1:1 This is what 5 Moses said to the assembly of Israel 6 in the Transjordanian 7 wastelands, the arid country opposite 8 Suph, 9 between 10 Paran 11 and Tophel, 12 Laban, 13 Hazeroth, 14 and Di Zahab 15 1:2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey 16 from Horeb 17 to Kadesh Barnea 18 by way of Mount Seir. 19 1:3 However, it was not until 20 the first day of the eleventh month 21 of the fortieth year 22 that Moses addressed the Israelites just as 23 the Lord had instructed him to do. 1:4 This took place after the defeat 24 of King Sihon 25 of the Amorites, whose capital was 26 in Heshbon, 27 and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was 28 in Ashtaroth, 29 specifically in Edrei. 30 1:5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words: 31
1:6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed 32 in the area of this mountain long enough. 1:7 Get up now, 33 resume your journey, heading for 34 the Amorite hill country, to all its areas 35 including the arid country, 36 the highlands, the Shephelah, 37 the Negev, 38 and the coastal plain – all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. 1:8 Look! I have already given the land to you. 39 Go, occupy the territory that I, 40 the Lord, promised 41 to give to your ancestors 42 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.” 43 1:9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 1:10 The Lord your God has increased your population 44 to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. 45 1:11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you 46 just as he said he would! 1:12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? 1:13 Select wise and practical 47 men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.” 1:14 You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. 1:15 So I chose 48 as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 1:16 I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they 49 should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens 50 and judge fairly, 51 whether between one citizen and another 52 or a citizen and a resident foreigner. 53 1:17 They 54 must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly 55 and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.
1:18 So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 1:19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 1:20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country which the Lord our God is about to give 56 us. 1:21 Look, he 57 has placed the land in front of you! 58 Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 1:22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 1:23 I thought this was a good idea, 59 so I sent 60 twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 1:24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, 61 which they scouted out. 1:25 Then they took 62 some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”
1:26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God. 63 1:27 You complained among yourselves privately 64 and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 1:28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage 65 by describing people who are more numerous 66 and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven 67 itself! Moreover, they said they saw 68 Anakites 69 there.” 1:29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified 70 of them! 1:30 The Lord your God is about to go 71 ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 72 1:31 and in the desert, where you saw him 73 carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.” 1:32 However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 1:33 the one who was constantly going before you to find places for you to set up camp. He appeared by fire at night and cloud by day, to show you the way you ought to go.
1:34 When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow: 74 1:35 “Not a single person 75 of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! 1:36 The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; 76 he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.” 77 1:37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there. 1:38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, 78 will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. 79 1:39 Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, 80 and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, 81 will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. 1:40 But as for you, 82 turn back and head for the desert by the way to the Red Sea.” 83
1:41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country. 1:42 But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’” 1:43 I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord 84 and recklessly went up to the hill country. 1:44 The Amorite inhabitants of that area 85 confronted 86 you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah. 87 1:45 Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he 88 paid no attention to you whatsoever. 89 1:46 Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time – indeed, for the full time. 90
3:7 The Lord told Joshua, “This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel 95 so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.
23:14 “Look, today I am about to die. 96 You know with all your heart and being 97 that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized – not one promise is unfulfilled! 98
24:1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God. 24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors 99 lived beyond the Euphrates River, 100 including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped 101 other gods, 24:3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates 102 and brought him into 103 the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac, 24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir, 104 while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. 105 Then I brought you out. 24:6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 24:7 Your fathers 106 cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark, 107 and then drowned them in the sea. 108 You witnessed with your very own eyes 109 what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time. 110 24:8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered 111 their land and I destroyed them from before you. 24:9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack 112 against Israel. He summoned 113 Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment 114 on you. 24:10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept 115 prophesying good things about 116 you, and I rescued you from his power. 117 24:11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. 118 The leaders 119 of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you. 24:12 I sent terror 120 ahead of you to drive out before you the two 121 Amorite kings. I gave you the victory; it was not by your swords or bows. 122 24:13 I gave you a land in 123 which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce of 124 vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’
24:14 Now 125 obey 126 the Lord and worship 127 him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors 128 worshiped 129 beyond the Euphrates 130 and in Egypt and worship 131 the Lord. 24:15 If you have no desire 132 to worship 133 the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, 134 whether it be the gods whom your ancestors 135 worshiped 136 beyond the Euphrates, 137 or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family 138 will worship 139 the Lord!”
24:16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can 140 worship 141 other gods! 24:17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery 142 in the land of Egypt 143 and performed these awesome miracles 144 before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. 145 24:18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship 146 the Lord, for he is our God!”
24:19 Joshua warned 147 the people, “You will not keep worshiping 148 the Lord, for 149 he is a holy God. 150 He is a jealous God who will not forgive 151 your rebellion or your sins. 24:20 If 152 you abandon the Lord and worship 153 foreign gods, he will turn against you; 154 he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, 155 though he once treated you well.” 156
24:21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will 157 worship 158 the Lord!” 24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” 159 They replied, “We are witnesses!” 160 24:23 Joshua said, 161 “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to 162 the Lord God of Israel.”
24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship 163 the Lord our God and obey him.” 164
24:25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement 165 for the people, and he established rules and regulations 166 for them in Shechem. 24:26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine. 24:27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us. 167 It will be a witness against you if 168 you deny your God.” 24:28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of land. 169
24:29 After all this 170 Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. 24:30 They buried him in his allotted territory 171 in Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 24:31 Israel worshiped 172 the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. 173 These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel. 174
24:32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the part of the field that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money. 175 So it became the inheritance of the tribe of Joseph. 176
24:33 Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, where his son Phinehas had been assigned land. 177
18:46 The Lord is alive! 178
My protector 179 is praiseworthy! 180
The God who delivers me 181 is exalted as king! 182
1 tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.
2 tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).
3 tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”
4 tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.
5 tn Heb “These are the words.”
6 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
7 tn Heb “on the other side of the Jordan.” This would appear to favor authorship by someone living on the west side of the Jordan, that is, in Canaan, whereas the biblical tradition locates Moses on the east side (cf. v. 5). However the Hebrew phrase בְּעֵבֶר הַיּרְדֵּן (bÿ’ever hayyrÿden) is a frozen form meaning “Transjordan,” a name appropriate from any geographical vantage point. To this day, one standing east of the Jordan can describe himself as being in Transjordan.
8 tn The Hebrew term מוֹל (mol) may also mean “in front of” or “near” (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
9 sn This place is otherwise unattested and its location is unknown. Perhaps it is Khirbet Sufah, 4 mi (6 km) SSE of Madaba, Jordan.
10 tn The Hebrew term בֵּין (ben) may suggest “in the area of.”
11 sn Paran is the well-known desert area between Mount Sinai and Kadesh Barnea (cf. Num 10:12; 12:16).
12 sn Tophel refers possibly to et£-T£afîleh, 15 mi (25 km) SE of the Dead Sea, or to Da‚bîlu, another name for Paran. See H. Cazelles, “Tophel (Deut. 1:1),” VT 9 (1959): 412-15.
13 sn Laban. Perhaps this refers to Libnah (Num 33:20).
14 sn Hazeroth. This probably refers to àAin Khadra. See Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 199-200.
15 sn Di Zahab. Perhaps this refers to Mina al-Dhahab on the eastern Sinai coast.
16 sn An eleven-day journey was about 140 mi (233 km).
17 sn Horeb is another name for Sinai. “Horeb” occurs 9 times in the Book of Deuteronomy and “Sinai” only once (33:2). “Sinai” occurs 13 times in the Book of Exodus and “Horeb” only 3 times.
18 sn Kadesh Barnea. Possibly this refers to àAin Qudeis, about 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Beer Sheba, but more likely to àAin Qudeirat, 5 mi (8 km) NW of àAin Qudeis. See R. Cohen, “Did I Excavate Kadesh-Barnea?” BAR 7 (1981): 20-33.
19 sn Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom. “By way of Mount Seir” refers to the route from Horeb that ended up in Edom Cf. CEV “by way of the Mount Seir Road”; TEV “by way of the hill country of Edom.”
20 tn Heb “in” or “on.” Here there is a contrast between the ordinary time of eleven days (v. 2) and the actual time of forty years, so “not until” brings out that vast disparity.
21 sn The eleventh month is Shebat in the Hebrew calendar, January/February in the modern (Gregorian) calendar.
22 sn The fortieth year would be 1406
23 tn Heb “according to all which.”
24 tn Heb “when he struck [or “smote”].”
25 sn See Deut 2:26–3:22.
26 tn Heb “who lived.”
27 sn Heshbon is probably modern Tell Hesban, about 7.5 mi (12 km) south southwest of Amman, Jordan.
28 tn Heb “who lived.”
29 sn Ashtaroth is probably Tell àAshtarah, about 22 mi (35 km) due east of the Sea of Galilee.
30 sn Edrei is probably modern Deràa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31).
31 tn Heb “this instruction”; KJV, NIV, NRSV “this law”; TEV “God’s laws and teachings.” The Hebrew noun תוֹרָה (torah) is derived from the verb יָרָה (yarah, “to teach”) and here it refers to the Book of Deuteronomy, not the Pentateuch as a whole.
32 tn Heb “lived”; “dwelled.”
33 tn Heb “turn”; NAB “Leave here”; NIV, TEV “Break camp.”
34 tn Heb “go (to).”
35 tn Heb “its dwelling places.”
36 tn Heb “the Arabah” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
37 tn Heb “lowlands” (so TEV) or “steppes”; NIV, CEV, NLT “the western foothills.”
38 sn The Hebrew term Negev means literally “desert” or “south” (so KJV, ASV). It refers to the area south of Beer Sheba and generally west of the Arabah Valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.
39 tn Heb “I have placed before you the land.”
40 tn Heb “the
41 tn Heb “swore” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This refers to God’s promise, made by solemn oath, to give the patriarchs the land.
42 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 11, 21, 35).
43 tn Heb “their seed after them.”
44 tn Heb “multiplied you.”
45 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
46 tn Heb “may he bless you.”
47 tn The Hebrew verb נְבֹנִים (nÿvonim, from בִּין [bin]) is a Niphal referring to skill or intelligence (see T. Fretheim, NIDOTTE 1:652-53).
48 tn Or “selected”; Heb “took.”
49 tn Or “you.” A number of English versions treat the remainder of this verse and v. 17 as direct discourse rather than indirect discourse (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
50 tn Heb “brothers.” The term “brothers” could, in English, be understood to refer to siblings, so “fellow citizens” has been used in the translation.
51 tn The Hebrew word צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “fairly”) carries the basic idea of conformity to a norm of expected behavior or character, one established by God himself. Fair judgment adheres strictly to that norm or standard (see D. Reimer, NIDOTTE 3:750).
52 tn Heb “between a man and his brother.”
53 tn Heb “his stranger” or “his sojourner”; NAB, NIV “an alien”; NRSV “resident alien.” The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger) commonly means “foreigner.”
54 tn Heb “you,” and throughout the verse (cf. NASB, NRSV).
55 tn Heb “the small,” but referring to social status, not physical stature.
56 tn The Hebrew participle has an imminent future sense here, although many English versions treat it as a present tense (“is giving us,” NAB, NIV, NRSV) or a predictive future (“will give us,” NCV).
57 tn Heb “the
58 tn Or “has given you the land” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).
59 tn Heb “the thing was good in my eyes.”
60 tn Or “selected” (so NIV, NRSV, TEV); Heb “took.”
61 tn Or “the Wadi Eshcol” (so NAB).
62 tn The Hebrew text includes “in their hand,” which is unnecessary and somewhat redundant in English style.
63 tn Heb “the mouth of the
64 tn Heb “in your tents,” that is, privately.
65 tn Heb “have caused our hearts to melt.”
66 tn Heb “greater.” Many English versions understand this to refer to physical size or strength rather than numbers (cf. “stronger,” NAB, NIV, NRSV; “bigger,” NASB).
67 tn Or “as the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
68 tn Heb “we have seen.”
69 tn Heb “the sons of the Anakim.”
70 tn Heb “do not tremble and do not be afraid.” Two synonymous commands are combined for emphasis.
71 tn The Hebrew participle indicates imminent future action here, though some English versions treat it as a predictive future (“will go ahead of you,” NCV; cf. also TEV, CEV).
72 tn Heb “according to all which he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”
73 tn Heb “the
74 tn Heb “and swore,” i.e., made an oath or vow.
75 tn Heb “Not a man among these men.”
76 sn Caleb had, with Joshua, brought back to Israel a minority report from Canaan urging a conquest of the land, for he was confident of the
77 tn Heb “the
78 tn Heb “the one who stands before you”; NAB “your aide”; TEV “your helper.”
79 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
80 tn Heb “would be a prey.”
81 sn Do not know good from bad. This is a figure of speech called a merism (suggesting a whole by referring to its extreme opposites). Other examples are the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:9), the boy who knows enough “to reject the wrong and choose the right” (Isa 7:16; 8:4), and those who “cannot tell their right hand from their left” (Jonah 4:11). A young child is characterized by lack of knowledge.
82 tn The Hebrew pronoun is plural, as are the following verbs, indicating that Moses and the people are addressed (note v. 41).
83 tn Heb “the Reed Sea.” “Reed” is a better translation of the Hebrew סוּף (suf), traditionally rendered “red.” The name “Red Sea” is based on the LXX which referred to it as ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης (eruqra" qalassh", “red sea”). Nevertheless, because the body of water in question is known in modern times as the Red Sea, this term was used in the translation. The part of the Red Sea in view here is not the one crossed in the exodus but its eastern arm, now known as the Gulf of Eilat or Gulf of Aqaba.
84 tn Heb “the mouth of the
85 tn Heb “in that hill country,” repeating the end of v. 43.
86 tn Heb “came out to meet.”
87 sn Hormah is probably Khirbet el-Meshash, 5.5 mi (9 km) west of Arad and 7.5 mi (12 km) SE of Beer Sheba. Its name is a derivative of the verb חָרָם (kharam, “to ban; to exterminate”). See Num 21:3.
88 tn Heb “the
89 tn Heb “did not hear your voice and did not turn an ear to you.”
90 tn Heb “like the days which you lived.” This refers to the rest of the forty-year period in the desert before Israel arrived in Moab.
91 tn Heb “A man will not stand before you.” The second person pronouns in this verse are singular, indicating Joshua is the addressee.
92 tn Heb “Have I not commanded you?” The rhetorical question emphasizes the importance of the following command by reminding the listener that it is being repeated.
93 tn Or perhaps, “don’t get discouraged!”
94 tn Heb “in all which you go.”
95 tn Or more literally, “to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel.”
96 tn Heb “go the way of all the earth.”
97 tn Or “soul.”
98 tn Heb “one word from all these words which the
99 tn Heb “your fathers.”
100 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
101 tn Or “served.”
102 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
103 tn Or “through.”
104 tn Heb “I gave to Esau Mount Seir to possess it.”
105 tn Heb “by that which I did in its midst.”
106 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the fathers) has been specified in the translation for clarity (see the previous verse).
107 tn Or “put darkness between you and the Egyptians.”
108 tn Heb “and he brought over them the sea and covered them.”
109 tn Heb “your eyes saw.”
110 tn Heb “many days.”
111 tn Or “took possession of.”
112 tn Heb “arose and fought.”
113 tn Heb “sent and called.”
114 tn Or “to curse.”
115 tn The infinitive absolute follows the finite verb in the Hebrew text and indicates continuation or repetition of the action. Balaam pronounced several oracles of blessing over Israel (see Num 23-24).
116 tn Heb “blessing.” Balaam’s “blessings” were actually prophecies of how God would prosper Israel.
117 tn Heb “hand.”
118 map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
119 tn Or perhaps, “citizens.”
120 tn Traditionally, “the hornet” (so KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) but the precise meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain (cf. NEB “panic”).
121 tn The LXX has “twelve,” apparently understanding this as a reference to Amorite kings west of the Jordan (see Josh 5:1, rather than the trans-Jordanian Amorite kings Sihon and Og (see Josh 2:10; 9:10).
122 tn Heb “and it drove them out from before you, the two kings of the Amorites, not by your sword and not by your bow.” The words “I gave you the victory” are supplied for clarification.
123 tn Or perhaps, “for.”
124 tn The words “the produce of” are supplied for clarification.
125 sn Joshua quotes the
126 tn Heb “fear.”
127 tn Or “and serve.”
128 tn Heb “your fathers.”
129 tn Or “served.”
130 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.
131 tn Or “and serve.”
132 tn Heb “if it is bad in your eyes.”
133 tn Or “to serve.”
134 tn Or “will serve.”
135 tn Heb “your fathers.”
136 tn Or “served.”
137 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.
138 tn Heb “house.”
139 tn Or “will serve.”
140 tn Heb “to.”
141 tn Or “can serve.”
142 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
143 tn Heb “for the
144 tn Or “great signs.”
145 tn Heb “and he guarded us in all the way in which we walked and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.”
146 tn Or “will serve.”
147 tn Heb “said to.”
148 tn Heb “you are not able to serve.”
149 sn For an excellent discussion of Joshua’s logical argument here, see T. C. Butler, Joshua (WBC), 274-75.
150 tn In the Hebrew text both the divine name (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) and the adjective (קְדֹשִׁים, qÿdoshim, “holy”) are plural. Normally the divine name, when referring to the one true God, takes singular modifiers, but this is a rare exception where the adjective agrees grammatically with the honorific plural noun. See GKC §124.i and IBHS 122.
151 tn Heb “lift up” or “take away.”
152 tn Or “when.”
153 tn Or “and serve.”
154 tn The words “against you” are added for clarification.
155 tn Heb “bring you to an end.”
156 tn Heb “after he did good for you.”
157 tn The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is emphatic. Another option is to take it as explanatory, “No, for we will….”
158 tn Or “will serve.”
159 tn Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the
160 sn Like witnesses in a court of law, Israel’s solemn vow to worship the Lord will testify against them in the divine court if the nation ever violates its commitment.
161 tn The words “Joshua said” are supplied for clarification.
162 tn Heb “bend your heart toward.” The term לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) probably here refers to the people’s volition or will.
163 tn Or “will serve.”
164 tn Heb “and listen to his voice.”
165 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
166 tn Heb “a statute and a judgment.”
167 tn Heb “all the words of the
168 tn Or “lest,” “so that you might not.”
169 tn Heb “And Joshua sent the people away, each to his inheritance.”
170 tn Heb “after these things.”
171 tn Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”
172 tn Or “served.”
173 tn Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived him.”
174 tn Heb “who knew all the work of the
175 tn Heb “one hundred qesitahs.” The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qesitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value and/or weight is unknown. The word occurs only here and in Gen 33:19 and Job 42:11.
176 tn Heb “and they became for the sons of Joseph an inheritance.” One might think “bones” is the subject of the verb “they became,” but the verb is masculine, while “bones” is feminine. The translation follows the emendation suggested in the BHS note, which appeals to the Syriac and Vulgate for support. The emended reading understands “the part (of the field)” as the subject of the verb “became.” The emended verb is feminine singular; this agrees with “the part” (of the field), which is feminine in Hebrew.
177 tn Heb “in Gibeah of Phinehas, his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.”
178 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the
179 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.
180 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
181 tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”
182 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).