Caleb

The term that is transliterated as “Caleb” in English is translated in American Sign Language with one variation of the sign for “watch,” a reference to the fact that Caleb was one of the twelve who surveyed the Promised Land. The sign also alludes to watch dogs, a reference to Caleb’s enduring loyalty to God. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Caleb” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “spy.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Caleb” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Translation commentary on Joshua 15:18

On the wedding day translates the Hebrew “and when she came” (see New American Bible “On the day of her marriage to Othniel”). The Hebrew text then says “and she urged him.” Since in the following verse it is she who speaks to the father, Good News Translation has here followed one manuscript of the Septuagint (and the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate of Judges 1.14) where the text is “he urged her,” which seems preferable (so New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Zürcher Bibel).Hebrew Old Testament Text Project in both passages prefers to follow the Masoretic text “and she urged him.” Soggin objects that the Hebrew verb is always used in a bad sense, to seduce someone to do something bad; he feels that it is inappropriate here, and that it was not in the original text. He believes the text must have had “she decided.”

Given the complexities of the verse, it is advisable to follow the model of a translation which attempts to make some sense of the text. On the basis of Good News Translation one may translate “On the wedding day Othniel said to her, ‘Ask your father for a field.’ ” Or “… ‘Ask your father to give you (or, us) a field.’ ”

She got down translates a Hebrew verb which occurs only here, in the parallel passage Judges 1.14, and in Judges 4.21. In Judges 4.21 it means “to beat,” “to drive” (the peg). Here and in the parallel passage Koehler-Baumgartner says “clap one’s hands (to attract attention).” The meaning “to dismount” is more or less a guess, but it fits the context, and most translations adopt it.New English Bible first edition was “As she sat on her ass, she broke wind”; the second edition has changed the second part to “she made a noise.”

In translation it is frequently necessary to spell out the events in more detail: “She got down from her donkey and went to Caleb. He asked her, ‘What do you want?’ ” Or, if Caleb is assumed to have approached her: “She got down from her donkey. Caleb then came to her and asked her, ‘What would you like for a wedding present?’ ”

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 .