translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JOS

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “your fathers.”


text: Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “through.”


text: Heb “I gave to Esau Mount Seir to possess it.”


text: Heb “by that which I did in its midst.”


text: Heb “they”; the referent (the fathers) has been specified in the translation for clarity (see the previous verse).


text: Or “put darkness between you and the Egyptians.”


text: Heb “and he brought over them the sea and covered them.”


text: Heb “your eyes saw.”


text: Heb “many days.”


text: Or “took possession of.”


text: Heb “arose and fought.”


text: Heb “sent and called.”


text: Or “to curse.”


text: 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 ).


text: Heb “blessing.” Balaam’s “blessings” were actually prophecies of how God would prosper Israel.


text: Heb “hand.”


text: For location see Map5-B2 ; Map6-E1 ; Map7-E1 ; Map8-E3 ; Map10-A2 ; Map11-A1 .


text: Or perhaps, “citizens.”


text: Traditionally, “the hornet” (so KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) but the precise meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain (cf. NEB “panic”).


text: 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 ).


text: 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.


text: Or perhaps, “for.”


text: The words “the produce of” are supplied for clarification.


text: Heb “fear.”


text: Or “and serve.”


text: Heb “your fathers.”


text: Or “served.”


text: Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3 .


text: Heb “if it is bad in your eyes.”


text: Or “to serve.”


text: Or “will serve.”


text: Heb “house.”


text: Heb “to.”


text: Or “can serve.”


text: Heb “of the house of slavery.”


text: Heb “for the Lord our God, he is the one who brought up us and our fathers from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.”


text: Or “great signs.”


text: Heb “and he guarded us in all the way in which we walked and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.”


text: Heb “said to.”


text: Heb “you are not able to serve.”


text: 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.


text: Heb “lift up” or “take away.” sn This assertion obviously needs qualification, for the OT elsewhere affirms that God does forgive. Joshua is referring to the persistent national rebellion against the Mosaic covenant that eventually cause God to decree unconditionally the nation’s exile.


text: Or “when.”


text: Or “and serve.”


text: The words “against you” are added for clarification.


text: Heb “bring you to an end.”


text: Heb “after he did good for you.”


text: The translation assumes that כִּי ( ki ) is emphatic. Another option is to take it as explanatory, “No, for we will….”


text: Or “will serve.”


text: Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord to serve him.”


text: The words “Joshua said” are supplied for clarification.


text: Heb “bend your heart toward.” The term לֵבָב ( levav , “heart”) probably here refers to the people’s volition or will.


text: Heb “and listen to his voice.”


text: Heb “cut a covenant.”


text: Heb “a statute and a judgment.”


text: Heb “all the words of the Lord which he spoke with us.”


text: Or “lest,” “so that you might not.”


text: Heb “And Joshua sent the people away, each to his inheritance.”


text: Heb “after these things.”


text: Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”


text: Or “served.”


text: Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived him.”


text: Heb “who knew all the work of the Lord which he had done for Israel.”


text: 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 .


text: 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.


text: Heb “in Gibeah of Phinehas, his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.”