complete verse (Joshua 15:48)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 15:48:

  • Kupsabiny: “These cities were in the highland: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “These are the cities in the hill country —
    Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The towns/cities in the mountains: Shamir, Jatir, Soco,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the southwest part of the hilly region: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 15:48 - 15:51

SIXTH DISTRICT: cities in the highlands.

In verse 49 Good News Translation has Kiriath Sepher instead of Hebrew Kiriath-Sannah (see Revised Standard Version), in keeping with its principle of using the better known form of a name when a person or place is called by two or more different names (see 15.15-16; Judges 1.11-12). The same applies in verse 50 to Eshtemoa (see Josh 21.14; 1 Sam 20.28; 1 Chr 6.57) instead of the Hebrew Eshtemoh, which occurs only here.

In verse 51 Goshen is to be understood as the capital city of the region of Goshen (see 10.41).

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 15:48

Paragraph: 15:48-51

This paragraph is a list of the towns in the hill country that were given to the tribe of Judah.

15:48

These were in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh: The phrase hill country refers to the mountainous region in the land that Judah received. This phrase occurred in Joshua 9:1 and you should translate it the same way in both places.

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

The towns that the people of Judah received in the hill country were Shamir, Jattir, Socoh…
-or-
The tribe of Judah received the following towns in the mountainous region: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh…

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