Be sure that the book of the Law is always read in your worship takes the Hebrew “This book of the Law is not to depart from your mouth” to refer to the use of the Scriptures in public worship and proclamation, and not just in private reading. If the command is believed to be addressed to Joshua alone, then one may translate “Read the book of the Law to the people every time they worship”; if it is understood to be addressed to the people, “Be sure that someone reads the book of the Law to you every time you worship.” It must be made clear that “the book of the Law” of this verse refers to the “whole Law” of verse 7.

The command to “meditate on it day and night” (Revised Standard Version) recalls the language of Psalm 1.2. The same Hebrew verb (literally “mutter, read in a low voice”) is used here; it means to study (Good News Translation), “pore over” (Moffatt); “keep it in mind” (New English Bible).

At the end of verse 8 two synonymous verbs are used: “cause to prosper” and “be successful” (as in verse 7); Good News Translation you will be prosperous and successful; New English Bible “you will prosper and be successful in all that you do.” The combination prosperous and successful reflects the Hebrew practice of placing together two modifiers in what appears to be a coordinate relationship. However, the use of “and” in such structures is deceptive, for a coordinate relationship is not really intended. In reality one adjective is meant to qualify the other. For example, “wicked and sinful” would mean “very wicked (sinful).” So then, prosperous and successful may be understood to have the meaning “very prosperous” or “very successful.”

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 .