complete verse (Joshua 8:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 8:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Before those soldiers went, he said to (them), ‘’Move towards this city from behind and encircle it without being far away. Every person should be ready.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Speaking like this he gave them this order, "Listen well! You are to hide behind the city in order to ambush it. Do not go very far from the city. Stay alert, all of you!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This (is) what Josue instructed/[lit. left] to them: ‘[You (plur.)] hide at the back of the city, but [you (plur.)] just do- not -go- very -far. [You (plur.)] prepare to-attack at any time/[lit. at what ever hour].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He said to them, ‘Listen carefully. Some of you must hide on the other side of the city. Do not go far from the city. Just be ready to attack.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Joshua 8:3 - 8:4

Got ready translates the Hebrew verb “rise” (see Revised Standard Version). This verb is often used in the Old Testament as an auxiliary which means to prepare to do something or to begin doing something; it does not mean, as the English verb “arise” implies, that the subject has been sitting or lying down (see also in verse 1 “and arise, go up to Ai,” Revised Standard Version; Good News Translation go on up to Ai). See 1.2.

So Joshua got ready to go to Ai with all his soldiers may give two false implications: (1) got ready to go may imply that he made preparations but did not go; and (2) with all his soldiers could suggest that Joshua himself was leading the entire force as a unit to attack the city. Since, as indicated in the previous paragraph, the Hebrew verb rendered got ready frequently functions merely as an auxiliary of the main verb, it is not necessary always to represent it in translation. Therefore “got ready to go up” may even mean “went up” (see the comment on “go up” in verse 1). These two potential problems may be resolved, and a smooth transition made from the previous verse, if this verse is begun as follows: “So before Joshua went up against Ai with his main force, he picked out thirty thousand of his best troops. Then he sent them out at night 4 and told them….”

Joshua selects thirty thousand of his best soldiers and tells them to lie in ambush west of the city, not very far from it. This seems to be a very large number (see in verse 12 where only about five thousand men are actually stationed there). Gray thinks that thirty thousand may be a scribal error for three thousand, and a few translations place three thousand in the text, with a footnote: “Hebrew thirty thousand.” From the Israelite camp at Gilgal to Ai was about 25 kilometers.

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 .