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 10:28)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 10:28:

  • Kupsabiny: “On that day Joshua destroyed the city of Makkedah and all the people and he also killed the king of that city as he killed those of Jericho.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “That day Joshua attacked Makkedah city, conquered and took it, destroyed the town. Then he killed its king and all the people who lived there with the sword. He did to the king of Makkedah like he had done to the king of Jericho.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “On that day, Josue subjected/brought-under-(their)-jurisdiction Makeda. He killed all its residents, including their king. No-one at-all was-left alive. Josue did to the king of Makeda what he had- also -done to the king of Jerico.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “That is how Joshua’s army attacked and captured Makkedah. They killed the king and everyone else in the town. They did not leave anyone alive. They did to the king of Makkedah the same thing that they had done to the king of Jericho.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

Click here to view graphically

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:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • 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 10:28

Joshua first attacks Makkedah, a city in the lowlands, about 25 kilometers southwest of Gibeon. In place of Makkedah one may want to translate “the Amorite city of Makkedah.” The adverbial modifier that day may be more satisfactory if placed in a different position in some languages: “That same day Joshua also attacked and captured the Amorite city of Makkedah and its king.”

Put … to death (Revised Standard Version “utterly destroyed”) translates the Hebrew verb discussed at 2.10. The text is very emphatic: “killed … utterly destroyed … left no survivor”—indicating the complete slaughter of all the inhabitants. This is a holy war. Notice that the phrase “(struck it) with the edge of the sword” (see Revised Standard Version; verses 28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 39) is a way of saying “killed in battle” or “executed.”

Joshua of course did not attack, capture, and kill all these inhabitants by himself. In most languages it will be necessary to say “Joshua and his men…,” or it may even be necessary to state explicitly that Joshua gave certain commands before the battle began.

Although repetition is forceful in Hebrew, it may lessen the impact in other languages. One may reduce the length the last half of this verse as follows:
• He told his men to put to death everyone in the city. Then he killed the king of Makkedah, just as he had killed the king of Jericho.

Or, somewhat longer:
• Before they attacked the city, Joshua told his men, “Put to death everyone in the city.” So Joshua’s men killed all the people of the city. Then after the city was completely destroyed, Joshua killed the king of Makkedah, just as he had killed the king of Jericho.

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 .