The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).
Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).
In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Joshua” is translated in Swiss-German Sign Language with a sign that depicts a trumpet of rams’ horn, referring to Joshua 6:4 and following.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 2:21:
Kupsabiny: “I will not again chase away the communities that Joshua left when he died.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “I will now not drive out the other nations that were in this land when Joshua died.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I will- not -cause- them -to-drive-out the remaining people whom Josue was- not -able-to-bring-under- (his) -jurisdiction before he died.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “So I will no longer expel the people-groups that Joshua left in this land when he died.” (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
While the previous verse explained what the Israelites had done to merit their punishment, this verse describes it. In most languages this order will make sense. If not, 2.20-21 might be combined. If there is a full stop at the end of the previous verse, it may be helpful to begin this verse with “Therefore,” “Because of this,” or “That’s why.”
I will not henceforth drive out before them …: In Hebrew this is an emphatic statement from God, similar to verse 2.3, beginning with the words “also I,” conveying the idea that a conclusion is being expressed. Revised Standard Version does not render this emphasis. It may be expressed by saying “So, this is what I’ve decided to do….” Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “I for my part…,” an emphatic phrase that could serve as a model in some languages.
The emphatic opening is followed by an emphatic negative statement, will not henceforth drive out (literally “will not add to drive out a man”), which means God will not continue to drive out any more Canaanites. The period of divine assistance is now at an end. Good News Translation translates “I will no longer drive out.” For drive out see verse 1.19. Here the verb has a direct object, “a man,” not expressed by Revised Standard Version. This is an emphatic way of saying “not a single man,” “not even one,” or “not any.” If possible, translators should try to express this emphasis. Before them refers to the Israelites and this can be made explicit if need be. Some versions leave this phrase out, since it may be understood from the context.
Any of the nations that Joshua left when he died: This clause completes and adds emphasis to the declaration of the LORD. It mentions a number of important elements. First, the Hebrew word for nations (goyim) ties back to the ironic remark made in verse 2.20, where Israel is designated a goy, a nation like any other. Also the mention of Joshua evokes a time when Israel was successful in entering the Promised Land and driving out their enemies. Joshua’s death is seen as a decisive turning point, when things start to go downhill, as the people no longer serve the LORD. Very often the term nations has to be rendered according to context. Here it refers to non-Israelite nations, but these are not large countries as the modern term might imply. Rather, these nations are tribal groups, whether large or small, such as the Canaanites (verse 1.4), the Jebusites (verse 1.21), and the Amorites (verse 1.34). If possible, the translation should imply that these are peoples who do not worship Yahweh. So we might speak of “foreign peoples,” “foreign clans,” or “foreign tribes.” The nations that Joshua left when he died refers to the non-Israelite tribes that were still living in the Promised Land when Joshua died. We might speak of “the foreign peoples who remained when Joshua died” or “the foreign tribes who were still there after Joshua died.” Good News Translation translates “the nations that were still in the land when Joshua died.” This is a good model to follow.
Translation suggestions for this verse are:
• Because of this, I have firmly decided I will no longer drive out even one of the foreign peoples/tribes remaining in the land when Joshua died.
• So here is my decision: I will no longer help them remove any of these pagan peoples who remained in the land after Joshua’s death.
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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