In verses 3-4 the Hebrew states twice that no territory was assigned to the tribe of Levi (see 3b, 4b, Revised Standard Version): they received cities and also fields for their cattle and flocks (see chapter 21).

The repetition of the Hebrew accounts for the reason that Good News Translation places verses 3-4 together. But the statement about the descendants of Joseph (placed in parentheses by Good News Translation) interrupts the flow of the narrative, and for many readers the inclusion of parentheses is difficult. It may be to the benefit of the reader if the first half of 3-4 is translated:

• The descendants of Joseph were divided into two tribes, the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Ephraim. And Moses had already assigned the land east of the Jordan to the tribe of Reuben, to half of the tribe of Manasseh, and to the tribe of Gad.

The word translated flocks (Revised Standard Version “substance”) refers to movable personal property. If the interpretation of Good News Translation is followed, then some languages will need to combine cattle and flocks as “herds.”

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 .