The Book of Joshua in Easton's Bible Dictionary
contains a history of the Israelites from the death of Moses
to
that of Joshua. It consists of three parts: (1.) The
history of
the conquest of the land (1-12). (2.) The allotment
of the land
to the different tribes, with the appointment of
cities of
refuge, the provision for the Levites (13-22), and
the dismissal
of the eastern tribes to their homes. This section
has been
compared to the Domesday Book of the Norman
conquest. (3.) The
farewell addresses of Joshua, with an account of his
death (23,
24).
This book stands first in the second of the three
sections,
(1) the Law, (2) the Prophets, (3) the "other
writings" =
Hagiographa, into which the Jewish Church divided
the Old
Testament. There is every reason for concluding that
the uniform
tradition of the Jews is correct when they assign
the authorship
of the book to Joshua, all except the concluding
section; the
last verses (24:29-33) were added by some other
hand.
There are two difficulties connected with this book
which have
given rise to much discussion, (1.) The miracle of
the standing
still of the sun and moon on Gibeon. The record of
it occurs in
Joshua's impassioned prayer of faith, as quoted
(Josh. 10:12-15)
from the "Book of Jasher" (q.v.). There are many
explanations
given of these words. They need, however, present no
difficulty
if we believe in the possibility of God's miraculous
interposition in behalf of his people. Whether it
was caused by
the refraction of the light, or how, we know not.
(2.) Another difficulty arises out of the command
given by God
utterly to exterminate the Canaanites. "Shall not
the Judge of
all the earth do right?" It is enough that Joshua
clearly knew
that this was the will of God, who employs his
terrible
agencies, famine, pestilence, and war, in the
righteous
government of this world. The Canaanites had sunk
into a state
of immorality and corruption so foul and degrading
that they had
to be rooted out of the land with the edge of the
sword. "The
Israelites' sword, in its bloodiest executions,
wrought a work
of mercy for all the countries of the earth to the
very end of
the world."...
Read More
