Anakim / giants

The Hebrew that is either transliterated as “Anakim” or translated as “giants” in English is translated in Manya as “big, amazing people.” (Source: Don Slager)

complete verse (Joshua 14:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 14:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Hebron was before called the city of Arba because Arba was very much a bull (strongman) among these people of Anakites. So, then the land rested/had peace without any fighting.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Hebron was called Kiriath-arba after [lit.: in] the name of Arba, the biggest man of the tall Anakites.
    After that there was peace in the land from war.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Formerly at-that-time the name of Hebron (was) Kiriat Arba, as a remembrance of Arba, the most-famous descendants of Anak.
    At that time, the war in the land of the Israelinhon now stopped/ceased.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Previously that city was called Kiriath-Arba, because Arba was the greatest man among the Amalek people-group. Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb, because Caleb completely/fully trusted in Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, and obeyed him.
    After that happened, there was peace/no battles in Canaan land for many years.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 14:15

Before this translates “Now … formerly” (Revised Standard Version) of the Hebrew text. Further definition may be necessary; for example, “Before the city of Hebron belonged to Caleb, it was called…” or “Before Caleb captured the city of Hebron….”

The city of Arba is a translation of the Hebrew Kiriath Arba (which Revised Standard Version transliterates). In 15.13 Arba is said to have been the father of Anak (for whom the Anakim were named). The first sentence of this verse may then be translated, “Before the city of Hebron belonged to Caleb, its name was Arba City.” The parenthetical statement would then say “A man named Arba had been the greatest of the Anakim.” It may also be advisable to remove the parentheses markers (round brackets), except for rather sophisticated readers.

There was now peace in the land translates “And the land had rest from war” (Revised Standard Version). Many languages will have idiomatic expressions which will be quite satisfactory for the rendering of this statement.

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 .