12Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).
In Cherokee it is either translated as “the one(s) who reprimand(s) you” or “the one(s) feared.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 7:12:
Kupsabiny: “The enemies defeated the people of Israel because, they had brought sin upon themselves. I have accepted/decided that you should be destroyed. I cannot stay with you for long, unless you destroy all the things you were told not to go with.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “For that reason the Israelites are not able to stand before their enemies. They will go running away from before their enemies. For they themselves have become devoted things. As long as you have not completely destroyed devoted things from your midst, I will not remain with you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This is the reason why they can- not -fight-against their enemies. They fled from their enemies, for they themselves are- also -to-be-destroyed as a complete offering to me. I will- no-longer -be-with/[lit. accompany] you (plur.) if you (plur.) will- not -destroy the things which were- entirely -offered to me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “That is why you Israelis have been unable to be strong when you went to attack your enemies. That is why you have run away from them. And now you yourselves may be destroyed. If you do not do as I commanded you and destroy everything that you captured in Jericho I will not help you any more!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
As a consequence of taking things condemned to destruction, Israel herself has become condemned to destruction. Achan’s sin has placed him under the Lord’s curse, and the curse is now communicated to all Israel. That is why the Israelites can no longer defeat their enemies. And the Lord threatens to withdraw his help and protection from them unless they destroy what has been devoted to him.
It may be good to unite This is why with because they themselves have now been condemned to destruction: “The people of Israel have themselves been condemned to destruction. This is why they cannot stand against their enemies and must retreat.” Since cannot stand against their enemies is implicit in retreat from them, the two may be combined: “This is why they retreat from their enemies.”
In the Lord’s address to Joshua the shift from they to you (plural) may be somewhat confusing. This problem of the shift from a third person plural to a second person plural in Hebrew has been noted several times previously, and it will frequently occur in the book of Joshua. The translator should be constantly alert to any sort of stylistic adjustments which must be made in the receptor language.
Stay with you is literally “be with you” (Revised Standard Version). The meaning may be rendered as either “stand beside you” or “help you.”
Not stay with you any longer may be expressed as either “will stop being with you” or “will stop helping you.”
The negative unless you destroy the things may be translated by a nonnegative construction if the shift to “will stop being with you” is made; for example, “until you destroy the things.”
You were ordered not to take may take the shape of an active clause with the Lord as subject: “which I ordered you not to take.” Direct discourse may even be substituted: “of which I said, ‘Do not take.’ ”
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 .
This is why: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This is why introduces the result of what the Israelites have done. Because they stole things dedicated to God, they cannot defeat the town of Ai. You should translate the words This is why with a word or phrase in your language that makes this connection clear.
the Israelites: The phrase the Israelites refers to the Israelite soldiers.
cannot stand against their enemies: The phrase cannot stand against their enemies means that the Israelite army is not able to defeat their enemies. They were not able to defeat the people of Ai, and they will not be able to defeat the people of any other town.
7:12b
They will turn their backs and run from their enemies: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as They will turn their backs is a Hebrew idiom. It means that the Israelite army turned back and ran away from the soldiers of Ai. If you have a similar idiom in your language, consider using it here.
7:12c
because they themselves have been set apart for destruction: The people of Israel became one of the things which was set apart for Yahweh. The Israelites were told to destroy the things in Jericho. Because they did not do so, now Yahweh will destroy them. If possible, use the same expression for the “thing devoted to destruction” that you used previously (see 6:17 and 7:1).
7:12d
I will no longer be with you: The clause I will no longer be with you expresses a further result of their violating God’s covenant. God will no longer help the Israelite army to defeat their enemies or protect them when they are attacked.
you: The pronoun you is plural. It refers to Joshua and all the Israelites.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
I will not help you anymore (New Century Version) -or-
I cannot help you anymore (Contemporary English Version) -or-
I will not remain with you any longer (New Living Translation (2004))
7:12e
unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unless introduces a condition. If the people of Israel do not destroy the devoted things, then God will withdraw his presence and help from them.
remove from among you: This phrase means that the Israelites must not continue to keep the things which belong to Yahweh in their camp.
whatever is devoted to destruction: This phrase refers to the things which Achan stole from Yahweh.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
The things which belong to me -or-
The things which I told you to destroy -or-
The things which are set apart for me
General Comment on 7:12d-e
In some languages, it may be clearer to reverse the order of 7:12d and 7:12e. For example, you could say:
12e If you do not destroy the devoted things from among you, 12d then I will no longer be with you ⌊and help you⌋ .
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