village

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “village” or “town” in English is translated in Noongar as karlamaya or “fire (used for “home“) + houses” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Elhomwe it is typically translated as “place.” “Here in Malawi, villages very small, so changed to ‘places,’ since not sure whether biblical reference just to small villages or also to bigger towns. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Joshua 15:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 15:32:

  • Kupsabiny: “Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. Those cities reached twenty-nine together with their villages.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain and Rimmon. Twenty-nine cities with their villages.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Lebaot, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimon — 29 towns/cities in all, including the villages around them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. There were 29 towns altogether and their surrounding villages.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 15:32

15:32a

Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon:

15:32b

twenty-nine cities in all, along with their villages: Most towns in the time of Joshua were very small. They had a wall for protection and a ruler of their own. Outside the walls of the town, there were villages that depended on that town for protection.

The list of town names in verses 15:21-32 adds up to thirty-six towns. It is not clear why the author says twenty-nine. It is possible that seven of the towns were small settlements that did not have villages attached to them. It is recommended that you translate this as twenty-nine.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The total was twenty-nine towns and the villages that surrounded them
-or-
In all there were 29 towns, with the villages around them

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