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 inhabitants of Gibeon.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 9:22:
Kupsabiny: “Then Joshua said that the people of Gibeon should be called (to come). Then he asked (them), ‘Why did you cheat us by saying that you live very far away and yet you are near to us?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Joshua called the men of Gibeon and asked them, "Why have you deceived us, saying that you had come from a distant land, even though you were living here, near to us?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Josue summoned those from-Gibeon and told-(them), ‘Why did you (plur.) deceive us (excl.)? Why did- you (plur.) -say that you (plur.) came-from a distant place, when you (plur.) (are) indeed/[surprise particle] just from-here near us (excl.)?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then Joshua summoned the men from Gibeon and asked them, ‘Why did you lie to us? Your land was near to where we had set up our tents, but you told us that you were from a distant land!” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Joshua now summons the Gibeonites and reprimands them for deceiving the Israelites. In Hebrew Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him is literally “Joshua called them.” The verb “called” in such a context may have the meaning of “sent for” or “caused someone to bring to.” The latter meaning is probably intended here. That is, Joshua sent some of the men of Israel to bring the Gibeonites to him. The pronoun “them” of the Hebrew text also causes complications. Good News Translation suggests that the whole group of Gibeonites are summoned before Joshua, but it is more likely that the reference is limited to the messengers who came from the Gibeonites to Joshua. Joshua calls them and announces to them what will happen to all the Gibeonites. A shift may also be made to direct discourse: “Joshua told some of his men, ‘Bring to me the messengers who came to us from the Gibeonites.’ ”
Joshua’s remarks to the men of Gibeon may be restructured, “You deceived us. You live right here near us, and you said, ‘We are from far away.’ ” Or, if indirect discourse is retained, “Why did you deceive us? You told us that you were from far away, when you live right here.”
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 .
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as summoned indicates that Joshua ordered the Gibeonites to come see him. He wanted to tell them how the Israelites would respond to their trickery.
the Gibeonites: The phrase the Gibeonites refers to the leaders or representatives of the Gibeonites, not to the whole group of Gibeonites.
and said: Some English versions translate the word said as “asked” because it introduces a rhetorical question. For example:
Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him, and he asked them (Good News Translation)
9:22b
Why did you deceive us by telling us: This is the beginning of a rhetorical question. It functions as a strong statement that the Gibeonites should not have tricked the Israelites.
Here are two ways to translate this statement:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Why did you trick us? (NET Bible)
• Use a strong statement. For example:
you should not have deceived us -or-
you lied to us
Translate this strong statement in a way that is natural in your language.
9:22c
you live far away from us: The clause you live far away from us is Joshua’s paraphrase of what the Gibeonites told the Israelites.
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
We live in a far country
when in fact you live among us: The clause when…you live among us indicates that the Gibeonites lived nearby.
General Comment on 22b-c
Some other ways to translate the statements in 22b-c are:
You actually live close to us. Why did you lie and tell us that you live far away? -or-
You lied to us and said that you live far away. But actually you live nearby. -or-
Why did you deceive us and tell us that you were from far away, when you live right here? (Good News Translation)
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