NUMBERS 13:4-16

Q: In Exodus 24:12-14 it is written that Moses set out with Joshua his aide to go up on the mountain of God. Much later in Numbers 13:4-16 Moses gave Hoshea, son of Nun, the name Joshua. What is the significance of changing his name when he had already been referred to as Joshua much earlier?

NIV and other translations of Numbers 13:16 do give the impression that Moses renamed Hoshea (“he saved”) as Joshua (“Yahweh saves”) at the occasion of the spies being sent out. However, several commentators specifically point out that this is not the meaning of the Hebrew text. For example, Timothy Ashley states, “The text does not say that it was at this point that the renaming took place. The author here wished the reader to note that the Hoshea of the list just previous [Numbers 13:8] is the famous Joshua. At some unknown point, Moses put the Yahwistic element in hosea.” (The Book of Numbers, p. 233)

The New English Bible makes this point clear by translating verse 16, “But Moses called the son of Nun Joshua, not Hoshea.” In other words, Joshua was Moses' pet name for Hoshea.

Conversely, the earlier mention of Joshua as his name in Exodus 24 does not necessarily mean that Moses had already renamed him by that time. As George Wenham points out, “Though some earlier passages (e.g. Exodus 24:13) use the name Joshua, they must be anticipating his subsequent change of name.” (Numbers, p. 116-117)

Just to add to the confusion, at an even later time period, Deuteronomy 32:44 refers to Hoshea son of Nun in the Hebrew text while the early Aramaic, Greek and Latin translations of this verse all give his name as Joshua. (NRSV textual note)

Jumping to the New Testament, although Simon is renamed as Peter by Jesus at one point, there are still some subsequent references to him as Simon or Simon Peter. Having multiple names is not uncommon in either Old Testament or New Testament times, and often the context determines which name will be used in which setting. One prominent example is that of Saul (his Jewish name) being called Paul (his gentile name) when he is predominantly interacting with a gentile world.