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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 2:24

2:24a

The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated but many English versions translate as “and” indicates the next event in the story.

In this part of the verse the two Israelite men use similar words to those that Rahab did in verse 2:9.

The LORD has surely delivered: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has…delivered is in the perfect aspect. The perfect aspect expresses a completed action. They said that the land already belongs to the Israelites because Yahweh will give it to them. It is as if the action has already been done. The Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew perfect aspect with an English present perfect tense. If this is not natural in your language, you can translate the verb as a future tense. For example:

Yahweh will certainly hand over all this land to us

surely: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as surely indicates an emphatic assertion.

the entire land: The phrase the entire land refers to the entire land of Canaan.

into our hands: The phrase into our hands is a figure of speech. The words our hands indicates that the land will be under the control of the Israelites.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Yahweh has indeed given us power over all this land
-or-
Yahweh will certainly give us this land

2:24b

they said to Joshua: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Then they said to him
-or-
They told Joshua

2:24c

Indeed: The Hebrew adverb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Indeed is used for emphasis.

Here are some other ways to translate this Hebrew adverb:

and also (English Standard Version)
-or-
for (New Living Translation (2004))

Some English versions leave this adverb untranslated. For example:

all the people are melting in fear because of us (New International Version)

all who dwell in the land: The phrase all who dwell in the land refers to the people who live in the land of Canaan.

are melting in fear: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as are melting in fear is the same Hebrew verb used in 2:9d. If possible, you should use the same expression here as you did there.

of us: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of us is more literally “from before us.” It indicates that the people of Canaan were afraid of the Israelites.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Indeed, everyone who lives in this country is terrified of us.
-or-
All the people of this land even shake with fear because of us.

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