6and the boundary goes from there to the sea; on the north is Michmethath; then on the east the boundary makes a turn toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah,
The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation). Likewise, in Toposa all the different bodies of water are all called by one term as well: nya-name̥ (source: Schröder 2026, p. 101).
In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)
“Sea” (or: “ocean”) is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “water land” and in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac as “very big lake.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 16:6:
Kupsabiny: “It continued like that until it hit the ocean. The border at the north side passed through Michmethath, and continued heading east. Then it turned and headed towards Taanath-shilo and passed on the east side of Janoah.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “From there it went down to the sea. From the border of Michmethath in the north it turned toward the east and reached Taanath-shiloh. Then from there it proceeded toward the east as far as Janoah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “up-to the Sea of Mediteraneo. The boundary in the north starts-from Micmetat and curves/turns towards-the-east to Taanat Shilo, and passes-through the east of Janoa.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “and from there to the Mediterranean Sea.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
According to Anne Garber Kompaoré (in Le Sycomore 3/2009, p. 34ff. ), there are 4 ways to identify cardinal directions:
1. celestial bodies, especially the sun and certain stars
2. geographical landmarks, for example a mountain, sea, or river (depending on its position or the direction in which the water flows) etc.
3. climatic phenomena, such as the wind and the direction from which rain comes
4. bodily reference points, especially front, back, left, and right, in relation to celestial bodies or geographical landmarks
Following are examples of how these are practically implemented by various languages: (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)
Celestial Bodies
East and west are often translated by the rising and the setting of the sun (note that the origin of English and other Indo-European languages is “dawn” for “east” and “evening” [i.e. sun-down] for “west”):
Maan: “where the sun comes up” and “where the sun goes down” (source: Don Slager)
Kankanaey: “from the coming-out of the sun “and “going-away of the sun” (source: Kankanaey back-translation)
Northern Emberá: “from where the sun comes up” and “from where the sun falls” (source: Charles Mortensen)
Ejamat “the side where the sun comes from” and “the side where it sets” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Tzeltal: “where the sun pours-out” (west) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Northern Ngbandi: “the sun behind the chief’s house” (east — the chief lives traditionally at the eastern side of the village, therefore he does not get the sunlight into his eyes) and “under the sun” (west)
Northwestern Dinka: “earth behind” (east — the place behind the earth, i.e. the area where the sun rises)
Jula: “salt village” (north — because salt comes from the north, from the Sahara Desert) and “kola village” (south — since kola comes from the coastal region to the south) (source: Garber Kompaoré)
Matumbi: “toward the beach” (East) (the coast is in the eastern direction in Matumbi-speaking areas), “north” and “south” can be defined as above or below another place (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
Acoli: “right” (of the local White Nile) (north) and “left” (of the White Nile) (south)
Zande: “interior (dry) land” (east); “place-inside-country” (north / south) — Zande, like a number of other languages, including Matengo and Hehe, traditionally only has three cardinal directions.
Belanda Bor: “lower place” (north) and “higher place” (south)
Turkana: “(up)stream” (north) and (down)stream (south)
Mono (DRC): “water place” (south) (source for this and five above: Mietzner / Pasch)
Climatic Phenomena
Shilluk: “opening westwind” (north) and “opening eastwind” (south)
Swahili used to have six directions. In reducing them to four, kusini and kaskazini which used to refer to south-west and north east respectively (the directions from where the two monsoons blow) have become the terms for “south” and north.” (source for this and one above: Mietzner / Pasch)
Bodily Reference Points
Nuer / Burun: “face” and “sun face” respectively (both: east)
Kalenjin: “eye sun” (east) (this and the one above indicate that the sun is “facing” the spectator from its position in the east:
Shilluk: doesn’t use a fixed position of the speaker, instead it has “eye sun morning” for east and “eye sun evening” for west
Mono (DRC): “foot-sun” (east — the start of the sun’s journey)
Burun: “sun leg” (west — the end of the sun’s journey)
Bari: “back” (north — when people are facing south, north is at their back) (source for this and above: Mietzner / Pasch)
Northern Emberá “the looking [left] hand” (north) and “the real [right] hand” (south) (source: Charles Mortensen)
Morelos Nahuatl: “from above” (north) and “from below” (south) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
When all four directions are mentioned, translators tend to avoid listing the four, sometimes verbose terms, and chose solutions like “all directions” (such as in Maan or Manya (source: Don Slager). Yakan has “from the four corners of the earth” (source: Yakan back-translation) and Western Bukidnon Manobo “from the four directions here on the earth” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo back-translation).
The Hebrew text that gives instructions where to place items in the tabernacle with the help of cardinal directions (north and south) had to be approached in the Bambam translation specific to spacial concepts of that culture. Phil Campbell explains: “There are no words in Bambam for north and south. In Exodus 26:35, God instructs that the table is to be placed on the north side and the lamp on the south side inside the tabernacle. The team wants to use right and left to tell where the lamp and table are located. In many languages we would say that the table is on the right and the lampstand is on the left based on the view of someone entering the tabernacle. However, that is not how Bambam people view it. They view the placement of things and rooms in a building according to the orientation of someone standing inside the building facing the front of the building. So that means the table is on the left side and the lampstand is on the right side.”
The northernmost city, Michmethath, is in 17.7 said to be east of Shechem; and Taanath Shiloh is located by Bright east of Michmethath. Janoah, Ataroth (not the same as Ataroth Addar), Naarah, and Jericho describe the eastern boundary, from north to south.
Tappuah and the stream Kanah are to be found in biblical maps. Kanah runs into the Mediterranean about 6 kilometers north of Jaffa.
Verse 9 specifies that some towns and villages, which are not identified, and which were inside West Manasseh’s territory, were allotted to Ephraim (see 17.8-9).
If verse 6-9 are combined, a more logical arrangement results:
• 6-9 and from there to the Mediterranean Sea. Their northern border began at the city of Taanath Shiloh and went westward to the city of Michmethath and then followed the stream Kanah to the Mediterranean Sea. From Michmethath the eastern border went south through the cities of Taanath Shiloh, Janoah, Ataroth, Naarah, and finally to the Jordan River at a point near Jericho. This territory, together with its cities and villages, lay within the territory of the tribe of Manasseh. But Joshua gave it to the tribe of Ephraim as its possession.
This represents a slightly different interpretation of the text than that of Good News Translation in verse 8b-9, but it does appear to represent more accurately the meaning of the Hebrew. To the families of the tribe of Ephraim (verse 8) has been shortened to “to the tribe of Ephraim.” But “at the city of Tannath Shiloh” may need further identification to indicate the movement of description from the Mediterranean Sea of the previous sentence: “… Taanath Shiloh on the edge of the Jordan Valley.”
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 .
and out toward the Sea: There is an interpretation issue in this verse.
(1) The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as toward the Sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea.
(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Good News Translation, King James Version)
(2) The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as toward the Sea means to the west.
Then the border went westward (New American Standard Bible)
(New American Standard Bible, God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) which is followed by most English versions.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
The boundary then continued to the Mediterranean Sea -or-
From there it went ⌊downhill⌋ to the Mediterranean Sea
16:6b
From Michmethath on the north: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as From Michmethath on the north is more literally “Michmethath from north.” Most commentaries agree that this part of the verse describes the northern border of Ephraim.
Michmethath: The town of Michmethath was on the north border of Ephraim, near the town of Shechem. The exact location of Michmethath is unknown.
The English versions spell Michmethath in several ways:
Mich-methath (Revised Standard Version) -or-
Michmethath (Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, God’s Word, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) -or-
Michmethah (King James Version) -or-
Micmethath (NET Bible, New International Version (1984), New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
Mikmethath (New International Version (2011))
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
The town of Michmethath was on their northern border -or-
The town of Michmethath was in the north ⌊of Ephraim’s territory⌋
16:6c
it turned eastward toward Taanath-shiloh: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as eastward toward Taanath-shiloh is more literally “the boundary turns east, Taanath-shiloh.”
Taanath-shiloh:Taanath-shiloh refers to a town to the east of Michmethath.
The English versions spell Taanath-shiloh in several ways:
Taanath-shiloh (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Revised Edition, King James Version) -or-
Taanath Shiloh (New International Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, Good News Translation) -or-
Taanath-Shiloh (Contemporary English Version)
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
The border then turned east toward the town of Taanath-shiloh -or-
The boundary then curved around to the east to the town of Taanath-shiloh
16:6d
and passed by it to Janoah on the east: The clause passed by it to Janoah on the east indicates that the border went past the town of Taanath-shiloh and continued east to the town of Janoah.
The English versions spell Janoah in several ways:
Jan-oah (Revised Standard Version) -or-
Janoah (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, NET Bible, English Standard Version, God’s Word, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
Janohah (King James Version)
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
The border then went past that town and continued east to the town of Janoah -or-
The border continued east from the town of Taanath-shiloh to the town of Janoah
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.