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 8:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 8:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then all the soldiers of Ai were called to pursue them. But during the time those people were pursuing Joshua and company, they were being lured to come away from the city.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “All the men of Ai city were ordered to go to pursue the Israelites. And by pursuing Joshua, they ended up far away from the city.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So all the men of Ai pursued them until they were-little-by-little drawn-away/[lit. caused-to-be-far] from the city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The men in Ai were ordered to chase after Joshua and his men. So they left the city and started to pursue the Israelis.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 8:16

Joshua’s plan worked: “all the people” (Revised Standard Version) of Ai joined in the pursuit of the fleeing Israelites. (“All the people,” of course, means all the men, that is, all who were fit and able for battle.) It is possible to translate this first clause by an active construction: “The leaders of the city had called together all the men of the city to go after them.”

They kept getting farther away from the city represents a slight shift in focus from the Hebrew, which indicates that the Israelite men intentionally drew the men of Ai away from the city. The entire verse may be translated more economically than Good News Translation. For example, “The leaders of the city had commanded all the men in the city to go after the Israelites. And the Israelites led them farther and farther away from the city.”

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 8:16

8:16a

Then all the men of Ai: The phrase all the men of Ai refers to the fighting men of Ai.

were summoned to pursue them: The phrase were summoned is a passive.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

⌊the king⌋ called them together
-or-
they all gathered together

8:16b

and they followed Joshua: The phrase they followed Joshua implies that the soldiers of Ai chased the Israelite soldiers. It may be clearer to make this information explicit in some languages.

For example:

and as ⌊the army of Ai⌋ pursued Joshua ⌊and his army⌋

were drawn away from the city: The Israelite army kept running away from the town so that the soldiers of Ai would go far away from it.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

they were lured away from the city (New International Version)
-or-
they kept getting farther away from the city (Good News Translation)
-or-
they were deceived into going far from the town

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