And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest: See verse 19. In contrast to Moses, who received messages from the LORD directly, Joshua had to seek God’s will through Eleazar, the High Priest.
Who shall inquire for him is literally “and he [Eleazar] will inquire for him [Joshua].” In Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible and most other translations, it is Eleazar who will enquire for Joshua, not the other way round (so New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, King James Version, ESV, NET, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society Version, Bible en français courant, PV, NBJ, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Zür, Luther, Buber, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Dutch Common Language Version, Herziene Statenvertaling, NBG, Nueva Biblia Viva, NFB, WV, CRV, Levine). Only a few translations understand the Hebrew construction here to mean “and he [Joshua] will enquire of him [Eleazar]”; for example, Alter translates “and [Joshua shall] inquire of him [Eleazar],” and La Biblia Reina-Valera has “and [Joshua] will consult him [Eleazar].” But this understanding is not as likely or as strongly supported by commentators. In any case, according to both interpretations, Joshua (unlike Moses) will be dependent on an intermediary instead of receiving instructions from God and speaking with him directly. In some languages translators will have to specify an object for the verb inquire; for example, Revised English Bible says “who will obtain a decision for him,” and NET has “who will seek counsel for him.”
By the judgment of the Urim: Alter translates “for the ruling of the Urim,” and WV says “a verdict of the urim.” Urim is usually mentioned with “Thummim” (see, for example, Exo 28.30; 1 Sam 14.41). The Urim and Thummim were two cultic objects (possibly stones or carved objects like dice) that yielded yes-or-no responses when the High Priest needed to ascertain the will of God. They were the sacred lots that the High Priest had in his pouch (so NET footnote). Good News Bible adds the “Thummim” here, but the Hebrew text only mentions the Urim. A Handbook on Leviticus mentions at jmp Lev 8.8 that in most translations the two terms are simply transliterated, but Moffatt, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Luther render the meaning quite adequately with “the sacred lots.” Other languages may have to say “the lots of God.” Traditional religious or magical terms used for divination (“lots”) in the local culture are best avoided because of the negative connotation that they may still carry for some people. Contemporary English Version does not refer to the Urim at all here, which we also do not recommend.
Before the LORD: Since the LORD is speaking here, some languages may prefer to say “before me” (similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Compare Good News Bible with “who will learn my will.” However, an equally good alternative is “in the holy place” (similarly WV).
At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in …: See verse 17 for this Hebrew idiom even though the subject here is the Israelites, not their leader. Translators should begin a new sentence here (so Good News Bible). The repetition of the phrase at his word puts emphasis on it. The pronoun his may refer to Eleazar. Good News Bible clearly goes for this interpretation by rendering the last half of this verse as “In this way Eleazar will direct Joshua and the whole community of Israel in all their affairs,” and so does Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch with “According to Eleazar’s decision must he and all the Israelites act.” RVC makes Joshua the referent for this pronoun by saying “When Joshua commands it, all the children of Israel depart, and when he commands it, all the children of Israel return.” However, this pronoun may also refer to the Urim as the symbolic mouthpiece of the LORD. This interpretation is followed by Alter, who renders this clause as “By it shall they go out and by it shall they come in.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is similar with “It is according to that decision that they go out and that they return,” and so is WV with “According to the verdict of the LORD [they] … act” (similarly CRV). This interpretation seems to fit the context well.
Both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation: The pronouns he and him refer to Joshua, and it will probably be necessary to make this reference explicit in the translation in order to avoid possible ambiguity with Eleazar (so Good News Bible).
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .