Joshua

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Joshua” is translated in Swiss-German Sign Language with a sign that depicts a trumpet of rams’ horn, referring to Joshua 6:4 and following.


“Joshua” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joshua .

complete verse (Joshua 10:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 10:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, Joshua said to his leaders while all the people were watching, ‘Come (plur.) here and step on the necks of these kings.’ The people came and stepped on the necks of those kings.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After they had brought these kings to Joshua, he called all the men of the Israelites and said, having called the army leaders of the battle who came with them, "Come here, put your feet on the kings’ necks." And they came and put their feet on their necks.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When these five kings were-brought to Josue, Josue gathered all the Israelinhon and he said to the commanders of his soldiers, ‘[You (plur.)] come, and [you (plur.)] trample-upon/step-upon the necks of these kings.’ So they came-near and they trampled-upon/stepped-upon the necks of those kings.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When they brought those kings to Joshua and forced them to lie on the ground, he summoned all the Israeli soldiers, and then he said to the army commanders, ‘Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings!’ So the commanders did that.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Joshua 10:22 - 10:24

After defeating the armies of the five kings, Joshua ordered that the five kings themselves be brought from the cave in which they had been trapped (verse 16-18). In the presence of all the Israelite soldiers, Joshua ordered the officers who had taken part with him in the campaign to place their feet on the necks of the prostrate kings. As commentators point out, this gesture of domination was widespread at that time (see 1 Kgs 5.3, Revised Standard Version; Psa 110.1).

Then Joshua said may be translated more specifically as “Then Joshua commanded his men.”

Inasmuch as the break between verses 23 and 24 comes at an unusual place, the two verses may be translated as a unit. Moreover, the two passive verbs (was opened and were brought out) may be translated into active constructions: “So Joshua’s men opened the cave and brought to Joshua the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.”

The officers who had gone with him may imply that some officers had not gone with Joshua. To translate “his (or, their) officers” would avoid this wrong implication.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:24

10:24a

When they had brought the kings to Joshua: The clause When they had brought the kings to Joshua repeats information already stated in 10:23. It links 10:23 with 10:24 and emphasizes that the soldiers obeyed Joshua’s commands. This head-tail linkage is natural in some languages but not in others. It may be more natural to leave some of this information implicit. For example,

When they brought them to Joshua (God’s Word)
-or-
When they brought them out (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
After this

10:24b

he summoned all the men of Israel: The clause he summoned indicates that he called all the soldiers together.

all the men of Israel: The phrase all the men of Israel refers to all the soldiers in the Israelite army.

and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him: It may be more natural in some languages to begin a new sentence. For example:

He said to all the commanders of his army (New Century Version)
-or-
He told the army officers

the army commanders: The phrase the army commanders indicates the officers of the Israelite army.

who had accompanied him: The relative clause who had accompanied him refers to the officers of Joshua’s army. If translating this clause implies that there were some officers who did not go with Joshua, it may be better to leave it untranslated. Some English versions leave this information implicit. For example:

He said to the commanders of his army (New Century Version)
-or-
Joshua told the commanders of his army (New Living Translation (2004))

10:24c

Come here: The clause Come here indicates that Joshua commanded his officers to come close to where he was.

and put your feet on the necks of these kings: Joshua ordered his officers to put your feet on the necks of these kings because this symbolized victory in the Ancient Near East. There is implied information. Before the army officers could put their feet on the necks of the defeated kings, they must force the kings to lie down. It may be helpful to make this implied information explicit. For example:

⌊Make the five kings lie down⌋ and put your feet on their necks

10:24d

So the commanders came forward: The clause commanders came forward indicates that the army officers came close to Joshua as he had told them to.

and put their feet on their necks: Joshua’s command to the soldiers in the first part of the verse is repeated using the same words to emphasize that the army officers obeyed Joshua exactly. It may not be natural in some languages to repeat this information in the same words. In other languages it may be more natural to make a summary statement. For example:

So the army commanders did exactly as Joshua had commanded them
-or-
The officers obeyed Joshua and did so.

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