SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023 – Page 9

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 6:13

6:13a

the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns: The phrase the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns contains the same information as the similar phrase in 6:8b. You should translate this phrase in a similar way.

6:13b

kept marching: The phrase kept marching means that they walked forward.

ahead of the ark of the LORD: The priests carried the trumpets and walked in front of the ark of Yahweh.

6:13c

and blowing the horns: The priests blew the trumpets the entire time that they walked around the town.

6:13d

The armed troops went in front of them: This repeats the information that is in 6:9a. You should translate this clause in a similar way.

6:13e

and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD: This repeats the information that was given in 6:9c. You should translate this in a similar way.

6:13f

while the horns kept sounding: The clause while the horns kept sounding indicates that the priests did not stop blowing their trumpets while they walked around the town.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 7:18

7:18a

And: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces the next event in the storyline. It may be clearer in some languages to begin a new sentence here.

he had the family of Zabdi come forward: The clause he had the family of Zabdi come forward means that Joshua told the family of Zabdi to stand near the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

man by man: Each man of Zabdi’s family stood one at a time before the Tent in order for the lot to show whether he was guilty or not.

7:18b

and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah: The author repeats the lineage of Achan as he did in 7:1. These are the names of his father, grandfather and great grandfather. You should translate this list in a way that is natural in your language. Some English versions leave this list of names implicit.

of the tribe of Judah: Achan’s family traced their ancestry back to Judah, one of the sons of Jacob.

was selected: Yahweh selected Achan by means of the lot. In some languages, the passive verb was selected may need to be translated as an active verb. For example:

The Lord chose Achan son of Carmi (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 8:24

Paragraph 8:24–29

8:24a

When Israel: The word Israel refers to the Israelite army.

had finished killing: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as killing means that the Israelite army killed all the soldiers of Ai.

all the men of Ai: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men refers to the men of Ai who had come out to fight the Israelites.

8:24b

who had pursued them into the field and wilderness: In 8:15 Joshua and his army pretended to be afraid and ran away into the wilderness between Ai and the Jordan River Valley. In 8:20 the soldiers of Ai chased them there. In this verse the roles are reversed. Israel chased the soldiers of Ai and killed them. This change of roles adds dramatic impact to this turning point in the story.

who had pursued them: Scholars and English versions differ on who who and them refer to.

(1) The word them refers to the Israelite soldiers and who refers to the soldiers of Ai. For example:

When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields (New Living Translation (2004))

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

(2) The word them refers to the soldiers of Ai and who refers to the Israelite soldiers. For example:

When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the desert (NET Bible)

(NET Bible, God’s Word, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

The Hebrew text is not clear on this issue. It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with the majority of English versions. As noted above, option (1) adds impact to this climactic turn of events where Israel is now the victor.

into the field and wilderness: The phrase the field and wilderness refers to the barren, uninhabited country that was mentioned in 8:15.

8:24c

and when every last one of them: The phrase every last one of them refers to the fighting men of Ai. This phrase indicates that not one of the soldiers of Ai was left. They were all dead.

had fallen by the sword: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had fallen by the sword is more literally “had fallen by the mouth of the sword.” This is a Hebrew idiom. It means that the Israelite soldiers killed them.

This is a passive clause. The Israelites are the implied subject. The Israelite soldiers killed the men of Ai.

Here are some other ways to translate this Hebrew idiom:

they had been put to the sword (New International Version)
-or-
they put them all to death (God’s Word)
-or-
The Israelites killed every one of the enemy (Good News Translation)

8:24d

all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well: This clause indicates that the Israelite army killed the people who were still left in the town of Ai, the women and children.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 9:21

9:21a

They continued: Verse 21 continues the answer that the Israelite leaders gave to those who wanted to attack the Gibeonites. The clause They continued may not be necessary in some languages. It may not be natural to repeat a quote margin in the middle of continuous speech. For example, the New Living Translation (2004) deletes the quote margin:

Let them live. (New Living Translation (2004))

The English Standard Version follows the Hebrew with a long form of the quote margin:

And the leaders said to them, “Let them live” (English Standard Version)

Let them live: The clause Let them live indicates that the Israelites will not kill the Gibeonites.

The words Let them live are a repetition of what the leaders said in 20a. In some languages it may be clearer to use the word “repeated” in the quote margin. For example:

They repeated, “Let them live”

9:21b

but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation: There are two ways to interpret the use of this phrase:

(1) These words are not part of the quotation that started in 21a. Instead, this phrase shows the result of the Israelites’ decision. For example:

21a “Let them live.” 21b So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community. (NET Bible)

(NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Living Translation (2004), New American Standard Bible)

(2) These words are part of the quotation that started in 21a. For example:

21a “Let them live, 21b but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community.” (New International Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Good News Translation, King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). This is followed by several English versions and several commentaries.

woodcutters: The word woodcutters indicates that the Gibeonites cut firewood for the Israelites.

water carriers: The phrase water carriers indicates that the Gibeonites drew water from the wells and carried it for the Israelites.

the whole congregation: The phrase the whole congregation indicates that the Gibeonites performed these tasks for the whole Israelite community, including the leaders and their families.

9:21c

So the leaders kept their promise: The clause So the leaders kept their promise emphasizes the decision of the leaders about the Gibeonites. It was the leaders who made the decisions.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had decided concerning them (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed (New Living Translation (2004))

Use a way that is natural in your language to emphasize this decision of the leaders.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:26

10:26a

After this: The phrase After this indicates that the next event took place after the officers put their feet on the necks of the kings.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

After the officers had done this

Joshua struck down and killed the kings: The two clauses struck down and killed the kings are parallel and have the same meaning. They indicate that Joshua killed the five kings. In some languages it may be more natural to use one verb rather than two to indicate this. For example:

Then Joshua killed each of the five kings (New Living Translation (2004))

10:26b

and he hung their bodies on five trees: The clause he hung their bodies on five trees indicates that after Joshua killed the five kings, he hung them each on a tree as a public sign that God had cursed them. This was the same as Joshua did to the king of Ai in 8:29, and you should translate it in a similar way. See also Deuteronomy 21:22–23 where Moses gave rules for how such executions should be done.

10:26c

and left them there until evening: The clause and left them there until evening indicates that Joshua left the five kings on the trees all day. In the evening, when the sun was setting, he took them down. This was commanded by Moses in Deuteronomy 21:23.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 11:15

11:15a

As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses: The clause As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses refers to Yahweh’s command to Moses to destroy the inhabitants of the land. Yahweh gave Moses this command in Numbers 33:51–52. Verse 11:15 emphasizes that Joshua followed these commands completely.

In some languages it may help to include some implicit information. For example:

As Yahweh had commanded his servant Moses ⌊to destroy all the inhabitants of the land⌋

11:15b

so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did: The clause so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did indicates that Moses told Joshua what Yahweh had commanded, and Joshua obeyed the command to destroy the people living in the land of Canaan.

Here are some other ways to translate 15a-b:

The command that Yahweh gave to Moses his servant, Moses told to Joshua, and Joshua obeyed.

Yahweh had commanded Moses his servant ⌊to kill all the people in the land⌋ . Moses gave this command to Joshua, and Joshua obeyed it.

11:15c

leaving nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses: The phrase leaving nothing undone is a double negative. Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

he did everything that Yahweh had commanded Moses
-or-
he did not fail to do anything that Yahweh had commanded Moses

This clause repeats the information that Joshua completely obeyed Yahweh’s command. It is repeated for emphasis. Use a way that is most natural to show how completely Joshua followed Yahweh’s commands.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 13:12

13:12a

the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan: The phrase the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan indicates all the places that were named in the previous verse. It may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan (New International Version)
-or-
These ⌊previously mentioned⌋ places were all included in the land of King Og, who ruled in Bashan Territory

The story of how Moses and the Israelites defeated the kingdom of Og in Bashan is found in Numbers 21:33-35.

13:12b

who had reigned in Ashtaroth: The town of Ashtaroth was the capital city of King Og. It was twenty-two miles east of the Sea of Galilee.

and Edrei: King Og also had a residence in the town of Edrei. Edrei was mentioned in Joshua 12:4, and you should translate it the same way in both places.

13:12c

and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim: The clause and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim is placed in parentheses in some English versions to indicate that the translators consider this to be background information. There are no parentheses in the Hebrew text or the Berean Standard Bible.

remnant: The word remnant indicates that only a few of the Rephaim were still alive.

Rephaim: The word Rephaim occurred in Joshua 12:4 and you should translate it the same way in both places.

13:12d

Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them: The pronoun them indicates the two kings, King Sihon and King Og. It may be more natural to make this information explicit, for example:

Moses had conquered and dispossessed these two kings (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Moses had defeated Sihon and Og and their people and had forced them to leave their land (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 14:11

14:11a

still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out: Here are some other ways to translate this sentence:

I am as strong today as I was when Moses told me to go ⌊to spy on the land⌋
-or-
I am as strong today as I was then

14:11b

As my strength was then, so it is now: The clause As my strength was then, so it is now has the same meaning as the previous clause. It is repeated in slightly different words in Hebrew to emphasize the statement.

14:11c

for war: The phrase for war indicates the ability to be a soldier and fight in a battle.

for going out, and for coming in: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for going out, and for coming in is more literally “to go out and to come in.” This is a Hebrew idiom that refers to the ability to do one’s daily activities.

Here are some other ways to translate these phrases:

to fight battles and to do all my daily work
-or-
to go out to war as well as do any other thing
-or-
I am still strong enough to fight in war, and to do anything else.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2023