Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 13:10:
Kupsabiny: “It included/enveloped the cities that Sihon ruled until it reached the border of the Ammonites.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “And all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived and died in Heshbon up to the border of the Ammonites.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This also reaches up-to all the towns/cities that are-ruled-by Sihon the Amornon who reigned in Heshbon, up-to the border of the Ammonhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
For the geographical data in verses 9-10, see comments on 12.2. Medeba is about 12 kilometers south of Heshbon, and Dibon is approximately another 22 kilometers further south. Ammon was the land east of the territory conquered by the Israelites.
In the translation of these two verses it may be useful to include some information regarding the geographical directions. For example:
• The territory of these tribes reached as far southeast as the city of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley. It also included the city in the middle of the Arnon Valley, as well as all of the plateau from the town of Dibon in the south up to the town of Medeba. 10 Their territory went as far east as the border of Ammon. It also included all the cities that King Sihon, the Amorite king, had ruled over from the city of Heshbon.
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 .
and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites: The phrase all the cities refers to all the towns in the territory that King Sihon ruled.
the Amorites: The word Amorites can be used in two senses. It can refer to a group of people who lived in the mountainous region of Canaan. This is the way it is used here. It can also be a synonym for “Canaanite,” and refer to the whole population of Canaan.
The word Amorites occurred in Joshua 2:10 and you should translate it the same way in both places.
who reigned in Heshbon: The clause who reigned in Heshbon indicates that Heshbon was the capital town of King Sihon. Heshbon was about 25 kilometers northeast of the Dead Sea, and southwest of present-day Amman, the capital city of Jordan.
It may be helpful to start a new sentence here. Here is another way to translate this clause:
Their territory extended as far as the towns of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon
13:10b
as far as the border of the Ammonites: The phrase as far as the border of the Ammonites indicates that the territory Moses assigned to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh extended to the border of the Ammon people.
Ammonites: The term Ammonites indicates a group of people who lived in the country of Ammon and whose capital city was Rabbah-ammon. This term was used in Joshua 12:2 and you should translate it the same way in both places.
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