Yosua 3:3

3:3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God ¹  being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here ²  and walk ³  behind it.

Yosua 5:5

5:5 Now ⁴  all the men ⁵  who left were circumcised, but all the sons ⁶  born on the journey through the desert after they left Egypt were uncircumcised.

Yosua 6:16

6:16 The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams’ horns and Joshua told the army, ⁷  “Give the battle cry, ⁸  for the Lord is handing the city over to you! ⁹ 

Yosua 7:5

7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ¹⁰  and defeated them on the steep slope. ¹¹  The people’s ¹²  courage melted away like water. ¹³ 

Yosua 8:5

8:5 I and all the troops ¹⁴  who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.

Yosua 24:22

24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” ¹⁵  They replied, “We are witnesses!” ¹⁶ 

[3:3]  ¹ sn The ark of the covenant refers to the wooden chest that symbolized God’s presence among his covenant people.

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “set out from your place.”

[3:3]  ³ tn Or “march.”

[5:5]  ⁴ tn Or “indeed.”

[5:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “people.”

[5:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “all the people.”

[6:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “the people.”

[6:16]  ⁸ tn Or “the shout.”

[6:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “for the Lord has given to you the city.” The verbal form is a perfect, probably indicating certitude here.

[7:5]  ¹⁰ tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shÿvarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).

[7:5]  ¹¹ sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

[7:5]  ¹² tn Or “army’s.”

[7:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

[8:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the people.”

[24:22]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord to serve him.”

[24:22]  ¹⁶ 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.