Joshua 24
Joshua 24 | |
---|---|
Judges 1 → | |
Book | Book of Joshua |
Hebrew Bible part | Nevi'im |
Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
Category | Former Prophets |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 6 |
Joshua 24 is the twenty-fourth (and the final)
Text
This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 33 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).[7]
Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).[8][a]
Analysis
The narrative of Israelites preparing for life in the land comprising verses 22:1 to 24:33 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:[10]
- A. The Jordan Altar (22:1–34)
- B. Joshua's Farewell (23:1–16)
- 1. The Setting (23:1–2a)
- 2. The Assurance of the Allotment (23:2b–5)
- 3. Encouragement to Enduring Faithfulness (23:6–13)
- 4. The Certain Fulfillment of God's Word (23:14–16)
- C. Covenant and Conclusion (24:1–33)
- 1. Covenant at Shechem (24:1–28)
- a. Summoning the Tribes (24:1)
- b. Review of Covenant History (24:2–13)
- c. Joshua's Challenge to Faithful Worship (24:14–24)
- i. Joshua's Opening Challenge (24:14–15)
- ii. The People's Response (24:16–18)
- iii. Dialogue on Faithful Worship (24:19–24)
- d. Covenant Made at Shechem (24:25–28)
- 2. Conclusion: Three Burials (24:29–33)
- a. Joshua (24:29–31)
- b. Joseph (24:32)
- c. Eleazar (24:33)
- 1. Covenant at Shechem (24:1–28)
The book of Joshua is concluded with two distinct ceremonies, each seeming in itself to be a finale:[11]
- A farewell address of Joshua to the gathered tribes in an unnamed place (Joshua 23)
- A covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem (Joshua 24)
Covenant at Shechem (24:1–28)
This chapter exhibits unique features:[12]
- a preamble (verse 1)
- a review of the historical relationship between God and Israel (verses 2–13)
- stipulations and the requirement of loyalty (verses 14–15, 25)
- formal witnesses (verse 22, 27)
- writing a document (verses 26–27), and
- a statement of consequences (verse 20—in contrast to Deuteronomy 28, only the bad consequences of disloyalty are recorded here).[12]
The narrative in form of a literary construction resembles the ancient treaty, with real significance, that it records the actual commitment of the people of Israel to
Now the Israelites are to enter into a covenant renewal (following the covenants at Mount Horeb and the plain of Moab),[12] they are called to exclusive loyalty (verses 14–15), challenged with the phrase 'You cannot serve the LORD' as a strong warning not to think that loyalty to YHWH will be easy and to enter the covenant lightly (Deuteronomy 9:4–7).[13] This is based on the inclination of the early generations of Israel to resort to other gods from the beginning (Exodus 32; Numbers 25), that Deuteronomy 32 portrays Israel as unfaithful. The effect here could be rhetorical as the generation of Joshua is pictured as faithful (Judges 2:7,10).[13]
Verse 26
- And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.[14]
- "Large stone" (Hebrew:matzevot): This stone was rediscovered by a German archaeologist, Ernst Sellin, during the excavation in ancient Shechem in 1926-1928, standing in front of the ruins of a worship place referred to this verse as 'the sanctuary of the LORD'.[15]
- "The terebinth": an old and large tree, under which Jacob had hid the teraphim of his household (
Three Burials (24:29–33)
Four short units conclude the whole book, and, in a sense, the
Verse 32
- And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.[18]
The record of Joseph's burial connects expressly with
See also
- Aaron
- Abraham
- Amorites
- Balaam
- Balak
- Beor
- Canaan
- Children of Israel
- Covenant
- Egypt
- Eleazar
- Esau
- Gaash
- Girgashite
- Hamor
- Hittites
- Hivites
- Hornet
- Idolatry
- Isaac
- Jacob
- Jebusites
- Jericho
- Jordan River
- Joseph (Genesis)
- Moab
- Moses
- Mount Seir
- Nahor, son of Terah
- Nun (biblical figure)
- Passage of the Red Sea
- Perizzites
- Phinehas
- Plagues of Egypt
- Tabernacle
- Terah
- Torah
- Zippor
- Related Bible parts:
Notes
- ^ The whole book of Joshua is missing from the extant Codex Sinaiticus.[9]
References
- ^ Halley 1965, p. 164.
- ^ Talmud, Baba Bathra 14b–15a)
- ^ a b Gilad, Elon. Who Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets? Haaretz, June 25, 2015. Summary: The paean to King Josiah and exalted descriptions of the ancient Israelite empires beg the thought that he and his scribes lie behind the Deuteronomistic History.
- ^ Coogan 2007, p. 314 Hebrew Bible.
- ^ Coogan 2007, pp. 350–352 Hebrew Bible.
- ^ McConville 2007, p. 158.
- ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 35–37.
- ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
- ^ This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Codex Sinaiticus". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Firth 2021, pp. 30–31.
- ^ McConville 2007, pp. 173–174.
- ^ a b c d e f g h McConville 2007, p. 174.
- ^ a b c d e f g McConville 2007, p. 175.
- ^ Joshua 24:26 ESV
- ^ Stephen Langfur. Ancient Shechem (Tell Balata) at Nablus (Shechem) Archived 2019-06-17 at the Wayback Machine. NET Near East Tourist Agency. Accessed 8 July 2018.
- ^ Exell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors). On "Joshua 24". In: The Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.
- ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Joshua 24. Accessed 28 April 2019.
- ^ Joshua 24:32 KJV
- ^ Coogan 2007, pp. 351–352 Hebrew Bible.
Sources
- Beal, Lissa M. Wray (2019). Longman, Tremper III; McKnight, Scot (eds.). Joshua. The Story of God Bible Commentary. Zondervan Academic. ISBN 978-0310490838.
- ISBN 978-0195288810.
- Firth, David G. (2021). Joshua: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) (illustrated ed.). Lexham Press. ISBN 9781683594406.
- ISBN 0-310-25720-4.
- Harstad, Adolph L. (2004). Joshua. Concordia Publishing House. ISBN 978-0570063193.
- Hayes, Christine (2015). Introduction to the Bible. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300188271.
- Hubbard, Robert L (2009). Joshua. The NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan. ISBN 978-0310209348.
- McConville, Gordon (2007). "9. Joshua". In ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- Rösel, Hartmut N. (2011). Joshua. Historical commentary on the Old Testament. Vol. 6 (illustrated ed.). Peeters. ISBN 978-9042925922.
- ISBN 9780802826282.
- ISBN 0-8028-0788-7. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
External links
- Jewish translations:
- Yehoshua - Joshua - Chapter 24 (Judaica Press). Hebrew text and English translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
- Christian translations:
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Joshua chapter 24. Bible Gateway