SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023 – Page 74

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:8

Paragraph 2:8-11

Rahab told the spies that the news about the Israelites had made her people afraid. She believed that the God of Israel would help the Israelites to conquer the land.

2:8

In this verse the storyline changes back to what the two Israelite spies did. This action takes place at approximately the same time as the action in the previous verse. While the soldiers were searching for the Israelite spies along the road to the Jordan River, the spies were getting ready to sleep on the roof of Rahab’s house.

2:8a

Before the spies lay down for the night: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Before the spies lay down is more literally “and they, before they lay down.” The Hebrew conjunction together with the emphatic pronoun indicates a change of subject, from the king’s men back to the Israelite men. Some languages have a grammatical marker which indicates a change of subject.

lay down for the night: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lay down indicates that the men were lying down to go to sleep.

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

As for the Israelite men, before they lay down to sleep
-or-
Meanwhile, before the two men went to sleep ⌊that night⌋

2:8b

Rahab went up on the roof: The name Rahab refers to Rahab. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit.

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

Rahab went up to them ⌊again⌋ on the roof
-or-
Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them (New Living Translation (2004))

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 4:10

Paragraph 4:10–11

This paragraph is a summary about the crossing of the Jordan River. The priests obeyed God’s command. They stood in the middle of the river while the rest of the Israelites crossed it. Finally, the priests with the ark of the covenant finished crossing the river.

4:10a

Now: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now is the Hebrew connector between sentences in a narrative. It may be more natural in some languages to leave it out. For example:

The priests who bore the ark remained standing (New Revised Standard Version)

remained standing in the middle of the Jordan: The phrase remained standing in the middle of the Jordan indicates that the priests who were carrying the ark continued to stand in the middle of the Jordan River. The river stopped flowing, and they stood on the dry riverbed. It may be helpful to make this explicit in some languages. For example, you could say:

The priests who carried the ark stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan River

4:10b

until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them: The clause until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them indicates that the people did everything that Yahweh commanded them to do. Yahweh gave his command to Joshua. Joshua repeated the command to the Israelites, and the Israelites obeyed the command.

4:10c

just as Moses had directed Joshua: The phrase just as Moses had directed Joshua indicates that Yahweh first gave these commands to Moses before Moses died. Moses then told Joshua what Yahweh wanted the Israelites to do when they reached the Jordan.

4:10d

The people hurried across: The clause The people hurried across means that the Israelites crossed the Jordan River as quickly as they could. They hurried across it.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 6:3

6:3a

March around the city: The clause March around the city is a command. It indicates that Joshua and the Israelite soldiers must walk in a procession around the town wall.

March around: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as March around is literally “go around.” The English word “march” indicates that soldiers are walking. Use an expression that is natural in your language for this action.

6:3b

with all the men of war, circling the city one time: The phrase all the men of war refers to the Israelite soldiers. The number of Israelite soldiers is given in 4:13 is about 40,000. In verse 4 we learn that seven priests also walked around the town.

circling the city one time: There is implied information. They were to walk around the town once each day. For example:

You and your soldiers are to march around the city once a day (Good News Translation)

6:3c

Do this for six days: The army and priests must walk around the town of Jericho once every day for six consecutive days.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 7:8

7:8a

O: The word O is an English “vocative” that marks the person who is being spoken to. This word was added by the Berean Standard Bible and is not the translation of a Hebrew word. Many English versions do not use this word. Use a natural form in your language to indicate that Joshua is speaking to God.

Lord: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “master” or boss.” It is a title that shows respect. It was also used in 7:7b when Joshua addressed God as “Lord God.”

what can I say: This is a rhetorical question. It functions as a part of Joshua’s complaint to Yahweh. Joshua did not yet understand why God allowed the people of Ai to defeat Israel.

Here are two ways to translate this complaint:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

What can I say, O Lord? (Good News Translation)

• Use a statement. For example:

Lord, there is nothing I can say now (New Century Version)
-or-
I do not know what to say ⌊to you about this⌋

Translate this in a way that in natural in your language for expressing a complaint.

7:8b

now that: The Hebrew expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as now that introduces the topic that Joshua would say something about.

Here are some other ways to translate this connection:

What can I say about the fact that Israel has turned their backs?
-or-
What can I say, O Lord, now that Israel has retreated from the enemy? (Good News Translation)
-or-
I don’t even know what to say to you, since Israel’s army has turned and run from the enemy (Contemporary English Version)

Israel: The word Israel refers to the army of Israel.

Here is another way to translate this word:

since Israel’s army has turned and run from the enemy (Contemporary English Version)

has turned its back and run from its enemies: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has turned its back is an idiom. It means that they turned and ran away. They had to run away, because they were defeated by their enemies.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

what can I say about this situation? The army of Israel ran away from our enemies
-or-
what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
what can I say now that Israel has retreated before its enemies? (NET Bible)

enemies: The word enemies refers to the people of Ai.

General Comment on 7:8

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 7:8a and 7:8b. For example:

8b Now that Israel has turned and run from its enemies ⌊in defeat⌋ , 8a what can I say?

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:14

Paragraph 8:14–17

8:14a

When the king of Ai saw the Israelites: The King of Ai saw Joshua’s main army in its place north of the town, ready to attack the town.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

When the king of Ai saw ⌊the Israelite army⌋

8:14b

he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city: The phrases he and the men of the city refer to the same group of fighting men in Ai. They can be translated as one phrase. For example:

he and all the men of the town hurried (New International Version)

he hurried out: The phrase he hurried out indicates that they went quickly.

8:14c

to engage them in battle: The phrase to engage them in battle indicates that the king of Ai intended to fight as he had done the day before.

at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah: The Hebrew text is more literally “at the meeting place near the Arabah.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

to the meeting place near the Arabah (NET Bible)
-or-
to meet…at a certain place overlooking the Arabah (New International Version)
-or-
toward the Jordan Valley to fight…at the same place as before (Good News Translation)

The army of Ai went toward the valley of the Jordan River. Some English versions include the implied information that the place was on the downhill slope toward the Jordan River. For example:

to the descent toward the Arabah (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
on the slope facing the Arabah (New Jerusalem Bible)

the Arabah: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Arabah refers to the valley of the Jordan River. This was east of the town of Ai. For example:

at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley (New Living Translation (2004))

8:14d

But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city: The clause an ambush had been set up against him refers to the Israelite soldiers who hid to attack the town by surprise. The king of Ai did not know about these soldiers.

behind the city: The phrase behind the city indicates the direction west of the town.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 9:11

9:11a

So the elders: The term elders refers to the leaders of the Gibeonites. Unlike the other towns in the region of Canaan, the Gibeonites were ruled by leaders but had no king.

and inhabitants of our land told us: The phrase inhabitants of our land refers to the people who lived in the region of the Gibeonites. Gibeon was actually a town, but it had power over the other nearby towns.

Here are some other ways to translate the term land :

area
-or-
region

9:11b

Take provisions for your journey: The clause Take provisions for your journey indicates that the people took food to eat. They put the food in sacks which their donkeys carried. They did not carry the food in their hands.

for your journey: The phrase for your journey refers to the trip that the Gibeonites took from their own town to the Israelite camp.

9:11c

go to meet them and say to them: The clause go to meet them indicates that the Gibeonites should travel to the Israelite camp and introduce themselves to Joshua and the Israelites leaders.

General Comment on 9:11a-c

The Gibeonites report this as a direct quote of what the elders told them to do. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as an indirect quote. For example:

Our leaders and all the people that live in our land told us to get some food ready for a trip and to go and meet you. (Good News Translation)

9:11d

We are your servants: The clause We are your servants indicates that the Gibeonites were willing to become subject to the Israelites and submit to them. You should translate the phrase your servants in the same way as in 9:8a.

Please: The word Please is a way to make a polite request. You should use whatever word or grammatical means is appropriate to make a polite request in your language.

make a treaty with us: The clause make a treaty with us indicates that the Gibeonites wanted the Israelites to make a peace treaty with them.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:16

Paragraph 10:16–21

10:16

Now the five kings: The phrase the five kings refers to the five Amorite kings who joined together to fight the Israelites. There is a list of these kings in 10:3.

had fled: The verb fled indicates that the kings ran away from the battle. There is implicit information: The five kings ran away before the battle finished. They probably ran away when they realized that the Israelites would win the battle. It may be more natural in some languages to include the implicit information in this part of the verse. For example:

During the battle the five kings escaped (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
While the enemy soldiers were running from the Israelites, the five enemy kings ran away (Contemporary English Version)

and hidden in the cave at Makkedah: The phrase in the cave at Makkedah refers to a cave near the town of Makkedah. 10:10 stated that the Israelite army chased the Amorite armies as far as the towns of Azekah and Makkedah. The five enemy kings found a cave near Makkedah where they could hide from the Israelites.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 11:5

11:5a

All these kings: The phrase All these kings indicates the kings of each of the towns mentioned in the above verses.

joined forces: The clause joined forces indicates that the kings told their armies to fight together as one army against the Israelites.

11:5b

and encamped: The clause and encamped indicates that all the armies set up their camps as if they were one army.

at the waters of Merom: The exact location of the waters of Merom is uncertain. It was probably a riverbed where waters flowed during rainstorms. It was probably somewhere between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean coast.

Here is another way to translate this term:

Merom Brook (Good News Translation)

11:5c

to fight against Israel: The clause to fight against Israel indicates the intention of the armies. They gathered and set up camp in order to fight against the Israelites. This can also be translated as an independent sentence. For example:

Then they got ready to fight with Israel.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023