Joshua

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.


“Joshua” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joshua .

complete verse (Joshua 1:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 1:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, those people replied to Joshua, ‘We shall do everything that you have told us. We will go everywhere where you send us.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then they answered Joshua like this, "Whatever you command us, that we will do, and wherever you send us, there we will go.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They replied to Josue, ‘We (excl.) will-do everything you have-said, and we (excl.) will-go anywhere you (sing.) send us (excl.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The people answered Joshua, ‘We will do everything that you have commanded us to do, and we will go wherever you tell us to go.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

humble form of "come" (mairu)

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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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mairu (参る), a humble form of kuru (来る) or “come” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also respectful form of “come” (omie ni naru), respectful form of “come” (oide ni naru), and come (Japanese honorifics).