Translation commentary on Joshua 23:5

Joshua refers in particular to the nations still to be defeated. The Lord will defeat them, as he has promised.

The referent of the pronoun them is not altogether clear in the phrase will make them retreat from you. Attention also needs to be given to at least two other matters: (1) A chronological arrangement of the verse can be achieved by placing as the LORD your God has promised you first, and (2) it may be necessary to substitute direct discourse for as the LORD … promised. In addition, there remains the problem of the LORD your God which appears twice in Good News Translation. Here again the meaning should be expressed as “The LORD our God.” For a model of what may be done:

• The LORD our God promised us, ‘I will cause your enemies to retreat from you. I will drive them away as you advance, and you shall take their land.’ The LORD our God will keep this promise. He will drive away those nations that are still in the land.

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 23:5

23:5a

The LORD your God will push them out of your way: The Hebrew text has an emphatic pronoun “he” after the phrase the LORD your God.

Here are some other ways to indicate this emphasis:

Yahweh your God himself will push…
-or-
Yahweh your God, he will push…

push them out: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as push them out can also be translated “force them to leave” or “drive them out.”

of your way: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of your way is more literally “from your face.” It can also be translated “in front of you” or “ahead of you.” This indicates that Yahweh will cause the other nations to retreat as the Israelites move into their territory.

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

Yahweh your God himself will force them to leave in front of you
-or-
Yahweh your God, he will chase them out ahead of you

23:5b

and drive them out before you: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as drive them out can also be translated “dispossess.” This means that Yahweh will take the land away from the other nations and give it to the Israelites.

before you: The Hebrew prepositional phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as before you is more literally “from your face.” It is like the phrase that was used in verse 23:5a.

so that you can take possession of their land: Yahweh promised to take away the land from the other nations so that it could belong to the Israelites instead.

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

He will drive them away in front of you, and you will own their land.
-or-
He will take the land away from them and you will live in it.

23:5c

as the LORD your God promised you: In some languages it may be clearer to translate the phrase your God as “our (incl.) God” to show that Yahweh was Joshua’s God also.

promised: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as promised is more literally “spoke” or “said.”

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

as Yahweh your God said to you
-or-
as Yahweh our (incl.) God promised you ⌊he would do⌋

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