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 15:51)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 15:51:

  • Kupsabiny: “Goshen, Holon and Giloh. They became eleven towns together with their villages.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Goshen, Holon and Giloh —
    eleven cities with their surrounding villages.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Goshen, Holon, and Gilo — 11 towns/cities, including the villages around them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Goshen, Holon, and Giloh. There were eleven towns with their surrounding villages.” (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 15:51

15:51a

Goshen, Holon, and Giloh:

15:51b

eleven cities, along with their villages: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

In all there were eleven towns, and there were villages that surrounded them
-or-
The number of these towns was eleven, with the villages that were near them

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