inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Josh 8:5)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding the fighting men.

complete verse (Joshua 8:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 8:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “And how we are to begin the battle is this way: We shall raid the city of Ai with all the other people. But when those people come to us to fight us as before, we shall pull back as if we have fled.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “With the men that I have with me I will advance toward the city. When they come out to fight with us as they did before, we will run away from them as before.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I and my companions will-attack at the front. As-soon-as they come-out to-fight against us (excl.), we (excl.) will-flee, the-same-as what happened before.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I and the men who are with me will march toward the city in the morning. The men in the city will come out to fight us, like they did before. Then we will turn around and start to run away from them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 8:5

Joshua himself, with his men, will attack Ai frontally, that is, from the east, and when its soldiers come out to fight the Israelites, Joshua and his men will flee, as they did in the first attempt to capture the city (7.4-5). This will draw the soldiers of Ai away from the city, and then the Israelite soldiers who have been in ambush west of the city will be able to capture it unopposed; it will be the Lord’s victory (verse 7). The city is to be set on fire (verse 8).

My men and I may be more clearly translated “The rest of the men and I” or “The men who are with me.”

Will approach the city may need to be further described by “from the front.”

Come out against us means “come out and attack us.” Instead of beginning this sentence with a subordinate temporal clause (When …), it is possible to begin “The men of Ai will come out and attack us, but we will turn and run, just as we did the first time.”

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 8:5

8:5a

Then I and all the troops with me: The phrase all the troops with me refers to the ten thousand Israelite soldiers who stayed with Joshua and who did not hide behind Ai.

will advance on the city: The phrase will advance on the city indicates that Joshua and the soldiers with him will move toward the town as if they are going to attack it.

8:5b

When: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as When introduces the next event in the storyline.

they come out against us: The clause they come out against us indicates that the soldiers of Ai will come out of the town gate to attack the Israelite soldiers.

us: The word us is exclusive. Joshua spoke to the soldiers who were not with him.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

when they come out of the town to attack us (excl.)

as they did the first time: The phrase as they did the first time refers to the first time that the Israelites tried to capture Ai in 7:4-5. Some English versions place this phrase at the end of verse 5c. For example:

When the men of Ai come out against us, we will turn and run, just as we did the first time. (Good News Translation)

8:5c

we will flee from them: The clause we will flee from them indicates that the soldiers who are with Joshua will run away from the soldiers of Ai.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

we (excl.) will run away from them

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