complete verse (Joshua 10:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 10:35:

  • Kupsabiny: “On that day they took the city and killed all the people who lived there like they had killed those of Lachish.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “That very day they succeeded in conquering it, and like they did at Lachish, they destroyed all the people who were there with the sword.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “On that very/same day, they subjected/brought-under-(their)-jurisdiction Eglon and killed all its residents, just-like what they had-done to Lakish.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “On that day, they captured the city and killed everyone in it , just like they had done at Lachish.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 10:34 - 10:35

From Lachish the Israelite army proceeded to Eglon, about 16 kilometers west of Lachish. There the capture of the city and the slaughter of its people took only one day. “That day” (Revised Standard Version) is said twice and should be emphatically stated in translation. Again the verb meaning “condemn to destruction” is used. The destruction and slaughter in Eglon are compared to that inflicted on Lachish.

The restructuring of verse 34 will be similar to that of 31, as will the restructuring of verse 35 be somewhat similar to the last part of verse 32. The Hebrew readers would have found these accounts of the destruction of the various cities exciting, because it was their ancestors who had won these important victories. But this is not the case with the contemporary reader, for whom the repetition may tend to be boring. Therefore, without adding to or deleting from the accounts of defeat of the cities, one should aim to translate as interestingly as possible.

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 10:35

10:35a

That day they captured Eglon: The clause That day they captured Eglon indicates that Joshua and the Israelite army captured the town and its inhabitants on the same day that they attacked it. In some languages, it is more natural to reverse the order of the words in this phrase. For example:

They captured Eglon City that same day

That day: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as That day is stated twice in this verse for emphasis. It contrasts the fact that the Israelites captured and destroyed the town of Eglon in one day, whereas it took them two days to capture the town of Lachish.

and put it to the sword: The clause put it to the sword indicates that the Israelite army killed the people of the town. This is a Hebrew idiom that was used in 10:28, and it is recommended that you translate it the same way in both places.

10:35b

and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city has the object stated first because this is a way that the Hebrew language indicates prominence or emphasis. Other languages may have a different way to show emphasis. Indicate emphasis that is natural in your language.

Joshua: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Joshua refers to Joshua as the representative of the Israelite army. In some languages it may be more natural to include this implied information. For example:

Joshua ⌊and the Israelite soldiers⌋ utterly destroyed the town of Eglon that day

devoted to destruction: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as devoted to destruction is the same verb used in 10:28c. It refers to people or things that are claimed by Yahweh and cannot be bought back by any means. They must be destroyed.

10:35c

just as he had done to Lachish: The phrase just as he had done to Lachish may be translated as an independent sentence. For example:

He treated Eglon the same way as he had treated Lachish.

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