Introduction to the Books of the Bible
From the NIV Study Bible.
Copyright 2002
© Zondervan.
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· From the NIV Study Bible
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The Book of Joshua 
The Conquest and the Ethical Question of War
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).
Title and Theological Theme
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).
Author and Date
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.
The Life of Joshua
 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).
Historical Setting
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.
Outline
- The Entrance into the
Land (1:1—5:12)
- The Exhortations to Conquer
(ch. 1)
- The Reconnaissance of
Jericho (ch. 2)
- The Crossing of the Jordan
(chs. 3–4)
- The Consecration at Gilgal
(5:1–12)
- The Conquest of the Land
(5:13—12:24)
- The Initial Battles (5:13—8:35)
- The victory at Jericho (5:13—6:27)
- The failure at Ai because of Achan’s sin (ch.
7)
- The victory at Ai (8:1–29)
- The covenant renewed at Shechem (8:30–35)
- The Campaign in the South
(chs. 9–10)
- The treaty with the Gibeonites (ch. 9)
- The long day of Joshua (10:1–15)
- The southern cities conquered (10:16–43)
- The Campaign in the North
(ch. 11)
- The Defeated
Kings of Canaan (ch. 12)
- The Distribution of the
Land (chs. 13–21)
- The Areas Yet to Be Conquered
(13:1–7)
- The Land Assigned by Moses
to the Tribes in Transjordan (13:8–33)
- The Division of the Land
of Canaan (chs. 14–19)
- Introduction (14:1–5)
- The town given to Caleb (14:6–15)
- The lands given to Judah and “Joseph” at Gilgal
(chs. 15–17)
- The allotments for Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun,
Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan at Shiloh (18:1—19:48)
- The town given to Joshua (19:49–51)
- The Cities Assigned to
the Levites (chs. 20–21)
- The 6 cities of refuge (ch. 20)
- The 48 cities of the priests (ch. 21)
- Epilogue: Tribal Unity
and Loyalty to the Lord (chs. 22–24)
- The Altar of Witness by
the Jordan (ch. 22)
- Joshua’s Farewell Exhortation
(ch. 23)
- The Renewal of the Covenant
at Shechem (24:1–28)
- The Death and Burial of
Joshua and Eleazar (24:29–33)
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