desert / wilderness

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Amri Karbi: “waterless region/place” (source: Philippova 2021, p. 368)
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
  • Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
  • Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place,” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

complete verse (Joshua 8:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 8:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “When the soldiers of Israel had killed those of Ai who had come out from the city, they all turned around and went to finish the people who remained in Ai.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After they had killed all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had pursued them, all the Israelites came back to the city of Ai and killed all who were there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When they finished killing all from-Ai who chased them into the fields and desolate-place, they returned to the city and also killed all who (were) remaining there.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “While they were fighting, the Israeli army pursued the men of Ai into the fields and into the desert, and killed all of them. Then they went to Ai and killed everyone who was there.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 8:24

Verse 24a again reports the complete slaughter of the men of Ai by the Israelite forces; the Israelites then advance on the city and kill all its inhabitants (verse 24b).

As a comparison of Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version indicates, Good News Translation is considerably shorter than the Hebrew. Moreover, there is some ambiguity about the clause rendered where they had chased them. According to Good News Translation, they would seem to refer to the Israelites, while them points back to the men of Ai. However, it is possible to understand the men of Ai as subject of the clause: “when the Israelites had slaughtered all the men of Ai who had pursued them….” The ambiguity of the Hebrew text allows either interpretation, though according to verse 20 it was the men of Ai who had pursued the Israelites in the direction of the barren country.

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 8:24

Paragraph 8:24–29

8:24a

When Israel: The word Israel refers to the Israelite army.

had finished killing: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as killing means that the Israelite army killed all the soldiers of Ai.

all the men of Ai: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men refers to the men of Ai who had come out to fight the Israelites.

8:24b

who had pursued them into the field and wilderness: In 8:15 Joshua and his army pretended to be afraid and ran away into the wilderness between Ai and the Jordan River Valley. In 8:20 the soldiers of Ai chased them there. In this verse the roles are reversed. Israel chased the soldiers of Ai and killed them. This change of roles adds dramatic impact to this turning point in the story.

who had pursued them: Scholars and English versions differ on who who and them refer to.

(1) The word them refers to the Israelite soldiers and who refers to the soldiers of Ai. For example:

When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, King James Version)

(2) The word them refers to the soldiers of Ai and who refers to the Israelite soldiers. For example:

When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the desert (NET Bible)

(NET Bible, God’s Word, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

The Hebrew text is not clear on this issue. It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with the majority of English versions. As noted above, option (1) adds impact to this climactic turn of events where Israel is now the victor.

into the field and wilderness: The phrase the field and wilderness refers to the barren, uninhabited country that was mentioned in 8:15.

8:24c

and when every last one of them: The phrase every last one of them refers to the fighting men of Ai. This phrase indicates that not one of the soldiers of Ai was left. They were all dead.

had fallen by the sword: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had fallen by the sword is more literally “had fallen by the mouth of the sword.” This is a Hebrew idiom. It means that the Israelite soldiers killed them.

This is a passive clause. The Israelites are the implied subject. The Israelite soldiers killed the men of Ai.

Here are some other ways to translate this Hebrew idiom:

they had been put to the sword (New International Version)
-or-
they put them all to death (God’s Word)
-or-
The Israelites killed every one of the enemy (Good News Translation)

8:24d

all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well: This clause indicates that the Israelite army killed the people who were still left in the town of Ai, the women and children.

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