Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 8:32:
Kupsabiny: “Then Joshua wrote on the stones the words of the law of Moses while the people of Israel were watching.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “On the stones, in the presence of the Israelites [lit.: before] Joshua wrote a copy of the law that Moses had written.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Before/[lit. in front-of] the Israelinhon, Josue copied on the stones the law which was-written by Moises.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “As the Israelis watched, Joshua wrote on stones the laws that Yahweh had given to Moses previously.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).
In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:
The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).
In Swiss-German Sign Language (and Hungarian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).
In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)
“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL
In Korean Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the arms held up by Moses to assure the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:11).
With the Israelites looking on is literally “in the presence of the people of Israel” (Revised Standard Version); many languages will have idiomatic formulas for “in the presence of,” as, for example, “before all eyes.”
It is not certain whether the text means that Joshua inscribed a copy of the Law on the stones of the altar or on some other stones (see Good News Translation text and footnote; see New English Bible text and footnote). The instructions in Deuteronomy 27.1-8 distinguish between the altar (made of undressed stones) and the stones, covered with plaster, on which the Law was to be written. It is not to be thought that the area of the stones would be large enough to allow all the instructions and laws to be written; either the Ten Commandments or some other short section of the Law would be inscribed.
The Law which Moses had written is literally “the law of Moses” (Revised Standard Version); for English readers the “of” phrase may imply ownership rather than authorship.
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 .
And there: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as there refers to the site of the altar on Mount Ebal. The ceremony at this place represents a climax for Israel because it fulfilled Moses’ command in Deuteronomy 27.
in the presence of the Israelites: The phrase in the presence of the Israelites indicates that Joshua wrote a copy of the law while all the Israelites watched him.
8:32b
Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Joshua is literally the pronoun “he.” Use the word that would be most natural in your language.
the stones: In Deuteronomy 27:2-4 Moses told Joshua to write the law of Moses on large stones which they should first coat with plaster. The term the stones does not refer to the stones used to build the altar.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
he wrote on some ⌊flat⌋ stones -or-
he chose some ⌊flat⌋ stones and wrote on them
a copy of the law of Moses: The stones were not large enough for the entire law of Moses, which is Genesis through Deuteronomy. Joshua copied some part of the law of Moses onto the stones, perhaps the Ten Commandments.
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
he copied parts of the book of the Law of Moses onto the stones (Contemporary English Version)
8:32c
which he had written: It is not clear in the Hebrew text whether the pronoun he refers to Joshua or to Moses. It is recommended that you translate the pronoun he as referring to Moses, as in the NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Living Translation (2004), and Good News Translation.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
which Moses had written (Good News Translation) -or-
the instructions Moses had given them (New Living Translation (2004))
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