complete verse (Joshua 13:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 13:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “but the people of Israel had not driven out the Geshurites and Maacathites. So the Geshurites and Maacathites live in the country of Israel until today.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurite and Maacathite people. So they have continued to live among the Israelites even to this day.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But the Israelinhon were- not -able-to-drive-out the Geshurnon and the Maacatnon, so they are- still -living with the Israelinhon until now.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Joshua 13:13

Verse 13 points out that the people of Geshur and Maacah had not been driven out of their territories; and at the time of the writing of the account they were still living in Israel. Apparently this verse comes as an afterthought, to correct a false impression which the reader is likely to receive from verse 11. It is then possible to join the last part of verse 12 to verse 13 as follows:

• Moses and the people of Israel had defeated all these people. And they had driven all of them out of their territory. 13 except the people of Geshur and Maacah, who still live among the people of Israel today.

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 13:13

13:13a

but: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but contrasts what follows with the information in 13:11a. Yahweh told the Israelites to conquer the land of the Geshurites and Maacathites, but they did not.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

but (New International Version, NET Bible)
-or-
however (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible)

the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites: The clause did not drive out indicates that the Israelite army did not defeat the Geshur people and the Maacah people and did not drive them out of their land.

13:13b

Geshur and Maacath: The terms Geshur and Maacath are another way to refer to the Geshurites and Maacathites.

dwell among the Israelites to this day: The clause dwell among the Israelites to this day indicates that the Geshur people and the Maacah people still lived among the Israelites.

to this day: The phrase this day indicates the time that the author was writing the book of Joshua.

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