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 10:33)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 10:33:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then the king of Gezer who was called Horam came to save Lachish, but Joshua defeated that king and his soldiers and killed all those people so no one escaped.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At that time king Horam of Gezer came to give help to Lachish. Joshua defeated him and his army, not even a single one was kept alive.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Lakish was- still -being-attacked, Horam king of Gezer and his soldiers helped Lakish, but they were- also -defeated by Josue, and no- one at-all among them was-left alive.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “King Horam from Gezer city and his army came to help the soldiers of Lachish, but Joshua’s army defeated Horam and his army, and did not allow any of them to remain alive.” (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 10:31 - 10:33

Verse 31 may begin in the same way as verse 29 (see comments).

The capture of Lachish, about 17 kilometers south of Libnah, seems to have been more difficult, since it is said that only on the second day was the city taken. Surrounded it and attacked it may be made into a separate sentence: “They surrounded the city and attacked it.”

Gave … victory over once again translates “put into the hands of” (see 10.8). This sentence may be translated, “On the second day of the battle the LORD put the city of Lachish in the power of the Israelites.”

The sentence Just as … in the city may be rephrased with more simplicity and reduced length: “They killed every person in the city, just as they had killed everyone in the city of Libnah.”

The city of Gezer is usually located 35 kilometers north of Lachish (but Soggin says its location is still uncertain). Its king came to the aid of Lachish, but he and his army were also destroyed. The city of Gezer itself was not taken until the time of Solomon (see 16.10; 1 Kgs 9.16).

In verse 33 several translational adjustments may be made. First, King Horam of Gezer may be rendered “King Horam, who ruled the city of Gezer.” Second, to the aid of Lachish may need to be rendered “to the aid of the people of Lachish.” Third, the last clause of this verse (but Joshua … them alive) may need to be translated either as a complete sentence or else as two complete sentences: “But Joshua and his army defeated King Horam and his army. Not one of King Horam’s men got away alive.”

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 10:33

Paragraph 10:33

10:33a

At that time Horam king of Gezer: Horam is the only king in this list of kings and towns who is mentioned by name. The grammar of this sentence is also different from the usual narrative storyline pattern in Hebrew.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as At that time indicates that the action that follows has special prominence. This verse stands at the center of the narrative about these seven towns. It emphasizes the military leadership of Joshua because Horam king of Gezer came to the help of Lachish. However, Joshua and the Israelites defeated both Horam’s army and the army of Lachish. Some English versions give prominence to this verse in the following ways:

During this same time King Horam of Gezer came to help Lachish (New Century Version)
-or-
During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
At that time King Horam of Gezer had come to help Lachish (God’s Word)

Gezer: The town of Gezer is probably about 35 kilometers north of Lachish.

went to help Lachish: The phrase went to help is used in a military sense. It indicates that the king and his army came prepared to fight a battle.

10:33b

but: The Berean Standard Bible used the word but here to indicate that what happens is surprising and not what was expected.

Joshua struck him down along with his people: The clause Joshua struck him down along with his people indicates that Joshua and the Israelite army killed the king of Gezer and his army.

leaving no survivors: The clause leaving no survivors indicates that the Israelite army continued to attack the army of the king of Gezer until every soldier had died.

© 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.