The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “survive,” “escape,” “save,” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in these verses with pulumuka, describing someone whose life was in danger but who has freed himself or herself. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
complete verse (Joshua 13:12)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 13:12:
- Kupsabiny: “It included the cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei and all the area that Og of Bashan ruled. He was one of the Rephaites who remained. Moses and group had defeated those people and driven them out,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Likewise, all the land of Og, king of Bashan who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, he was the last of the tall people who were called Rephaim. Moses had defeated them and taken over their land.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “(It) also included the entire kingdom of Og who reigned in Ashtarot and Edrei. Og (was) one of the remaining Refaimnon who were-defeated by Moises and were-driven-out from their land[s].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Moses
The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English means “taken out of the water,” “saved out of the water,” “a son.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It is translated in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language with a sign in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )
“Moses” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España
American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).
In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:
“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )
The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).
In Swiss-German Sign Language (and Hungarian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).
“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz
In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)
“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL
In Korean Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the arms held up by Moses to assure the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:11).
“Moses” in Korean Sign Language, source: Korean Sign Language Bible House
In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )
“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus
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: Moses .
Translation commentary on Joshua 13:11 - 13:12
For all the geographical data in verses 11-12, and for a proposed restructuring in terms of the points on the compass, see the comments at 12.4-5.
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 13:12
13:12a
the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan: The phrase the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan indicates all the places that were named in the previous verse. It may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:
that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan (New International Version)
-or-
These ⌊previously mentioned⌋ places were all included in the land of King Og, who ruled in Bashan Territory
The story of how Moses and the Israelites defeated the kingdom of Og in Bashan is found in Numbers 21:33-35.
13:12b
who had reigned in Ashtaroth: The town of Ashtaroth was the capital city of King Og. It was twenty-two miles east of the Sea of Galilee.
and Edrei: King Og also had a residence in the town of Edrei. Edrei was mentioned in Joshua 12:4, and you should translate it the same way in both places.
13:12c
and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim: The clause and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim is placed in parentheses in some English versions to indicate that the translators consider this to be background information. There are no parentheses in the Hebrew text or the Berean Standard Bible.
remnant: The word remnant indicates that only a few of the Rephaim were still alive.
Rephaim: The word Rephaim occurred in Joshua 12:4 and you should translate it the same way in both places.
13:12d
Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them: The pronoun them indicates the two kings, King Sihon and King Og. It may be more natural to make this information explicit, for example:
Moses had conquered and dispossessed these two kings (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Moses had defeated Sihon and Og and their people and had forced them to leave their land (Contemporary English Version)
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