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)

Ephraim

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ephraim” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “palm tree” referring to the palm of Deborah in the land of Ephraim (see Judges 4:5. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Ephraim” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

For Deborah, see here.

More information about Ephraim and the Tribe of Ephraim .

complete verse (Joshua 16:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 16:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “together with some cities that were in the land of half of the clan of Manasse.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Some cities and villages that had been put aside for Ephraim were also included within the inheritance of Manasseh.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This includes the other towns/cities and villages which (are) under-the-jurisdiction of the land of Manase.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Many of those towns were really within the area allotted to the tribe of Manasseh.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 16:6 - 16:9

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 .