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Introduction
to Joshua
This summary of the book of Joshua provides information about the title,
author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief
overview, and the chapters of the Book of Joshua.
Many readers of Joshua (and other OT books) are deeply troubled by
the role that warfare plays in this account of God's dealings with his people.
Not a few relieve their ethical scruples by ascribing the author's perspective
to a pre-Christian (and sub-Christian) stage of moral development that the
Christian, in the light of Christ's teaching, must repudiate and transcend.
Hence the main thread of the narrative line of Joshua is an offense to them.
It must be remembered, however, that the book of Joshua does not
address itself to the abstract ethical question of war as a means for gaining
human ends. It can only be understood in the context of the history of
redemption unfolding in the Pentateuch, with its interplay of divine grace and
judgment. Of that story it is the direct continuation.
Joshua is not an epic account of Israel's heroic generation or the
story of Israel's conquest of Canaan with the aid of her national deity. It is
rather the story of how God, to whom the whole world belongs, at one stage in
the history of redemption reconquered a portion of the earth from the powers of
this world that had claimed it for themselves, defending their claims by force
of arms and reliance on their false gods. It tells how God commissioned his
people to serve as his army under the leadership of his servant Joshua, to take
Canaan in his name out of the hands of the idolatrous and dissolute Canaanites
(whose measure of sin was now full; see Ge 15:16 and note). It further tells how he
aided them in the enterprise and gave them conditional tenancy in his land in
fulfillment of the ancient pledge he had made to Israel's ancestors, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
Joshua is the story of the kingdom of God breaking into the world
of nations at a time when national and political entities were viewed as the
creation of the gods and living proofs of their power. Thus the Lord's triumph
over the Canaanites testified to the world that the God of Israel is the one
true and living God, whose claim on the world is absolute. It was also a
warning to the nations that the irresistible advance of the kingdom of God
would ultimately disinherit all those who opposed it, giving place in the earth
only to those who acknowledge and serve the Lord. At once an act of redemption
and judgment, it gave notice of the outcome of history and anticipated the
final destiny of humankind and the creation.
The battles for Canaan were therefore the Lord's war, undertaken
at a particular time in the program of redemption. God gave his people under
Joshua no commission or license to conquer the world with the sword but a
particular, limited mission. The conquered land itself would not become
Israel's national possession by right of conquest, but it belonged to the Lord.
So the land had to be cleansed of all remnants of paganism. Its people and
their wealth were not for Israel to seize as the booty of war from which to
enrich themselves (as Achan tried to do, ch. 7)
but were placed under God's ban (were to be devoted to God to dispense with as
he pleased). On that land Israel was to establish a commonwealth faithful to
the righteous rule of God and thus be a witness (and a blessing) to the
nations. If Israel became unfaithful and conformed to Canaanite culture and
practice, it would in turn lose its place in the Lord's land -- as Israel
almost did in the days of the judges, and as it eventually did in the exile.
War is a terrible curse that the human race brings on itself as it
seeks to possess the earth by its own unrighteous ways. But it pales before the
curse that awaits all those who do not heed God's testimony to himself or his
warnings -- those who oppose the rule of God and reject his offer of grace. The
God of the second Joshua (Jesus) is the God of the first Joshua also. Although
now for a time he reaches out to the whole world with the gospel (and
commissions his people urgently to carry his offer of peace to all nations),
the sword of his judgment waits in the wings -- and his second Joshua will
wield it (Rev 19:11-16; see notes there).
Joshua is a story of conquest and fulfillment for the people of
God. After many years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years in the desert, the
Israelites were finally allowed to enter the land promised to their fathers.
Abraham, always a migrant, never possessed the country to which he was sent,
but he left to his children the legacy of God's covenant that made them the eventual
heirs of all of Canaan (see Ge 15:13,16,18; 17:8). Joshua was destined to turn that promise into reality.
Where Deuteronomy ends, the book of Joshua begins: The tribes of Israel are
still camped on the east side of the Jordan River. The narrative opens with
God's command to move forward and pass through the river on dry land. Then it
relates the series of victories in central, southern and northern Canaan that
gave the Israelites control of all the hill country and the Negev. It continues
with a description of the tribal allotments and ends with Joshua's final
addresses to the people. The theme of the book, therefore, is the establishment
of God's people Israel in the Lord's land, the land he had promised to give
them as their place of "rest" in the earth (1:13,15; 21:44; 22:4;
23:1; see also Dt 3:20 and note; 12:9-10; 25:19; 1Ki
5:4 and note; 8:56).
So the Great King's promise to the partriarchs and Moses to give the land of
Canaan to the chosen people of his kingdom is now historically fulfilled (1:1-6; 21:43-45).
In the story the book tells, three primary actors play a part:
"the Lord" (as Israel's God), his servant Joshua, and his people
Israel (the last a collective "character" in the story). We meet all
three immediately in ch. 1, where all three are clearly presented in the distinctive
roles they will play in the story that follows. Ch. 1
also introduces the reader to the main concern of the book as a whole.
The role of the central human actor in the events narrated here is
reinforced by the name he bears. Earlier in his life Joshua was called simply
Hoshea (Nu 13:8,16), meaning "salvation." But
later Moses changed his name to Joshua, meaning "The Lord saves" (or
"The Lord gives victory"). When this same name (the Greek form of
which is Jesus; see NIV text note on Mt 1:21) was given to Mary's firstborn son, it identified him
as the servant of God who would complete what God did for Israel in a
preliminary way through the first Joshua, namely, overcome all powers of evil
in the world and bring God's people into their eternal "rest" (see Heb 4:1-11 and notes).
In the Hebrew Bible the book of Joshua initiates a division called
the Former Prophets, including also Judges, Samuel and Kings. These are all
historical in content but are written from a prophetic standpoint. They do more
than merely record the nation's history from Moses to the fall of Judah in 586
b.c. They prophetically interpret God's covenant ways with Israel in history --
how he fulfills and remains true to his promises (especially through his servants
such as Joshua, the judges, Samuel and David) and how he deals with the
waywardness of the Israelites. In Joshua it was the Lord who won the victories
and "gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers"
(21:43).
In the judgment of many scholars Joshua was not written until the
end of the period of the kings, some 800 years after the actual events. But
there are significant reasons to question this conclusion and to place the time
of composition much earlier. The earliest Jewish traditions (Talmud) claim that
Joshua wrote his own book except for the final section about his funeral, which
is attributed to Eleazar son of Aaron (the last verse must have been added by a
later editor).
On at least two occasions the text reports writing at Joshua's
command or by Joshua himself. We are told that when the tribes received their
territories, Joshua instructed his men "to make a survey of the land and
write a description of it" (18:8).
Then in the last scene of the book, when Joshua led Israel in a renewal of the
covenant with the Lord, it is said that "he drew up decrees and laws"
(24:25). On another occasion the narrator speaks
as if he had been a participant in the event; he uses the pronouns
"we" and "us" (5:1,6).
Moreover, the author seems to be familiar with ancient names of
cities, such as "the Jebusite city" (15:8;
18:16,28) for Jerusalem, Kiriath Arba (14:15; 15:54; 20:7;
21:11) for Hebron, and Greater Sidon (11:8;
19:28) for what later became simply Sidon. And
Tyre is never mentioned, probably because in Joshua's day it had not yet
developed into a port of major importance.
But if some features suggest an author of Joshua's own lifetime,
others point to a writer of a somewhat later period. The account of the long
day when the sun stood still at Aijalon is substantiated by a quotation from
another source, the Book of Jashar (10:13). This would hardly be natural for an eyewitness of the
miracle who was writing shortly after it happened. Also, there are 12 instances
where the phrase "until this day" occurs.
It seems safe to conclude that the book draws on early sources. It
may date from the beginning of the monarchy. Some think that Samuel may have
had a hand in shaping or compiling the materials of the book, but in fact we
are unsure who the final author or editor was.
Joshua's remarkable life was filled with excitement, variety,
success and honor. He was known for his deep trust in God and as "a man in
whom is the spirit" (Nu 27:18). As a youth he lived through the
bitter realities of slavery in Egypt, but he also witnessed the supernatural
plagues and the miracle of Israel's escape from the army of the Egyptians when
the waters of the sea opened before them. In the Sinai peninsula it was Joshua
who led the troops of Israel to victory over the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-13). He alone was allowed to accompany
Moses up the holy mountain where the tablets of the law were received (Ex 24:13-14). And it was he who stood watch at
the temporary tent of meeting Moses set up before the tabernacle was erected (Ex 33:11).
Joshua was elected to represent his own tribe of Ephraim when the
12 spies were sent into Canaan to look over the land. Only Joshua and Caleb,
representing the tribe of Judah, were ready to follow God's will and take
immediate possession of the land (see Nu 14:26-34). The rest of the Israelites of that
generation were condemned to die in the desert. Even Moses died short of the
goal and was told to turn everything over to Joshua. God promised to guide and
strengthen Joshua, just as he had Moses (Dt 31:23; cf. Jos
1:5 and note).
Joshua was God's chosen servant (see 24:29 and note on Dt 34:5) to bring Moses' work to completion and
establish Israel in the promised land. To that special divine appointment he was
faithful -- as the leader of God's army, as the administrator of God's division
of the land and as God's spokesman for promoting Israel's covenant
faithfulness. In all this he was a striking OT type (foreshadowing) of Christ
(see notes on Heb 4:1,6-8).
At the time of the Israelite migration into Canaan the superpowers
of the ancient Near East were relatively weak. The Hittites had faded from the
scene. Neither Babylon nor Egypt could maintain a standing military presence in
Canaan, and the Assyrians would not send in their armies until centuries later.
As the tribes circled east of the Dead Sea, the Edomites refused
them passage, so Israel bypassed them to the east. However, when Sihon and Og,
two regional Amorite kings of Transjordan, tried to stop the Israelites, they
were easily defeated and their lands occupied. Moab was forced to let Israel
pass through her territory and camp in her plains. Also the Midianites were
dealt a severe blow.
Biblical archaeologists call this period the Late Bronze Age
(1550-1200 b.c.). Today thousands of artifacts give testimony to the richness
of the Canaanite material culture, which was in many ways superior to that of
the Israelites. When the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Ugarit were discovered
at modern Ras Shamra on the northern coast of Syria (see chart, p. xxiii), a
wealth of new information came to light concerning the domestic, commercial and
religious life of the Canaanites. From a language close to Hebrew came stories
of ancient kings and gods that revealed their immoral behavior and cruelty. In
addition, pagan temples, altars, tombs and ritual vessels have been uncovered,
throwing more light on the culture and customs of the peoples surrounding
Israel.
Excavations at the ancient sites of Megiddo, Beth Shan and Gezer
show how powerfully fortified these cities were and why they were not captured
and occupied by Israel in Joshua's day. Many other fortified towns were taken,
however, so that Israel became firmly established in the land as the dominant
power. Apart from Jericho and Ai, Joshua is reported to have burned only Hazor
(11:13), so attempts to date these events by
destruction levels in the mounds of Canaan's ancient cities are questionable
undertakings. It must also be remembered that other groups were involved in
campaigns in the region about this time, among whom were Egyptian rulers and
the Sea Peoples (including the Philistines). There had also been much intercity
warfare among the Canaanites, and afterward the period of the judges was marked
by general turbulence.
Much of the data from archaeology appears to support a date for
Joshua's invasion c. 1250 b.c. This fits well with an exodus that would then
have taken place 40 years earlier under the famous Rameses II, who ruled from
the Nile delta at a city with the same name (Ex
1:11). It also places Joseph in Egypt in a favorable situation. Four
hundred years before Rameses II the pharaohs were the Semitic Hyksos, who also
ruled from the delta near the land of Goshen.
On the other hand, a good case can be made for the traditional
viewpoint that the invasion occurred c. 1406 b.c. The oppression would have
taken place under Amunhotep II after the death of his father Thutmose III, who
is known to have used slave labor in his building projects. The earlier date
also fits better with the two numbers found in Jdg 11:26 and 1Ki
6:1, since it allows for an additional 150 years between Moses and
the monarchy. See also Introductions to Genesis: Author and Date of Writing;
Exodus: Chronology; Judges: Background; and note on 1Ki
6:1.
I.
The Entrance into the Land (1:1;5:12)
A.
The Exhortations to Conquer (ch.
1)
II.
The Conquest of the Land (5:13;12:24)
III.
The Distribution of the Land (chs. 13-21)
IV.
Epilogue: Tribal Unity and Loyalty to the Lord (chs. 22-24)
──《New International Version》
Introduction to Joshua
Here is the history of Israel's passing into
the land of Canaan, conquering and dividing it, under the command of Joshua,
and their history until his death. The power and truth of God in fulfilling his
promises to Israel, and in executing his justly threatened vengeance on the
Canaanites, are wonderfully displayed. This should teach us to regard the
tremendous curses denounced in the word of God against impenitent sinners, and
to seek refuge in Christ Jesus.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Joshua》
00 Overview
JOSHUA
INTRODUCTION
The title of the book
This book, like several others of the historical books of
Scripture, derives its name from its contents. It records almost exclusively
the acts of Joshua in fulfilment of the commission laid upon him from God by
the hand of Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 31:7-8), and terminates with
Joshua’s death and burial. Hence it very appropriately bears in the Hebrew the
simple title of Joshua: in the LXX that of ἱησοῦς
ναυή or ἱησοῦς
υἱὸς ναυή.(T. E. Espin, B. D.)
The authorship of the book
The Jewish rabbins and early Christian writers all supposed this
book to have been written by Joshua himself; but this is an impossible
assumption, for besides telling of his that event (see, e.g., Joshua 15:63 compared with Joshua 19:10-12; Joshua 19:47, with Judges 18:7; Judges 18:27 seq.). In
fact, like the other historical books of the death it alludes to a number of
things that did not happen until long after Old Testament, it is an anonymous
writing, and when critically examined is seen to have been originally united to
the Pentateuch, and to have been composed in the same manner. It is made up of
extracts from various narratives, pieced together by a later hand in the manner
of Eastern historians, and in its present form cannot be much earlier than the
time of Ezra. Most modern critics are agreed that the documents used by the
editor were mainly three--the Jehovistic (known to critics by the symbol JE),
of the eighth or ninth century; the Deuteronomistic (D) of the seventh; and the
Priestly (P) of the fifth. To the Jehovistic document belong in the main Joshua 2:1-24; Joshua 3:1-17; Joshua 4:1-24; Joshua 5:1-15; Joshua 6:1-27; Joshua 7:1-26; Joshua 8:1-29; Joshua 9:1-27; Joshua 10:1-43; Joshua 11:1-9; Joshua 23:1-16; Joshua 24:1-33., and a few short
fragments in other chapters. To the Deuteronomist are assigned chapters 1; Joshua 8:30-35; Joshua 11:10-14; Joshua 14:6-15, and some other small
portions; while the remainder, including the greater part of the account of the
division of the territory, comes from the priestly writer. Its geographical
details are characterised by great vagueness, except as regards the portion of
the land which was held by Jews after the exile. (Chambers’s Encyclopaedia.)
The chronology of the book
The chronological dates presented in this book are few.
1. We are informed (Joshua 4:19) that the passage of the
Jordan took place “on the tenth day of the first month.” The year is not
specified, but would seem to have been the fortieth after the exodus. Thus, if
the date of the exodus be assumed to be B.C. 1490 that of the invasion of
Canaan will be B.C. 1459.
2. The duration of Joshua’s wars with the Canaanites is spoken of
loosely in 11:18, as “many days.” Inferences can, however, be drawn from the
words of Caleb (Joshua 14:7; Joshua 14:10), which enable us to
determine this point with some approach to definiteness. Caleb speaks of
himself as forty years old when he was sent by Moses from Kadesh to spy out the
land. When he came before Joshua to prefer his claim to Hebron, the conquest of
Canaan was accomplished, and he was then eighty-five. Since the mission of the
spies took place in the summer of the second year after the exodus (Numbers 13:20)--and the whole period from
the exodus to the crossing of Jordan is estimated at forty years--it would
appear that Caleb was thirty-eight years old when he passed through the Red
Sea, and seventy-eight when he passed through Jordan. Thus a period of seven
years is left for the campaigns of Joshua. Josephus, indeed (Ant. 5.1, 19),
speaks of these wars as lasting only five years. The difference, however, is
not great. Josephus himself speaks of five complete years as occupied by
the conquest, and Caleb probably employed round numbers after the Hebrew mode.
3. The duration of Joshua’s rule, and consequently the number of
years covered by the records of this book, is far more uncertain. We have no
definite information as to the age of Joshua at the date of the exodus, or
indeed at any other period previous to his death when he was an hundred and ten
(Joshua 24:19). If, however, we suppose
him to be of the same age as Caleb, a supposition probable in itself and
supported by the expression used of him in Exodus 33:11 (“a young man”), he will
have been about seventy-eight years old when he invaded Canaan, and have been at
the head of Israel not much less than thirty-two years altogether after the
death of Moses. Or if we assume seven years for the wars against the
Canaanites, he will have survived about twenty-five years after his retirement
to Timnath-serah. This accords sufficiently well with the notice (Joshua 23:1) which places the parting
words and acts of Joshua “a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto
Israel from all their enemies round about.” Josephus, however (Ant. 5.1, 29),
states that Joshua’s rule after the death of Moses lasted for twenty-five
years, and that he had previously been forty years associated with Moses. This
would fix Joshua’s age at the time of the exodus at forty-five, an age perhaps
hardly so suitable as thirty-eight to the language of Exodus 33:11. Ewald, Furst, and others regard the
statement of Josephus as probable, and as in all likelihood of ancient
authority. Others (e.g., Clem. Alex. “Strom.” 1.21; Theoph. “Ad
Autolyc.” 3.24)
name twenty-seven years as the length of Joshua’s government; while Eusebius (“
Praepar. Evang.” 10.14) states that some assigned thirty years to it. (T. E.
Espin, B. D.)
The object of the book
The object of the book is to magnify the inviolable covenant faithfulness
of Jehovah in the fulfilment of His promises (Joshua 21:43-45), by the historical
information as to the conquest by the covenant people of the land of Canaan
promised to their fathers, and their inheritance of it (Joshua 1:2-6), through the Almighty assistance
of Jehovah, under the guidance of Joshua, Moses’ minister, who had been called
to effect the accomplishment of the Divine promise, according to an appointment
recorded in the law itself (Deuteronomy 31:7). (Prof. C. F. Keil.)
The Book of Joshua is one of the most important writings in the
Old Covenant, and should never be separated from the Pentateuch, of which it is
at once both the continuation and completion. Between this book and the five
books of Moses there is the same analogy as between the four Gospels and the
Acts of the Apostles. The four Gospels give an account of the transactions of
Jesus Christ, the Christian legislature, just as the first five books of the
Bible give, for the most part, of the doings of Moses, the Jewish legislator;
and the Acts of the Apostles, as a book, bears the same relation to these
Gospels as the Book of Joshua to the Pentateuch. (Dr. A. Clarke.)
The contents of the
book
It falls into three great divisions:--
1. The conquest of the land (Joshua 1:1-18; Joshua 2:1-24; Joshua 3:1-17; Joshua 4:1-24; Joshua 5:1-15; Joshua 6:1-27; Joshua 7:1-26; Joshua 8:1-35; Joshua 9:1-27; Joshua 10:1-43; Joshua 11:1-23; Joshua 12:1-24.). This part is
historical, both in form and substance. It relates the main operations by which
the people under Joshua obtained possession of Canaan. The chief points are:
The sending of the spies and the crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 2:1-24; Joshua 3:1-17; Joshua 4:1-24.); the fall of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15; Joshua 6:1-27); the capture (after a
reverse) of Ai (Joshua 7:1-26; Joshua 8:1-29); the treaty with the
Gibeonites (Joshua 9:1-27); the defeat of the leagued
kings of the south at the battle of Beth-horon (Joshua 10:1-43); and the defeat of a
similar confederacy in the north near the waters of Merom (Joshua 11:1-23). It is obvious that many
details are omitted, for a long list of conquered kings is given at the close (Joshua 12:1-24); and it is stated (Joshua 11:18) the “Joshua made war a long
time with all those kings.” Yet the narrator makes it particularly clear that
it is a holy war he is describing, for he tells us of the miraculous manner in
which the Jordan was crossed (Joshua 3:1-17); describes the observance
of the Passover (Joshua 5:2-12); dwells upon the sin of
Achan as the cause of the reverse at Ai (Joshua 7:1-26); and relates the
confirming of the Covenant at Ebal and Gerizim (Joshua 8:30-35).
2. The partition of the land (Joshua 13:1-33; Joshua 14:1-15; Joshua 15:1-63; Joshua 16:1-10; Joshua 17:1-18; Joshua 18:1-28; Joshua 19:1-51; Joshua 20:1-9; Joshua 21:1-45; Joshua 22:1-34). This part, while
historical in form, is topographical and legislative in contents. Here the main
points are: After a sketch of the land to be divided (Joshua 13:1-7), and of the territory
already assigned to the tribes east of the Jordon (Joshua 13:8-33), Hebron is given to Caleb
(Joshua 14:6-15), and the three tribes,
Judah, Ephraim, and half Manasseh, receive their portions in the western
territory (Joshua 15:1-63; Joshua 16:1-10; Joshua 17:1-18). Afterwards, the
Tabernacle being set up, the remaining tribes, except Levi, receive theirs (Joshua 18:1-28; Joshua 19:1-48), a special inheritance
being assigned to Joshua (Joshua 19:49-51); the cities of refuge
and the cities of the Levites are set apart; and the two tribes and a half who
had assisted in the conquest are sent to their homes (Joshua 20:1-9; Joshua 21:1-45; Joshua 22:1-34). Here again, while the
details are very unequal, the sacred character of all the proceedings is
clearly indicated. The inheritances are distributed by lot (Joshua 14:2; Joshua 18:6; Joshua 18:10), the cities of refuge and
the Levitical territory have a religious reference (Joshua 20:1-9; Joshua 21:1-45), and the jealousy of the
people for national unity of religion is shown in the matter of the altar Ed (Joshua 22:10-34).
3. The leader’s farewell (Joshua 23:1-16; Joshua 24:1-33.). This part is mostly
hortatory. Joshua warns the people against idolatry, renews the Covenant with
solemn ceremony, and incorporates a record of the transaction in the Book of
the Law. The book closes with an account of the death and burial of Joshua and
of Eleazar (Joshua 24:29-33). (Prof. James
Robertson.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》