Joshua

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Joshua” is translated in Swiss-German Sign Language with a sign that depicts a trumpet of rams’ horn, referring to Joshua 6:4 and following.


“Joshua” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joshua .

complete verse (Joshua 2:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 2:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “They went to tell Joshua, ‘Truly, God will give us all of that land. All the people of that land are scared of us as if they were about to die.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They told Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given that whole land into our hands. All the people of that land, seeing us, are shaking in fear of us."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They said, ‘(It is) very true that the LORD is-giving the entire land to us (incl.). All the people there are-afraid of us (incl.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They said to Joshua, ‘We are sure that Yahweh is going to enable us to possess everything that is in that land. The people there are terrified because of us.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

give (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In these verses, the verb that is translated as “give” in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-atae (お与え), combining “to give” (atae) with the respectful prefix o-. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also respectful form of “give” (kudasaru), respectful form of “give” (tamawaru).

Translation commentary on Joshua 2:24

The first part of verse 24 may be slightly restructured as follows: “and they assured him, ‘The LORD has placed this entire country in our hands….’ ”

All the people there may be translated “All the people of that land” or “All the people who live there.”

Terrified translates the second verb of fear used in verse 9, literally “melt away” (Revised Standard Version); An American Translation has “losing heart”: New English Bible “panic-stricken”; New American Bible “overcome with fear.”

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 .