Getting Started with Joshua
By Ted Hildebrandt
Copyright © 2012
Introduction to Joshua
The
book of Joshua is named after its main character--Joshua the son of Nun. Joshua
served as Moses’ young aide who accompanied Moses as he entered God’s presence
in the tent of meeting (Exod 33:11). He was originally named “Hoshea”
(“salvation”) but Moses renamed him “Joshua” (“Yahweh saves,” Num 13:16). The
Greek translation for “Joshua” is “Jesus.” Joshua’s first act was as a
military leader defeating the Amalekites (Exod 17:8-13). He then accompanied
Moses up Mount Sinai when Moses received the law (Exod 24:13) and was chosen to
represent his tribe of Ephraim as one of the twelve spies who were sent out
from Kadesh Barnea to reconnoiter the Promised Land (Numb 13-14). He and Caleb
were the two who stood strong against the majority report that rejected going
up and taking the land. He was Moses’ handpicked successor (Num 27:12-22) and
many believe he may have recorded the events of Moses’ death in Deuteronomy 34.
In the text of Joshua there is an implicit comparison made between
Moses and Joshua by parallel events. They both parted waters (Red Sea, Jordan
River; Josh 4:23). Both circumcised their “people” prior to beginning major acts
of redemption (Exod 4:24-25; Josh 5:13-15). Both met an angel and were told to
take off their sandals because they were standing on holy ground (Exod 3:5;
Josh 5:15). Both won battles holding a staff/javelin in their uplifted hands
(Exod 17:9-11; Josh 8:18). Both oversaw covenant renewal ceremonies (Deut 29; Josh
8:30-35; 24:1-27). The military victories of the two are juxtaposed in the
list in Joshua 12.
This comparison of the two leaders is made explicit several times when
God says, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you” (Josh 1:5, 17; 3:7;
4:14). Repeatedly, Joshua is characterized as carrying out the commands that
Moses had given (8:30, 35; 11:20; 21:2; 22:2). Joshua begins as Moses’ aid
(1:1) and ends up with the Mosaic title “servant of the Lord” (24:19, Howard).
One must be acutely aware that it was the Lord himself who fought
for Israel (10:42); gave them the gift of the land as their tribal inheritance
(14:2; 18:3), and ultimately gave them rest (23:1). Indeed, it is God who parts
the Jordan River, topples the walls of Jericho, develops the strategy for
taking Ai, rains down hail killing the southern kings, and guides the allotment
of the tribal territories.
Contents of the Book
The book of Joshua naturally divides into two sections:
the conquest of the promised land (chs. 2-12) and the distribution of tribal
territorial allotments (chs. 13-21). These two sections are introduced by a
prologue with the Lord commissioning Joshua (ch. 1), and close with a covenant renewal
postlude and the death of Joshua (chs. 22-24).
The book opens with a series of speeches utilizing Deuteronomy type
terminology as the Lord instructs Joshua after the death of Moses to “be strong
and courageous” and to “not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night…Then you will be prosperous and successful” (1:8).
Joshua orders the Transjordan tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh to
send their fighting men across the Jordan to help him take the land just as
Moses had commanded them.
Chapters 2 through 12 describe the conquest of the land. Chapters
2-5 feature preparations with the two spies being hidden by Rahab in Jericho
(ch. 2) and her great confession that the Lord had given the land to Israel. She
and her family receive a reprieve hanging a red cord from her window. Rahab
will later appear in the line of David and ultimately in the genealogy of Jesus
Christ (Mat 1).
The Israelites cross the Jordan River during the spring flood, led
by the ark of God. The river is dried up as the waters are heaped up upstream. After
the Jordan crossing there are a series of rituals--twelve stones are piled up as
a memorial at Gilgal where Israel celebrates its third Passover, the males are
circumcised, and the manna stops because they can now eat the rich produce of
the land (chs. 4-5). Gilgal will become a special ritual site for Israel. Chapter
6 narrates the daily, silent circling of Jericho led by the ark of God until
the seventh day when the city is circled seven times concluding with the
trumpets blasting, the people shouting, and the walls tumbling down. Joshua
places a curse on the city so that it cannot be rebuilt. Jericho is the Lord’s
as the first fruits.
The Israelites next train their sights on Ai (ch. 7). It is while attacking
this small town that they experience their first defeat due to the sin of
Achan. He had stolen some of the Lord’s banned plunder from Jericho and hid it
under his tent. Achan’s sin is exposed and the devoted goods, Achan, and his
family are destroyed by fire in the valley of Achor which is a play on the
Hebrew word for “trouble” (7:26; cf. Gilgal, 5:9). God strategically orchestrates
an ambush, Joshua executes it with javelin raised, and the town of Ai is burned
(ch. 8).
Israel then travels north to Mount Ebal for a covenant renewal
ceremony, where an altar of uncut stones is built and the law of Moses is
publically read then written upon plastered stones (8:30-35).
Without consulting the Lord, the Israelites, deceived by the
Gibeonite’s old worn out clothes and moldy bread, make an alliance with them
(ch. 9). The Gibeonite cities are located in the very heart-land of Canaan.
The kings of the south, headed by Adoni-Zedek of Jersualem, rally to strike the
Gibeonites. Joshua and his troops march all night from Gilgal to defend
Gibeon. He prays for the sun to “stand still” and there was never a day like
it “when the Lord listened to a man” (10:14). God fights for Israel as the
hailstones kill more than the Israelite swords.
A northern league is led by Jabin king of Hazor, who rallies a huge
army including chariots to the waters of Merom. Joshua roundly defeats them
and there is “left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses”
(11:15).
This first section (chs. 1-12) concludes with a victory list (ch.
12). The victories of Moses in Transjordan (Og and Sihon) are juxtaposed with
a list of Joshua’s victories over the kings of Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Gezer and
others.
The second section (chs. 13-21) narrates the allotment of the land
to the various tribes. Chapter 13 opens with the acknowledgment that there still
remains a significant amount of land to be taken. Reuben, Gad and half the
tribe of Manasseh got their territory after Moses’ defeat of Og of Bashan and
Sihon of Hesbon in Transjordan, but they were unable to drive out the
Geshurites (13:13). It is twice observed that the tribe of Levi received no
inheritance because the Lord was their inheritance (13:14, 33).
The tribal boundary descriptions and a tribal town listing begin in
chapter 14 with the description of the allotments west of the Jordan in Canaan
proper. Hebron is given to Caleb (ch. 14). There is a lengthy description of
Judah’s inheritance with towns listed and boundaries carefully observed (ch.
15). The inheritances of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are also described
in great detail in chapters 16 and 17. The remaining seven tribes receive
their inheritance by casting lots from the hands of Joshua and Eleazar, Aaron’s
son and high priest (19:51). Benjamin is placed between Judah and Ephraim in
the center of Canaan. Simeon finds its home in southern Judah. Zebulon and
Issachar are found occupying the west and east sides of the valley of Jezreel
(ch. 19). Asher and Naphtali are on the west and east side of Galilee. Dan’s
inheritance is out by the Philistines, west of Benjamin. Dan, however, decides
it is too dangerous there and the tribe moves north to the lush foot of Mount
Hermon, consolidating down to a single town “Dan” in the extreme north. The
six cities of refuge are identified (ch. 20) and the 48 Levitical cities are
listed in chapter 21.
Chapter 22 narrates the eastern tribes returning home to their
inheritance in Transjordan. They decide to build an altar near the Jordan
River to symbolize their bonds with the tribes west of the Jordan. The western
tribes rally to Shiloh to confront the Transjordan tribes, accusing them of
turning away from the Lord and threatening them with war. The Transjordan
tribes explain their situation and civil war is narrowly averted.
Joshua’s farewell address advises that they beware of
intermarriage, serving other gods, and violating the covenant. He acknowledges
that all of God’s good promises had been fulfilled. He then, in chapter 24,
assembles all Israel to Shechem and rehearses the history of Israel, with a
particular challenge to reject other gods. He sets a clear choice and a sacred
commitment before them: “choose yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River…. But as for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord” (24:15). The covenant is renewed at
Shechem and recorded in the Book of the Law of God, and a stone is set up as a
witness (24:25). Joshua is buried in Timnath Serah in Ephraim, and Eleazar,
the son of Aaron, dies and passes the high priesthood on to his son, Phineas.
Difficult issues in Joshua
Critical Theories
Critics have looked at Joshua in two ways over the years.
First some have tried to extend the source critical JEDP model into Joshua,
suggesting a Hexateuch that includes Joshua rather than a Pentateuch
(Gen.-Deut.) that does not. The JE sources were traced into Joshua 1-11 and
the tribal town lists in Joshua 12-21 are seen as a result of the Priestly
writer (P). This theory has now been abandoned by most.
Another approach was developed by M. Noth linking Joshua with the
following historical books (Judges-2 Kings). Noth suggested that all these
works were fashioned by a Deuteronomistic writer(s). This Deuteronomic History
(DH) was written according to the themes and idioms initially expressed in
Deuteronomy in the time of Josiah (ca. 612 BC). While there are common themes
and idioms that do unify the historical books (Joshua – 2 Kings) with
Deuteronomy, it may be that later writers purposefully synched their way of
looking at history to Deuteronomy because, as Israelites, they shared a common
covenantal worldview that obedience brought blessing and disobedience brought
the curse. Shared ideas do not necessarily demand shared authorship.
There is also a massive challenge to the “conquest” model described
in Joshua, moving to a more infiltration or even a Marxist style internal
peasant-revolt approach to the “taking” of Canaan by the early Israelites. The
archaeological data for Joshua is mixed. A word of caution is perhaps well
advised before jumping to major conclusions based on incomplete and highly
speculative archaeological evidence from this period. Hess has a insightful
discussion of the historicity of Joshua (Hess, 26-31).
Critics have taken the statement “until this day” (4:9; 5:9; 7:26;
8:28-29; 14:14; 16:10 et al) to imply a lengthy separation between the historical
event and when it was written down. Joshua 6:25 demonstrates that such a
separation need not be the case as “Rahab is still alive until this day.” Thus
this section was written within her lifetime.
Tensions in Joshua
Hawk (IVP Dict. OT) has highlighted a series of tensions in Joshua.
These tensions are important for gaining insight into the book itself as a
canonical whole. On the one hand, the book of Joshua proclaims Joshua took
Canaan and destroyed all its kings (Josh 10:40-43; 11:16-20; ch. 12). Yet, on
the other hand, chapter 13 has the Lord pointing out, “there are still very
large areas of land to be taken over” and then proceeds to list them (13:2-5).
As the text continues, other failures are acknowledged (15:63; 16:10;
17:12-13). On the one hand, Joshua declares all the directions of Moses were
followed (1:16-18; 4:8; 11:15; 24:16-18). Yet, on the other hand, reports of
problems (ch. 7) and warnings against the enticement to the worship of foreign
gods continue (24:19-20). On the one hand, there are descriptions of Israel’s
unity as “all Israel” gathers (1:12-18; 3:14-17; 4:10-13; 8:30-35). Yet, on
the other hand, there are strong hints of inter-tribal tensions (17:16;
22:10ff.). On the one hand, Caleb received Hebron (14:13-15). Yet, on the
other hand, Hebron was given to the Levites who received it as a Levitical city
with Caleb inheriting only the surrounding fields (21:11f.).
Such tensions even flow over into the book of Judges. Joshua
records the destruction of the King of Jerusalem (Jebus) and similarly Judges
1:8 records the men of Judah capturing Jerusalem. Yet it is not until the time
of David that the city actually becomes an Israelite city (2 Sam 5:6ff.) and
even Judges 1:21 acquiesces that Israel could not dislodge the Jebusites at
Jerusalem. Likewise the king of Gezer is killed (12:12). Yet Judges 1:29
makes it clear they could not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer. Solomon,
hundreds of years later, receives Gezer as a wedding gift from Pharaoh (1 Kgs
9:16).
It should be clear that towns could be taken repeatedly and kings were
killed, yet the native population could re-inhabit towns. These diverse reports
of multiple taking of various cities should be no surprise to any modern reader
when they reflect on how many times Fallujah Iraq was taken and retaken with
and without sustained control.
War
The execution of war and the annihilation of the Canaanites is
perhaps the most difficult ethical problem in the Old Testament. The
prescriptions for war are laid out in Deuteronomy 7 and 20 but are actually
implemented in Joshua 6-11. Many find the summary statement at the end Joshua
10 troubling: “He [Joshua] left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who
breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded” (10:40; cf.
11:20). Similarly, after taking Jericho it is recorded: “They devoted the city
to the Lord (herem) and destroyed with the sword every living thing in
it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys” (6:21). While this
question cannot be solved here, the following provides a context for the larger
discussion.
First, Genesis 15:16 warns that the sin of the Amorites had not yet
reached its full measure and that after four generations Abraham’s descendants
would come back and execute judgment on the sin of the Amorites and take their
land. In one sense the taking of Canaan can be seen as a divine judgment on
that culture (cf. Sodom). Amos 1-2 shows that God judges all nations for their
egregious, sinful, behavior.
Second, it should be clear this is not ethnic cleansing or genocide.
Israel welcomed others when they left Egypt as a “mixed multitude” (Exod
12:38). Moses himself married a Cushite woman (Num 12:1). Moses took advice
from Jethro the Midianite (Exod 18), and Rahab of Jericho is found in the royal
Davidic line. Clearly there is no xenophobia here. Indeed, the Abrahamic
covenant describes their destiny as being a blessing to all nations (Gen
12:3). In the legal sections Israel was commanded to show compassion to the
aliens in their midst (Lev 19:34; Deut 26:11-13).
Third, the violence of war in the taking of Canaan is rather unique
and only engaged by divine command through a sanctioned prophet. Israel did go
to war at other times for defensive purposes having been attacked or oppressed
but the initiating of herem is only really found here in Joshua 6-10 and
then only really at Jericho, Ai and Hazor. So this is the exception, not the
norm.
Fourth, one must read this record of war in the context of ancient
Near Eastern rhetorical patterns. Hyperbole, exaggeration, and bravado were
the common literary form used to describe war in the ancient Near East. It is
clear that many of the statements of complete and total destruction are in fact
hyperbole, over statements, and not meant to be taken literally. For example,
when Joshua claims all the Canaanites and Anakites were destroyed (10:40-42;
11:14-15, 17, 22). Yet we find out later Caleb must deal with the Anakites
(15:14). Similarly we find out that many Canaanites were indeed left in the
land indicating that there were many survivors (13:1-5, 13; 18:3; and Judg
1:19, 21, 35). So the situation is complex. Archaeology has also confirmed that
there was no mass annihilation of the indigenous population at this time.
There is, however, a serious warning here that idolatry and
assimilation of pagan religious practices would not be tolerated. These
destructions should be understood as harbingers of the final judgment or coming
Day of the Lord and be seen as a call to repentance and commitment to righteousness.
Questions
1. How do the idioms and themes of Deuteronomy show up in Joshua?
2. How does Joshua contrast with the early chapters of Judges?
3. In what ways does Joshua show himself to be a good leader?
4. What do we learn about God as we watch him engaging in the book of Joshua?
5. What do we learn from the various confessions made in the book (Rahab,
Gibeonites,
Transjordan tribes [ch. 22], Joshua [ch. 23-24])?
6. How do you understand the wars presented in Joshua? How do you reconcile
Joshua with Jesus’ statements in the Sermon on the Mount to love
our enemies?
7. How does the theme of command/fulfillment crop up in Joshua?
8. At what points do you see tensions in the book of Joshua? Can you resolve these?