complete verse (Joshua 18:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 18:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “When the people of Israel had taken the land, they all gathered in Shilo and put up the Tent of God.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After that land had been conquered, whole assembly the Israelites gathered in Shiloh. Then there they set up the Tent of Meeting. Because the country was brought under their control.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “After the whole assembly/community of Israel took-by-force/seized the land, they all gathered at Shilo, and erected/[lit. cause-to-stand] the Tent of Meeting-Together-Place.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The Israeli people captured all the land that they were able to, but there were still seven tribes that had not been allotted any land. The Israeli people all gathered at Shiloh, and they set up the Sacred Tent there.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 18:1 - 18:2

After they had conquered the land (Revised Standard Version “the land lay subdued before them”) comes at the end of verse 1 in Hebrew. Good News Translation places it first for purposes of chronological sequence. The pronoun they refers to the entire community of Israel in the second clause of Good News Translation, but a more natural arrangement would be achieved by changing the order: “After the people of Israel had conquered the land, all of them….”

Shiloh, in the highlands of Ephraim, was 32 kilometers north of Jerusalem. The name has not recently been mentioned in the text, and translation in some languages may require “the city of Shiloh.”

Even though it is true that the entire community of Israel assembled at Shiloh, it is obvious that not all of them set up the Tent of the LORD’s presence. Therefore a new subject may need to be introduced: “… assembled at Shiloh. There the priests and their helpers set up the Tent of the LORD’s presence.”

This is the first time that the Tent of the LORD’s presence has been mentioned in the book. But the Covenant Box implies also the presence of the Tent (see verses 3.3 and 8.33). For the description of the Tent, see Exodus 26. The Tent of the LORD’s presence may be translated “The Tent where the LORD met the people of Israel” or “The Tent where the people of Israel worshiped the LORD.”

The passive structure had not yet been assigned (verse 2) may be translated, “to whom Joshua had not yet assigned.”

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 .