊so that⌋ the two kings of the Amor people ⌊and their armies⌋ all ran away.

24:12b

but not by your own sword or bow: This indicates that Israel did not defeat their enemies with their own weapons or by their own power, but because God helped them.

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

⌊You did not defeat these enemies⌋ by the ⌊strength of⌋ your own swords and bows
-or-
It was not ⌊your skill⌋ with swords and bows ⌊that caused you to defeat them. I defeated them for you.⌋

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

2:10a

For: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason why the Canaanites were afraid of the Israelites. Use the appropriate connecting word in your language. It may be clearer to supply some implicit information. For example:

⌊We
(excl.) are afraid⌋ because

we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you: The sentence the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you refers to events described in Exodus 14. In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit why Yahweh dried up the Red Sea, that is, so that the Israelites could cross it. If it is necessary to make this explicit you could say:

we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea in front of you ⌊so that you could cross it⌋

Red Sea: The Hebrew words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Red Sea are literally “sea of reeds.” The translation Red Sea comes from the Septuagint translation into Greek. This body of water is not the same as what is known as the Red Sea today. If you use the term Red Sea, you should consider adding a footnote. For example:

FOOTNOTE: The Hebrew phrase is literally “Sea of Reeds.” It refers to the lake that the Israelites had to cross when they left Egypt. See Exodus 14.

The term Red Sea occurs several times in Exodus. See, for example, Exodus 10:19.

you: The Hebrew inflection that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you is plural and refers to the people of Israel.

when you came out of Egypt: The whole story of what happened when the Israelites left Egypt is told in Exodus 12-14.

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

For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊We are afraid⌋ because we heard that Yahweh made the Red Sea dry up in front of you ⌊so that you could cross it⌋ when you left Egypt

2:10b

and what you did: This is the middle of a long sentence. In some languages it may be helpful to start a new sentence here. For example:

⌊We have also heard⌋ what you did

to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites: The Amorites were nations on the east side of the Jordan River. The story of how the Israelites conquered their kings is told in Numbers 21:21-35.

to Sihon and Og: Sihon and Og are the two kings of the Amorites.

across the Jordan: The phrase across the Jordan refers to the east side of the Jordan River.

whom you devoted to destruction: This phrase describes what the Israelites did to King Sihon and King Og.

devoted to destruction: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as devoted to destruction means that something was dedicated to Yahweh and could not be used. It must be destroyed or given to Yahweh as an offering. In this context it indicates that they killed the two Amorite kings. This event is described in Numbers 21:21-35 and is retold in Deuteronomy 2:24-3:11.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

completely destroyed
-or-
killed

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

We heard what you did when you killed King Sihon and King Og, the two Amorite kings who ruled east of the Jordan River
-or-
We know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. You destroyed them.

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.

Section 4:1–5:1 The Israelites commemorated the crossing of the Jordan River

Twelve men from among the Israelites each took a stone from the middle of the Jordan River. With these stones Joshua built a monument to remind the Israelite people, and their descendants, about how God helped them cross the river.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Setting up memorial stones
-or-
Twelve memorial stones
-or-
A reminder that God brought them to the promised land

Paragraph 4:1–3

4:1a

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan: In some languages it may be more natural to make this into an independent clause. For example, you could say:

1a All the Israelites finished crossing the Jordan River. 1b Then Yahweh said to Joshua…

the whole nation: The phrase the whole nation refers to all the Israelite people.

had finished crossing the Jordan: The phrase had finished crossing the Jordan means that the Israelites crossed over to the west side of the Jordan River.

4:1b

the LORD said to Joshua: Here is another way to translate this phrase:

Yahweh commanded

© 2001, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.