complete verse (Joshua 6:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 6:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those people went around that city one time and then they returned to inside the camp. They did that for six days.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In this way on second day they walked once around the city and returned to camp. They did this for six days.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “On this second day, they again went-around the city once, and afterwards, they returned to their camp. That (is) what they did for/[lit. inside-of] six days.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So on that second day they again marched around the city once and then returned to their camp. They did the same thing for six days.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Joshua 6:14

The same order of march is followed by the Israelites for the next five days; the same groups maintain the same order in line as had been done the first day. In verses 12-13 Good News Translation adds and for the second time, which makes On this second day they again marched unnecessarily repetitious. But the proposed restructuring of verses 12-13 may help to alleviate this difficulty. Moreover, the first sentence of this verse may be rendered, “They marched around the city on this second day, just as they had done on the first day. Then they returned to camp.” On the assumption that it is the march around the city that is in focus, some translators choose to delete and then returned to camp from their rendering. This information would remain implicit, since the reader would assume that the Israelites did return to camp after going around the city, and the omission of it from translation may tend to bring into sharper focus the march around the city.

The final statement They did this for six days includes, of course, the first day’s march (verses 8-11). It may be helpful to indicate that They includes “Joshua’s men and the priests.”

By adding “including the first day” or “counting the first day” after for six days, any problem of misunderstanding is immediately removed.

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 .