inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Josh 8:6)

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 8:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 8:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then those people will pursue us until they are far from the city. They will think that we are fleeing from them as it was before.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They will come pursuing us and we will draw them far away from the city. They will think, ‘As before, the Israelites are running away from us.’ So that while we are escaping from before them,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They will-think that we (excl.) are-afraid just-like before/back-then, so they will-pursue us (excl.) until they can-go-far from the city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They will think that we are running away from them like we did before. So they will chase us away from the city. While we are running away,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 8:6

It may be better to invert the order of the two sentences in this verse. To do so will have two advantages: (1) the first sentence leads more naturally into verse 7, and (2) the second sentence ties closely with the last part of verse 5. Moreover, that we are running from them as we did before may need to be shifted back to the direct discourse of the Hebrew (see Revised Standard Version).There is a textual problem in verse 6; Good News Translation has omitted, translationally, the end of the verse “and we will flee from them” (see Revised Standard Version); New English Bible Bible de Jérusalem Jerusalem Bible, following the Septuagint, omit. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project labels this a “D” decision, which means that it is impossible to decide which is the correct reading. Following these suggestions, the verse may be translated, “They will think, ‘Those Israelites are running from us, as they did before.’ Then they will pursue us, and we will lead them 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 8:6

8:6a

It is recommended that you begin a new sentence here.

They will pursue us: The clause They will pursue us indicates that the soldiers of Ai will come out of their town and chase the Israelites when they run away.

8:6b

until we have drawn them away from the city: The clause until we have drawn them away from the city indicates that the Israelite soldiers continued to run away until the soldiers of Ai were far from their town.

until: The English word until can also be spelled “till” as in most English versions.

have drawn them away: The expression drawn them away indicates that they lured them or enticed them to leave.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

we will trick them into going far from their town

8:6c

for: The word for introduces the reason why the citizens of Ai left the town in 8:6a-b. Use a natural way in your language to indicate reason. It is recommended that you begin a new sentence here.

they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’: The clause they will say introduces what the soldiers of Ai would think and say to each other. In some languages it might be more natural to use an indirect quote. For example:

They will pursue us until we have led them away from the city. They will think that we are running from them, as we did before. (Good News Translation)

as they did before: The citizens of Ai assumed that the Israelites would act the same way that they did the first time.

8:6d

So as we flee from them: The clause So as we flee from them repeats information that Joshua stated in verse 8:5c. Even though this phrase is at the end of a verse, it is the beginning of a new sentence. For example:

6d So when we flee from them, 7a you are to rise up from ambush and take the town, (New International Version)

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