Joshua in Biblical History

Bible History

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Who is Joshua?
JOSH'UA
(whose help is Jehovah). 1. The successor of Moses, was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim, and was born in Egypt. He is called the "minister" of Moses, Ex 24:13, from the fact that he assisted him in the exercise of his office. The original name was "Oshea," Num 13:8, but was changed to "Jehoshua," Num 13:16, and he is also called "Hoshea." Deut 32:44. "Joshua" is a contraction of "Jehoshua," and "Jeshua," or "Jesus," is the Greek mode of writing "Joshua," as in Acts 7:45 and Heb 4:8, in which passages the Hebrew word "Joshua " ought to have been retained. Joshua is introduced to us at the time the Israelites were about to contend with the Amalekites at Rephidim. He was appointed by Moses to command the forces of Israel on that occasion. Ex 17:9. He was then about 44 years of age, though considered a young man. Ex 33:11. Afterward he was the spy from his tribe, and he and Caleb were the only ones who told the truth. Num 14:6-9. In prospect of the death of Moses, Joshua was set apart to succeed him as the leader and deliverer of God's chosen people. Num 27:16-18; Deut 31:7-14; Deut 34:9. At the age of 84 he passed over the Jordan at the head of the hosts of Israel, and entered the land of promise. For six years he carried on a successful war against the Canaanites, and after conquering them he divided the land among the Israelites. We see in this long struggle the union of divine help and human exertion. If, on the one hand, Jericho falls without a blow, on the other, Ai is only taken after one repulse and by a stratagem. Josh 8. Again, there is no protection against mistakes. The Gibeonites, by trickery, succeed in saving their lives, albeit they become slaves. The conduct of Joshua in keeping his oath is very noble, but it was a salutary lesson upon the folly of human wisdom unaided by divine light. Josh 9. At the termination of the war 6 nations, with 31 kings, had been prostrated. There remained, however, "very much land to be possessed." The "Promised Land," in its complete extent, was not then, and never was, conquered. After a period of rest, Joshua, feeling the approach of death, gathered the people together on two occasions, and delivered the solemn and touching addresses recorded in Josh 23-24. In so doing he imitated the example of his great predecessor, Moses. The influence of Joshua upon his generation is brought out by the statement: "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord that he had done for Israel." Josh 24:31. Traditional Tomb of Joshua, near Timnath. (From Photograph Pal. Fund.) Joshua was a worthy successor of Moses. His presence was ever the harbinger of the divine favor. Piety was his characteristic, and earth and heaven repeat with fervor the famous vow of obedience to God: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Josh 24:15. But at last to him, as to us all, came the end, and he died, being 110 years old, "and they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah. which is in Mount Ephraim." Ch. Matt 24:30. 1. The dweller in Beth-sheniesh in whose field stopped the two milch-kine which were drawing the cart containing the ark on its way back from the Philistines. 1 Sam 6:14. 2. A governor of Jerusalem, previous to Josiah's day, who gave his name to one of the gates. 2 Kgs 23:8. 3. A high priest after the Captivity. Hag 1:1, etc. Ezra and Nehemiah call him Jeshua. See Jeshua, .3. Joshua, The Book of. It may be divided into three parts: I. The conquest of the land, chs. 1-12; II. The partition of the land, chs. 13-22; III. The final addresses of Joshua, his death and burial. Chs. 23, 24. It embraces a period variously estimated at from 17 to 30 years. As to the authorship of the book, the name "Joshua" in the title may imply no more than that he is the hero of it. Still, in connection with ch. 24:26, "And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God," the title may be allowed to weigh something more, and we may attribute the book, if not to Joshua, at least to one of his elders who was well acquainted with him. This theory is not inconsistent with a subsequent revision. The two difficulties in the book relate to the sun standing still, ch. Josh 10:13; and to the wholesale slaughter of the Canaanites by the command of God. In regard to the first, the difficulty is manufactured out of -- it does not exist in -- the text. The passage is a poetical quotation from the book of Jasher, which was probably a collection of sacred songs. This will be evident from a revision of the A.V. Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, And thou, moon, upon the valley of Ajalon ! And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed her course, Until the people were avenged of their enemies. And the sun tarried in the midst of the heavens. And hasted not to go down for a whole day. The day was probably one of extraordinary brightness, as well as of extraordinary anxiety, hence it would appear to be prolonged. The second difficulty is only one of the many chapters in the mysterious government of Providence, which permits the ravages of war, famine, and pestilence.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'joshua' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
bible-history.com - Schaff's

Copyright Information
© Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Schaff's Bible Dictionary Home
Bible History Online Home

Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Online Bible (KJV)
Naves Topical Bible
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Hitchcock's Bible Dictionary

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Popular in the New Testament

Popular in the
New Testament