Rahab (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1972).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

See also Rahab.

Rahab

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Rahab” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “prostitute” referring to Joshua 2:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Rahab” 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 .

See also Rahab (image).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Rahab and Rahab from a Cuban Perspective .

prostitute

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The Greek, Latin, and Hebrew that is typically translated as “prostitute” in English (in some, mostly earlier translation also as “harlot” or “whore”) is translated in the 2024 revision of the inter-confessional Latvian Jauna Pārstrādāta latviešu Bībele as netikle or “hussy.” This replaced the previous translation mauka or “whore.” Nikita Andrejevs, editor of the Bible explains the previous and current translations: “The translators at the time felt that this strong word best described the thought contained in the main text. Many had objections, as it seemed that this word would not be the most appropriate for public reading in church.” (Source: Updated Bible published in Latvia ).

Other translations include:

  • Bariai: “a woman of the road” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “a woman who sells her body” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Uma: “a woman whose behavior is not appropriate” or “a loose woman” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “a bad woman” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a woman who make money through their reputation” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “a woman who makes money with her body” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “a woman whose womanhood is repeatedly-bought” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

See also Translation commentary on Genesis 34:31, Rahab, and prostitute oneself / play the prostitute.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Prostitution in the Bible .

Jericho

The name that is transliterated in English as “Jericho” means “city of the moon,” “a fragrant place.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that alludes to the walls of Jericho coming tumbling down (see Joshua 6:20). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Jericho” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Jericho,” the second parts refer to “town” (source )

See also The Fall of Jericho.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jericho .

son of

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “son of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic patronymic naming system . This means that for instance in Matthew 16:17 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Simon son of Jonah” becomes “Simon Jónasson” or in Isaiah 8:2 “Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” becomes “Sakaría Jeberekíason” where in both cases the “-son” means “son of.”

In cases where “son of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage, however, this system is not used. So in Matthew 1:1 “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” is translated as “Jesú Krists, sonar Davíðs, sonar Abrahams.”

The referenced verses all have at least one instance where the patronymic naming system is used. (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)

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 2:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 2:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “Joshua had already/earlier called some two people at Shittim and said to (them), ‘You go and spy out the land of Canaan, and especially the city of Jericho.’ Then those people went, and when they arrived at the city, they entered the house of a woman who was prostitute who was called Rahab.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then Joshua, son of Nun, speaking like this, sent two spies from Shittim without anyone knowing of it, "Go, spy out that land carefully, especially the city of Jericho." So they went. They went to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, Josue secretly sent-out two men from the camp of the Israelinhon to Shitim to spy-(out) the land of Canaan, especially the city of Jerico. When the two spies arrived at Jerico, there they stayed at the house of Rahab, a woman who sells her body.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Joshua chose two men from their camp at Acacia. He told them, ‘Go across the Jordan River and secretly find out all that you can about the land on that side of the river, especially about Jericho city.’ So the two men crossed the river and entered Jericho. They entered the house of a prostitute, whose name was Rahab. They stayed in her house that night.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 2:1

In the phrase sent two spies, the word spies may convey to some readers a highly specialized and technical meaning. To avoid this complication, one may render “secretly sent two men.” This may be an excellent solution if it is certain that the readers will understand secretly to apply only to the people of Canaan and not to the people of Israel as well. In order not to be misunderstood, one may translate “Then Joshua sent two men from the camp at Acacia to go and secretly explore the land of Canaan.” Or, if direct discourse is more appropriate, “While the people of Israel were camped at Acacia, Joshua told two of the men, ‘Go and secretly explore the land of Canaan….’ ”

The Israelite camp was at Acacia northeast of the Dead Sea, opposite Jericho (see Num 25.1; 33.49). The Hebrew name “Shittim” (Revised Standard Version) means “the acacias,” a flowering tree. For English speakers the noun “Shittim” sounds like a vulgar word and should be avoided. This is also a principle that should be followed in any language; in the translation or transliteration of terms, any vulgar-sounding words or word combinations should be avoided.

Explore the land of Canaan may be rendered, “to find out all they (you) can about the land of Canaan” or “to find out what the land of Canaan is like.”

Jericho, the most important city in the region, was west of the Jordan. The Hebrew text “to go and look at the land and Jericho” is rather strange; Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation both translate “especially Jericho”; Jerusalem Bible “the country at Jericho”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible de Jérusalem “the land of Jericho.” New English Bible (without any textual note) translates “… with orders to reconnoiter the country. The two men came to Jericho” (which represents neither the Hebrew nor the Greek Old Testament).

A prostitute: commentators make the point that the two Israelites would have a good chance of going unnoticed in a house of prostitution. Her home was built into the city wall (see verse 15). Josephus (Antiquities V.i.2) speaks of Rahab as an innkeeper, not a harlot. (She may have been both.) If the translation is intended for young readers, no harm will be done to the text if a prostitute is represented by “a woman.” The last sentence of this verse may be rendered in a chronological sequence: “When they came to the city, they went to the house … in order to spend the night.”

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 .