Joshua (Biblical Figure)

Biblical Account

Joshua was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim. His original name was Hoshea, but Moses renamed him Joshua (Numbers 13:8, 13:16). The name is understood to mean "the LORD is salvation." In Greek it is rendered Iēsous, the same form as the name Jesus.

• Exodus 17: He leads the army in battle against Amalek at Rephidim. This is his first appearance in Scripture.
• As Moses' minister (his personal attendant), he goes up Mount Sinai with him and remains at the tabernacle (Exodus 24:13, 33:11).
• Numbers 13–14: He is one of the twelve men sent to spy out Canaan. Together with Caleb, he reports that Israel is able to take the land. Of the first generation of the Exodus, these two alone receive the promise that they will enter Canaan.
• He is appointed Moses' successor through the laying on of hands (Numbers 27:18–23; Deuteronomy 34:9).
• Joshua 1–24: He receives the command, "Be strong and of a good courage" (Joshua 1:9).
• He leads the crossing of the Jordan (chapters 3–4) and the capture of Jericho (chapter 6).
• After a defeat at Ai caused by Achan's sin, he attacks the city again (chapters 7–8).
• He makes a treaty with the Gibeonites (chapter 9) and fights the battle in which the sun and moon stood still (chapter 10).
• He divides the land among the tribes (chapters 13–21).
• At Shechem he renews the covenant with the people, declaring, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).
• He dies at the age of 110 and is buried at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim (Joshua 24:29–30; Judges 2:8–9).

Significance Within Scripture

Joshua links the era of Moses with the period of the judges. He leads the transition from the end of the wilderness generation to settlement in the Promised Land. In the New Testament, Stephen's sermon mentions the tabernacle being brought into Canaan in Joshua's day (Acts 7:45). Hebrews 4:8 states that the rest Joshua gave was not the ultimate rest God had promised.

Interpretations and Debates

• Typology (reading Old Testament persons or events as shadows that foreshadow Christ): Since the time of the early church fathers, there has been a tradition of reading Joshua as a type of Jesus Christ. The shared name is cited as a basis for this reading. Some sermons also explain the fact that Joshua, rather than Moses (who represents the law), leads the people into the Promised Land in terms of the relationship between law and gospel. The New Testament text, however, does not explicitly draw this correspondence.
• The conquest and utter destruction: The command to utterly destroy the inhabitants of Canaan raises ethical questions. Interpretations vary:
• The view that it reflects the hyperbolic language characteristic of ancient Near Eastern war accounts
• The view that it was a specific divine judgment limited to that time
• Various other views
• Dating and historicity: Some date the Exodus and conquest to the fifteenth century BC, others to the thirteenth century BC. Scholars also differ on how to interpret the archaeological evidence from Jericho and other sites.
• The sun standing still: Some regard the event as a literal miracle. Others, noting that the text cites the Book of Jasher (Joshua 10:13), regard it as poetic language.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Jewish rabbinic tradition holds that Joshua married Rahab, but Scripture contains no such account.
• Others of the same name: The high priest Joshua who appears in Haggai and Zechariah is a different person, belonging to the period of the return from Babylonian exile.

In the Korean Church

"Be strong and of a good courage" (Joshua 1:9) is frequently used as a New Year's motto and quoted in sermons for ordinations and commissionings. Joshua 24:15 is commonly cited to emphasize family worship and household faith, and some families adopt it as their family motto. In Sunday schools, the crossing of the Jordan and the fall of Jericho are staple Bible stories. The faith Joshua showed alongside Caleb in the spies' report and the leadership he inherited from Moses are also common sermon themes.