Joshua (Exodus 17:8–16; Exodus 33:11; Numbers 13:16; Numbers 14:6–10; Numbers 14:30; Numbers 27:18–23; Deuteronomy 31:7–8; Deuteronomy 34:9; Joshua 1:5–9; Joshua 4:14; Joshua 5:13–15; Joshua 6:26; Joshua 7:6–26; Joshua 9:14–15; Joshua 10:12–14; Joshua 11:15; Joshua 23:14; Joshua 24:15; Joshua 24:29–31; Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8)

Minister of Moses, Leader into Canaan

Hoshea the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, whom Moses called Joshua: Moses' minister, one of the twelve spies, charged by Moses before all Israel, who led the people over the Jordan, took the land, divided it by lot, and died at a hundred and ten.

He first appears when Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. “Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek” (Exodus 17:9), and “Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Exodus 17:13). He is called Moses' minister (Exodus 24:13), and when Moses turned again into the camp from the tent of meeting, “his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent” (Exodus 33:11). Among the twelve men sent to spy out Canaan is “Hoshea the son of Nun” (Numbers 13:8); “Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua” (Numbers 13:16). When the congregation murmured, Joshua and Caleb rent their clothes and urged the people on, and the LORD spared the two of them from the sentence of the wilderness (Numbers 14:6-9, 30). When Moses asked the LORD to appoint a man over the congregation, the LORD said, “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand upon him” (Numbers 27:18).

After the death of Moses the LORD spoke to Joshua: “as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5). The book that bears his name tells how he sent spies to Jericho, led Israel across the Jordan on dry ground, set up twelve stones at Gilgal, and took Jericho when the wall fell down flat. Israel was smitten at Ai because Achan had taken of the devoted thing; after Achan was stoned the city was taken. At Mount Ebal Joshua built an altar and read “all the words of the law” (Joshua 8:34). When the Gibeonites came with old provisions, “the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of Jehovah. And Joshua made peace with them” (Joshua 9:14-15). He then fought the kings of the south and the north, and “Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah spake unto Moses” (Joshua 11:23).

Joshua, old and well stricken in years, divided the land by lot at Shiloh, sent the eastern tribes home, and gathered Israel to Shechem, where he said, “as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah” (Joshua 24:15). “Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old” (Joshua 24:29), and “Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua” (Joshua 24:31). Judges opens “after the death of Joshua” (Judges 1:1). Stephen says the fathers “brought in” (Acts 7:45) the tabernacle “with Joshua when they entered on the possession of the nations” (Acts 7:45), and Hebrews says, “if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day” (Hebrews 4:8).

Strengths

• Minister who stayed in the Tent
• Wholly followed the LORD
• Bold when the spies feared
• Strong and of good courage
• Full of the spirit of wisdom
• Read all the words of the law
• Worshipped before the prince of the LORD's host
• Left nothing undone

Weaknesses

• Jealous for Moses' sake
• Complaint after Ai
• Made peace without asking counsel of the LORD

Themes

• Service under Moses
• Faithful spy
• Presence of the LORD
• The law and the land
• Devoted things
• Covenant at Shechem

Minister to Moses (Exodus 17:8–16; Exodus 24:12–14; Exodus 33:7–11; Numbers 11:26–29)

Joshua fights Amalek at Moses' word, goes up the mount with Moses, and stays in the tent of meeting; he also asks Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad.

One of the twelve spies (Numbers 13:1–16; Numbers 14:1–10; Numbers 14:26–38)

Called Joshua by Moses, he is sent with eleven others to spy the land; he and Caleb rend their clothes and urge the people to go up, the congregation bids stone them, and the LORD excepts the two from the wilderness sentence.

One of the twelve spies

The twelve are named by tribe, “Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun” (Numbers 13:8). “These are the names of the men that Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua” (Numbers 13:16).

When the congregation wept and murmured, “Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of them that spied out the land, rent their clothes: and they spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land” (Numbers 14:6-7). They said, “Only rebel not against Jehovah, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is removed from over them, and Jehovah is with us: fear them not.” (Numbers 14:9) “But all the congregation bade stone them with stones” (Numbers 14:10).

The LORD swore that the murmuring generation would not come into the land, “save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun” (Numbers 14:30). The men who brought up an evil report died by the plague, “But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men that went to spy out the land” (Numbers 14:38). The LORD says of them that “they have wholly followed Jehovah” (Numbers 32:12).

Charged to succeed Moses (Numbers 27:12–23; Deuteronomy 1:37–38; Deuteronomy 31:1–8; Deuteronomy 31:14–23; Deuteronomy 32:44; Deuteronomy 34:9)

The LORD tells Moses he will not enter the land, names Joshua as the man in whom is the Spirit, and Moses lays his hands on him and charges him before Eleazar and all Israel.

Charged to succeed Moses

Told that he would see the land and be gathered to his people, Moses asked that the LORD appoint a man over the congregation, “that the congregation of Jehovah be not as sheep which have no shepherd” (Numbers 27:17). “And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand upon him; and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight” (Numbers 27:18-19). Moses “laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as Jehovah spake by Moses” (Numbers 27:23).

“And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou shalt go with this people into the land which Jehovah hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it” (Deuteronomy 31:7). The LORD himself gave Joshua a charge: “Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee” (Deuteronomy 31:23). When Moses spoke the words of his song in the ears of the people, it was “he, and Hoshea the son of Nun” (Deuteronomy 32:44).

“And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as Jehovah commanded Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:9).

Commissioned at the Jordan (Joshua 1:1–18)

After the death of Moses the LORD speaks to Joshua, promising the land and his presence and bidding him keep the law; the people answer that they will hearken to him as they did to Moses.

Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 2:1–24; Joshua 3:1–17; Joshua 4:1–24)

Joshua sends spies to Jericho, leads Israel after the ark through the Jordan on dry ground, and sets up twelve stones in Gilgal; the LORD magnifies him.

Gilgal and the prince of the LORD's host (Joshua 5:2–15)

At Gilgal Joshua circumcises the children of Israel with knives of flint and they keep the passover; by Jericho a man with a drawn sword says he is come as prince of the host of the LORD, and Joshua falls on his face and worships.

The wall of Jericho (Joshua 6:1–27; 1 Kings 16:34)

Israel compasses Jericho at the LORD's word, the people shout, the wall falls down flat, Joshua saves Rahab and her household alive as the spies had sworn, and he lays a curse on the man who rebuilds the city.

Achan and Ai (Joshua 7:1–26; Joshua 8:1–2; Joshua 8:28–29)

Israel flees before Ai because Achan took of the devoted thing; Joshua falls on his face, Achan confesses and is stoned, and Joshua then takes Ai.

Achan and Ai

“The children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel” (Joshua 7:1). About three thousand men went up to Ai and “they fled before the men of Ai” (Joshua 7:4).

“And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening” (Joshua 7:6). He said, “Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan!” (Joshua 7:7). “And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face? Israel hath sinned” (Joshua 7:10-11).

Joshua said to Achan, “give, I pray thee, glory to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and make confession unto him” (Joshua 7:19), and Achan answered, “Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel” (Joshua 7:20). “All Israel stoned him with stones” (Joshua 7:25), and “Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger” (Joshua 7:26).

“And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai” (Joshua 8:1). “So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap for ever” (Joshua 8:28).

Ebal and the covenant with Gibeon (Joshua 8:30–35; Joshua 9:1–27)

Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal and reads all the words of the law; the men of Gibeon beguile Israel with old provisions, and Israel's princes swear to let them live.

Ebal and the covenant with Gibeon

“Then Joshua built an altar unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, in mount Ebal” (Joshua 8:30), and “afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law” (Joshua 8:34).

The inhabitants of Gibeon “did work wilily” (Joshua 9:4), taking old sacks, old wine-skins and mouldy bread, and said, “We are come from a far country: now therefore make ye a covenant with us” (Joshua 9:6). The text then says: “And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of Jehovah. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them” (Joshua 9:14-15).

Three days later Israel heard that they were neighbors; the princes said, “We have sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them” (Joshua 9:19). Joshua asked, “Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?” (Joshua 9:22) and “made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah” (Joshua 9:27).

The southern and northern wars (Joshua 10:1–43; Joshua 11:1–23)

Joshua marches up from Gilgal all night to save Gibeon, speaks to the sun and moon, and later defeats Jabin and the northern kings at the waters of Merom; the land has rest from war.

Dividing the land (Joshua 13:1–7; Joshua 14:6–15; Joshua 18:1–10; Joshua 19:49–51; Joshua 22:1–6)

Old and well stricken in years, Joshua gives Hebron to Caleb, casts lots for the tribes at Shiloh, receives Timnath-serah, and blesses the eastern tribes and sends them home.

Dividing the land

“Now Joshua was old and well stricken in years; and Jehovah said unto him, Thou art old and well stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Joshua 13:1). Caleb came and asked for the hill-country, “And Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance” (Joshua 14:13). At Shiloh Joshua asked the seven tribes, “How long are ye slack to go in to possess the land” (Joshua 18:3), and “Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Jehovah” (Joshua 18:10). “According to the commandment of Jehovah they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in the hill-country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein” (Joshua 19:50).

To the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who had passed over armed before their brethren, he said, “Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, and have hearkened unto my voice in all that I commanded you” (Joshua 22:2). “So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went unto their tents” (Joshua 22:6).

Farewell and the covenant at Shechem (Joshua 23:1–16; Joshua 24:1–31; Judges 2:6–9)

Joshua calls for all Israel and tells them he is going the way of all the earth, then gathers the tribes to Shechem, bids them choose whom they will serve, makes a covenant with the people, and dies at a hundred and ten.

Farewell and the covenant at Shechem

“Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and well stricken in years” (Joshua 23:2). “And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which Jehovah your God spake concerning you” (Joshua 23:14).

At Shechem Joshua rehearsed what the LORD had done and said, “choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah” (Joshua 24:15). When the people said they would serve the LORD, he answered, “Ye cannot serve Jehovah; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God” (Joshua 24:19); they said, “Nay; but we will serve Jehovah” (Joshua 24:21). “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day” (Joshua 24:25), wrote “these words in the book of the law of God” (Joshua 24:26), and set up a great stone as a witness (Joshua 24:25-27).

“Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah” (Joshua 24:29-30). Judges records the same burial as “in Timnath-heres” (Judges 2:9). “And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua” (Joshua 24:31).

Moses (Exodus 17:9; Exodus 24:13; Numbers 27:18–23; Deuteronomy 31:7)

Joshua was his minister; Moses sent him against Amalek, laid his hands upon him, and charged him in the sight of all Israel.

Caleb the son of Jephunneh (Numbers 14:6–9; Numbers 14:30; Joshua 14:6–14)

Fellow spy who rent his clothes beside Joshua and was spared with him; Joshua blessed him and gave him Hebron.

Eleazar the priest (Numbers 27:19–21; Joshua 19:51)

Before him Joshua was set, and with him Joshua distributed the inheritances by lot.

The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 1:12–18; Joshua 22:1–6)

Joshua bade them pass over armed before their brethren; they promised to hearken to him as to Moses, and he blessed them and sent them home.

Rahab (Joshua 2:1–4; Joshua 6:22–25)

The harlot who hid the spies Joshua sent to Jericho; Joshua saved her and her father's household alive.

Achan the son of Zerah (Joshua 7:1; Joshua 7:19–26)

Took of the devoted thing; Joshua asked why he had troubled them, and all Israel stoned him.

The Gibeonites (Joshua 9:3–27; Joshua 10:6–7)

Beguiled Israel into a covenant; Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water, and later went up to save them.

The five kings of the Amorites (Joshua 10:1–27)

Led by Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem, they gathered against Gibeon and were discomfited by the LORD.

Jabin king of Hazor (Joshua 11:1–11)

Gathered the northern kings to the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.

The LORD (Joshua 1:1–9; Joshua 3:7; Joshua 6:27)

Spoke to Joshua after Moses died and promised to be with him as he was with Moses.

Major sections

• Exodus 17:8–16
• Exodus 24:12–14
• Exodus 33:7–11
• Numbers 13–14
• Numbers 27:12–23
• Deuteronomy 31:1–23
• Deuteronomy 34:9
• Joshua 1–5
• Joshua 6–12
• Joshua 13–22
• Joshua 23–24

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