BOOK OF JOSHUA: INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STRUCTURE

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The first evidence of a unity comes from the symbolic frequencies (multiples of 7 or 12) with which key words occur in the text. Next is the two-fold division of Joshua which gives equal time to the conquering of territory and dividing it among the tribes. In addition, there appears to be an intended parallel between the first two cities taken (Jericho and Ai) and the special cities described in chs. 20 and 21 (Levitical cities and cities of refuge) in that they are all dedicated to Yahweh. With this start, one can propose the organization of Figure 1 for the whole book.

Figure 1: Structure of the Book of Joshua

I. Conquering the Land (chs. 1-11)

A. Introductory Scenes (1:1- 5:9)

B. Cities for the Lord (5:10-8:35)

C. Taking the Inheritance (9:1-11:23)

D. Summary of Conquered Kings (ch. 12)

II. Dividing the Land (chs. 13-24)

C'. The Tribes' Inheritance (chs. 13-19)

B'. Cities from the Lord (chs. 20-21)

A'. Final Scenes (chs. 22-24)

Parallel Relationships

Tabulation of similar events, themes and language noted in any detailed commentary reveals that the first five chapters indeed have a number of similarities with Joshua 21-24 and very few noted parallels with other portions of the book. And overall there is a major correspondence between A and A' in the theme of Yahweh as a warrior who will possess the land for Israel. Moving inward to sections B and B', the theme of holiness is strongly portrayed in each.

There is a rather obvious thematic correspondence expressed in both sections C and C': the same Lord who conquered the land also apportioned it among the tribes. It only remains for the people to actually possess that which has been prepared for them. This is possible because Yahweh has conquered all enemies so that “the land had rest.” This key phrase occurs strategically at the end of Section C and toward the beginning of Section C'.

Center of Emphasis: Section D (Joshua 12)

There are few literary indications that Chapter 12 belongs with with either the first or second half of the book. To rescue this passage from limbo, we may profitably adopt Lilley's suggestion that it be treated as a link between the first and second divisions of the book, thus becoming the focus of this chiastically organized book.

At first glance, a long list of conquered kings does not look very promising as holding the key to the book's emphasis. Several theological reasons for this section have been proposed, but the key appears to be in the fact that the list of conquered nations is given in terms of their kings. Boling and Wright note that only two kings in the whole first half of the books are actually listed by name. In other words, the concept of kings is more important to the author of Joshua than the identity or fate of any particular king. Yahweh conquered not just a particular group of 31 kings, but the whole idea of earthly kingdoms. Thus understood, the center of the book stands in stark contrast to its last verse, where a pagan king is predicted to oppress the people of Israel.

Individual Sections

Finally, each of the proposed subsections can be analyzed in turn to see if they contain any obvious literary coherence. C, A' and B' cohere mainly due to their respective thematic unities.

The remaining sections are organized as follows:

Section A

Two helpful observations of Boling and Wright encourage us to see Section A as a literary unity. They note that Yahweh addresses Joshua, “his field commander,” exactly seven times using identical language from 1:1 to 5:9. Another way to look at these data is that six occurrences using identical phraseology are followed by seventh in the next major section of the book in which the true commander of the Lord's army addresses Joshua (5:15). They also remark on the significance of the word “waters,” which occurs ten times in chs. 3 and 4. However, it is much more noteworthy that the word appears exactly 12 times in the proposed Section A, twice in a context comparing the crossing of the Jordan with that of the Re(e)d Sea.

Figure 2: The Structure of Section A

1. Commands to and from Joshua (ch. 1)

2. Canaanites Fear the Israelites (ch. 2)

3. Crossing the Jordan (chs. 3-4)

a. instructions to the people (3:1-5)

                b. commands to priests (3:6)

                                                        c. Yahweh will exalt Joshua (3:7)

                                                            d. priests to stand still in water (3:8-11)

                                                                e. “Take twelve men” (3:12-13)

                        f. the crossing (3:14-17) 

                e'. “Take twelve men” (4:1-9)

                        d'. priests stand still in water (4:10-13)

                                                        c'. Yahweh exalts Joshua (4:14)

                                                    b'. commands to priests (4:15-20) 

                                                a'. instructions to the people (4:21-24)

2'. Canaanites Fear the Israelites (5:1)

1'. Command from Yahweh to Joshua (5:2-9)

Section B

Use of similar opening and concluding phrases regarding rulers and their lands in alternating order (city-king-city-king-city-king) for the two descriptions of Jericho's and Ai's demise identify these as two episodes that should be compared while contrasting the intervening description of Achan's sin that threatens to destroy the people of Israel. By sandwiching the crucial center section between two stories showing the fate of those peoples who would oppose Yahweh, it is demonstrated that the same judgment awaits the Israelites if they do not live up to the demands of holiness.

Figure 3: The Structure of Section B

Opening Ceremony; Commander of God's Army (5:10-15)

1. The Destruction of Jericho (6:1-27)

2. Achan's Sin (7:1-26)

            1'. The Destruction of Ai (8:1-29)

Summary Ceremony; Obeying God's Commands (8:30-35)

Section C

Section C (Josh. 9-11) is also a coherent unit divided into three roughly equal parts, each introduced in much the same manner:

Figure 4: The Structure of Section C

1. The Treaty with the Gibeonites (ch. 9)

“When the kings [of the seven Canaanite nations] heard of this, they gathered together...to fight Joshua and Israel.”

2. Defending the Gibeonites (ch. 10)

“When ...king of Jerusalem heard..., he...sent to [four other kings] saying, "Come up...and let us smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel. Then the five kings...gathered their forces, and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon...”

3. Defeating the Kingly Coalition (ch. 11)

“When...king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to [various kings and the seven Canaanite nations]...And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together...to fight with Israel.”

Section C'

Two literary markers confirming the unity of chs. 13-19 are their use of the phrase “divide the land” exactly seven times and the key noun “inheritance” some forty times. This concept of division and possession unifies the final half of the book.

Figure 5: The Structure of Section C'

1. Introduction (13:1-7)

2. First Phase of Allotment (13:8-17:18)

a. Allotment to Trans-Jordan Tribes (13:8-23)

b. Judah's Inheritance (14:1-15:63)

a'. Allotment to Joseph's Descendants (16:1-17:18)

2'. Second Phase of Allotment (18:1-19)

1'. Summary (19:51)