complete verse (Joshua 13:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 13:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “That clan got the area of Jazer and all the cities of Gilead and half of the country of the Ammonites until Aroer which was near Rabbah in the east.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Their boundaries were like this — The territory of Jazer and All the cities of Gilead, half of the land of the Ammonites, Aroer, which is near Rabbah,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The Jazer and all the towns/cities of Gilead, and the half of the land of the Ammonhon up-to Aroer which is-facing Raba.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Their land included the Jazer area and all the towns of the Gilead area; half of the land where the Ammon people-group lived, as far as Aroer town which is near Rabbah town;” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 13:25

The locations of some of the cities mentioned in verses 25-27 have not been identified; others have been identified and are to be found on modern biblical maps, such as the maps in the Revised Standard Version Oxford Study Edition and the New English Bible Oxford Study Edition.

The Aroer mentioned in this verse (also in Judges 11.33) is not the same as the Aroer in the territory of Reuben (verse 16); the text locates it to the east.Gray contends that the Hebrew phrase al-peney “opposite” does not mean “east” here but “west.” New American Bible has “toward”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Bible de Jérusalem Jerusalem Bible have “facing.” Rabbah is the shortened form of the name Rabbah-Ammon, today Amman, the capital of Jordan.

The translation of this verse may require: (1) that Jazar, Aroer, and Rabbah be identified as cities, and (2) that the sentence be divided into two or more parts. For example, “Their territory included the city of Jazar and all the cities in the region of Gilead. It also included the land of Ammon as far as the city of Aroer, which is east of the city of Rabbah.”

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 .