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 19:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 19:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “And others were: Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan, they became four cities together with their villages.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan — four cities and their villages.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Still in-addition were Ain, Rimon, Eter, and Ashan — 4 towns/cities, including the villages around them,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The land allotted to them also included the four cities of Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan, and their surrounding villages.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 19:7

In verse 7 Good News Translation (also New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) has Ain and Rimmon, thus making a total of four cities; Revised Standard Version, New American Bible take the Hebrew to mean only one place, “Enrimmon.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (as in a similar case in 15.32) also prefers the one name, “En-rimmon”; in addition, with one manuscript of the Septuagint (and the Hebrew text in 1 Chr 4.32), the Committee adds “Trachan,” thus making a total of four.In 1 Chr 4.32 Good News Translation Revised Standard Version transliterate the Hebrew Tochen; if a translator follows Hebrew Old Testament Text Project here in Josh 19.7, the form of the name should be the same as in 1 Chr.

The verse may be restructured as follows: “The tribe of Simeon also received four other cities, along with the towns around them. These cities were Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan.”

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 .