Translation commentary on Joshua 13:14

Verse 14 points out why the tribe of Levi was not assigned a territory of their own. Their “inheritance” (Revised Standard Version) was a share of the sacrifices which the Israelites offered to the Lord.The Masoretic text is “the offerings of fire (to Yahweh)”; but the Septuagint omits the Hebrew ishey “offerings of fire,” reading, as in the Masoretic text verse 33, “Yahweh the God of Israel is their inheritance.” The presence in verse 14 of the emphatic Hebrew pronoun “he” (hu) makes it very likely that the Septuagint reading is preferable (so An American Translation Jerusalem Bible Bible de Jérusalem New English Bible New American Bible Zür). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Masoretic text.

As the LORD had told Moses represents the clause which comes last in the Hebrew text (see Revised Standard Version “as he said to him”). It is quite possible that the translation will be clear enough without including either “to him” or had told Moses. For example: “The LORD had said that their possession would be a share of the sacrifices that the people burned on the altar to him.” Or direct discourse may be introduced: “The LORD had said, ‘The tribe of Levi will receive as their possession a share of the sacrifices that the people burn to me.’ ”

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 13:14

13:14a

To the tribe of Levi: In the Hebrew text the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as To the tribe of Levi is at the beginning of the sentence to show emphasis. The tribe of Levi was the only tribe that did not receive land as their gift from Yahweh.

In some languages it may not be natural to begin a sentence with this phrase. Use a natural way in your language to emphasize that the tribe of Levi was different from the other tribes.

Moses had given no inheritance: The clause Moses had given no inheritance indicates that Moses did not assign any land to the tribe of Levi.

13:14b

The offerings made by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance: The phrase offerings made by fire refers to sacrifices that were partially burned. In Numbers 18:21-32| Yahweh told Aaron that the Levites could eat some of these offerings.

There is a textual issue in this verse:

(1) The Hebrew text includes the words offerings made by fire. For example:

To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance (English Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New International Version (1984), NET Bible, God’s Word, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, King James Version)

(2) The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation, does not include the words offerings made by fire. For example:

To the tribe of Levi alone no heritage was given; Yahweh, God of Israel, was his heritage (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) and the Hebrew text.

offerings made by fire: There are two ways to interpret the phrase offerings made by fire :

(1) It means offerings that are burned. For example:

the sacrifices burned on the altar to the Lord God of Israel (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version (1984), God’s Word, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Living Translation (2004), King James Version)

(2) It means food offerings. For example:

the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel (New International Version (2011))

(New International Version (2011))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This agrees with most English versions and the Hebrew lexicons.

Here is another way to translate the phrase offerings made by fire :

offerings burned on the altar (New Living Translation (2004))

are their inheritance: The phrase their inheritance indicates that God gave the tribe of Levi the offerings of the Israelites instead of land.

13:14c

just as He had promised them: The clause just as He had promised them indicates that Yahweh told this to Moses. This is recorded in Deuteronomy 18:1-2.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

as the Lord had told Moses (Good News Translation)

them: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as them is singular. Some English versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, and King James Version, observe that God spoke to all the Israelites as well as to Moses, and so they translate this word as them.

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