JOSHUA 22-24

One can compare the opening chapters of Joshua with this closing section looking for repetition of key ideas or words, unusual phrases, or similar literary techniques. Tabulation of such a study (mainly utilizing Trent Butler's commentary) reveals that the first five chapters indeed have a number of similarities with Joshua 22-24 and very few noted parallels with other portions of the book.

Joshua's Title                                                                      1:1         24:29

Transition Sentences                                                          1:1         23:1

Death of a Leader                                                               1:1-2     24:29-33

Moses as servant of Yahweh                                              1:1-7     22:2-5

Structural Markers                                                             1:1-18    ch. 23, 24

Land Given by God                                                           1:2-15    22:4; 24:11,13

Presence of God                                                                 1:5,9,17 22:31

Land Divided by Joshua                                                     1:6       23:4

Obey Mosaic commands                                                    1:7       22:2-5

Leader and People to Follow Law as God-given               1:7-8    23:6-16; ch. 24

The Book of the Law                                                         1:7-9    24:26-27

People Follow Appointed Leaders                                     1:10; 3:2; 4:10   23:2; 24:1,31

God's Rest                                                                          1:12-18  22:4

Addresses to the trans-Jordan tribes                                  1:12-18   22:1-6

God of the Exodus                                                             2:10       24:1-10,17

Identical list of 7 nations driven out by God                     3:10       24:11

Children asking/saying in the time to come                      4:6         22:24,27-28

“Fear the LORD”                                                              4:24       24:14

Israel Must Obey to Receive Land                                    5:5-6 23:13-16; 24:20

Overall, there is a major correspondence between the opening and closing of the book in the theme of Yahweh as a warrior who will possess the land for Israel. The one difference, or development, as one goes from the first to the last section is that at the end of the book “a distinction is made between those nations 'already cut off' and those that 'remain' to be conquered.” (Childs)

This concluding section consists of three smaller units corresponding to our present chapter divisions. These all concern proper public worship, presented in the respective images of altar, farewell speech and covenant. All are characterized by a somewhat negative tone, perhaps to prepare the reader for the events in the Book of Judges. Another major theme tying together these passages is that of the people's obedience to Yahweh. In that context, note that the verb “serve” occurs fifteen times in ch. 24 alone. Many similarities between chs. 23 and 24 have been additionally noted by commentators, and Joshua 22 and 24 both end with an altar or stone of “witness” being established. Finally, all three subsections open with Joshua summoning an audience.

The specific frequency of certain word patterns in the subsections of this conclusion points to a carefully constructed narrative. Thus, the account of ch. 22 uses the phrase “the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh” exactly seven times and the word “altar” twelve times. This latter example is especially telling since this story stresses the unity of the twelve tribes. Boling and Wright have similarly noted that there are seven imperative verbs and that the words “Joshua,” “people” and “said” (in the converted imperfect) occur exactly seven times in ch. 24. In the middle of the whole section are Joshua's words in 23:14, which can also be said to state the theme of the entire book.

Noth highlights three important speeches – Samuel's farewell in I Samuel 12, Solomon's prayer recorded in I Kings 8, and the farewells in Joshua 22-24. “These three speeches serve to reiterate the Deuteronomic exhortations of Moses in each new era down to the day of the completion of the temple, so that the words of these four key figures...provide an ongoing theological line of reference for the Deuteronomistic history of the pre-temple period.” (McCarter)

22:2 “Everything I have commanded you” also appears at the end of Matthew's Gospel in Jesus' parting words to his followers.

22:5 repeats Deuteronomy 6:5.

22:10-34 This whole story about a misunderstanding that threatened to tear the twelve tribes apart is instructive to consider and draw current applications from. One incident I was reminded of happened soon after I transferred to a new laboratory location. I was warned about one particular chemist, a devout believer, since everyone said he had a hair trigger. I couldn't understand what they were talking about since I found him to be one of the most pleasant and easygoing people there.

Then one day I asked him if I could borrow a piece of laboratory equipment, promising to bring it right back. He agreed, and my technician returned it the next day. Before I knew it, the chemist came storming into my office and yelled, “Where is my equipment?” I rapidly explained that it had been returned, and he immediately calmed down and apologized. This chemist, like the tribes on the west side of the Jordan, prematurely jumped to the wrong conclusion and began to prepare for war. But like other people of God, they were just as readily prepared to admit that they were wrong and restore peace.

I never saw this particular chemist lose his temper again except once years later when I was his manager. He stormed into my office with his resignation in hand, and said that he wasn't going to be criticized by someone who said that he was lazy. It took me a while to understand what he was talking about. The new owner of our company had made a video presentation to be shown at all locations. It was no doubt meant to challenge us to face our increased competition from other companies, but it was a bit heavy-handed in its approach. So my chemist friend took it to mean that he was being personally attacked for his poor work ethic. It took a little longer this time for my friend to calm down, but he later withdrew his resignation. The moral here is also aptly illustrated by the story in chapter 22. Be sensitive to considering how your actions will affect other people. In this respect, Lilley states, “It was tactless in the extreme to erect the copy [of the altar] without consultation.”

22:10-11 The altar was actually erected on the western banks of the Jordan, in seeming contravention of the Mosaic law (Leviticus 17:8-9) since the only official altar was located at Shiloh.

22:19 Blair says that Phinehas “was noted for his zeal for the Lord and his opposition to pagan practice (cf. Nu. 25:6-18).” He also mentions the “magnanimous suggestion” that the could re-settle west of the Jordan with the rest of the tribes if they wished. Their defense takes the form of a solemn three-fold oath in the three names of God repeated twice.

Chapters 23-24 were as a pattern for Jesus' farewell discourse in John 13-17. (Kostenberger) Some scholars feel that these two chapters are actually variations of the same events, but Blair sees ch. 23 to be an informal address to the leaders, and chapter 24 as a more formal and public covenant renewal.

23:2 An alternative reading of this verse is “Joshua summoned all Israel, i.e. their elders and heads, their judges and officers.” (Blair) The address covers both what God has done for the people and what he will accomplish in the future, followed by Israel's responsibilities in return.

23:7 “Name the name of the Lord” is an idiom meaning “call upon the name of the Lord” or to summon Him. It also appears in II Timothy 2:19.

23:9 Stephen's speech in Acts 7:45 echoes this phraseology (also found in Joshua 24:18).

23:10 The majority uses of the number 1,000 in the Bible, OT and NT, are figurative (standing for a large number) rather than literal.

23:16 Also see I Corinthians 5:12-13.

Chapter 24: It has been noted that this covenant renewal follows the pattern found in ancient Hittite covenants.

24:7 “...every Jew was to regard himself at the passover feast as it he had personally taken part in the Exodus from Egypt.” (Marshall)

24:9-10 See Numbers 22-24 for the story of the prophet Balaam.

24:11 “Went in and went out” is an idiom meaning to be active, most commonly applied to leaders. (Marshall)

24:12 One opinion is that the hornet refers to the standard used by the Egyptian army, which had wreaked havoc on the land prior to Israel's settlement. Alternatively, possible metaphorical meanings to “hornet” include plague, pestilence, panic, or depression. This would serve to weaken the enemy and enable the Israelites to conquer the land more readily. Lilley even points out that a similar word in Hebrew means “leprosy.”

24:15 The “pithy and starkly presented alternatives of Deuteronomy 30:5 (cf. Lev. 26:3-45) became a thoroughgoing motif recapitulated in, for example Joshua 24:15, etc.” (Watts)   It also appears in Mark 3:4.

24:16-20 The people readily agree to what God had said. Therefore Joshua binds them with a solemn oath. Blair points out that the lack of forgiveness he threatens them with applies only to their turning to other gods and forsaking the true God. There is a possible parallel here to Jesus' mention of the unpardonable sin.

24:19-24 “Joshua faces the pastor's dilemma; it is his duty to persuade, but a decision induced merely by his persuasiveness will evaporate like the dew.” (Lilley)

24:23 The phrase “among you” may also be translated “within you.”

24:27 Archaeologists have uncovered a large limestone pillar at Shechem.

24:28-31 are almost the same as Judges 2:6-9. This is the only time Joshua is called “the servant of the LORD.”

24:29-33 Whether Joseph's body was buried at this time or much earlier, the author places it here “symbolizing at the close of the message of the whole book of Joshua, the faithfulness of God. (Blair)

24:32-33 “Silver” in the Septuagint becomes “ewe lamb.”