PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 18:1-7
 ¹Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them. ²There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. ³So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me. ⁵They shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north. ⁶You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them."

18:1 "Shiloh" This city is in the tribal allocation of Ephraim, north of Bethel. The tabernacle resided here from Joshua's time to Samuel's time (cf. Jdgs. 18:31) because this city was centrally located.

▣ "the tent of meeting" This is the first time this tent is mentioned specifically in Joshua, although its presence is assumed in Jos. 3:3 and 8:33. This refers to the special sacrificial place set up by YHWH (cf. Exodus 25-40), where He and His covenant people could ritually meet. In design it was not radically different from other portable Near Eastern worship centers (which is also true of Solomon's temple, which is similar to Phoenician temples).

This was the home for the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, where YHWH symbolically dwelt between the wings of the cherubim (the place where heaven and earth met).

▣ "the land was subdued before them" The verb (BDB 461, KB 460, Niphal perfect) does not seem to truly describe the situation. See note at Jos. 16:10.

18:2-3 Apparently several tribes were not willing to take on the responsibility of capturing their own tribal allocations. The participle "put off" (BDB 951, KB 1276, Hithpael participle) means "to show oneself lazy" (lit. to relax or loosen, which means metaphorically to be slack, idle, or disheartened, cf. Prov. 18:9; 24:10.

18:3 "which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you" For the Hebrew significance of "Lord" (YHWH) and "God" (Elohim) see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY at Jos. 1:1.

YHWH had clearly stated His intentions to Abraham (cf. Gen. 15:7,16; 13:15,17; 17:8) and reaffirmed them to Isaac (cf. Gen. 26:4) and Jacob (cf. Gen. 28:13-14). Moses had clearly stated YHWH's intentions toward Israel (cf. Exod. 13:5,11; 32:13; 33:1; Deut. 1:7-8; 4:38,40; 5:31; 7:13; 8:1; 9:6; 11:9,17; 26:1,9; 32:52; 34:4; Jos. 1:2,3,6,11,13,15; 2:9,24; 18:3; 21:43; 23:13; 24:13). Many of these promises are linked to covenant obedience.

18:4 This verse has several commands from Joshua to the seven tribes who had not yet been allotted land.

1. "provide for yourselves three men from each tribe," BDB 396, KB 393, Qal imperative

2. "that I may send," BDB 1018, KB 1511, Qal imperfect, but in a cohortative sense (OTPG, p. 181)

3. "that they may arise," BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal imperfect, but in a jussive sense (OTPG, p. 181)

4. "walk through the land," BDB 229, KB 246, Hithpael imperfect, but in a jussive sense (OTPG, p. 181)

5. "write a description of it," BDB 507, KB 503, Qal imperfect, but in a jussive sense (OTPG, p. 181)

6. "then they shall return to me," BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperfect, but in a jussive sense (OTPG, p. 181)

The command sense of these verbs is confirmed by the series of imperatives, which reflect this verse in Jos. 18:8.

18:6 "I will cast lots for you before the Lord our God" The verb (BDB 434, KB 436, Qal perfect) is related to "teach" (Hiphil). These lots were cast by Joshua, not the High Priest, so perhaps they were not the Urim and Thummim. Whatever they were and however they worked, they represented the expressed will of Israel's God. This was a covenant act, both in method (lots) and result (land inheritance).

8:7 The Levites as a tribe took the place of the firstborn (cf. Exodus 13) in serving YHWH (cf. Jos. 13:14; Num. 18:1-32 and note at Jos. 13:33).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 18:8-10
 ⁸ Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to describe the land, saying, "Go and walk through the land and describe it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh." ⁹So the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. ¹⁰And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions.

18:8 These four imperatives relate to Jos. 18:4.

1. "go," BDB 229, KB 246, Qal imperative

2. "walk," BDB 229, KB 246, Hithpael imperative

3. "describe it," BDB 507, KB 503, Qal imperative

4. "return to me," BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperative

Joshua wants these remaining tribes to act on YHWH's promises and possess their inheritance! The very act of these tribal representatives walking on the land was a symbol of possession (cf. Gen. 13:17; Num. 13:17-24).

18:9 It is obvious that the Israelites were literate. They must have had some schooling in Egypt or at least by their parents during the wilderness wandering period.

18:10 "Joshua cast lots for them" See Num. 34:16-29. For "lots" see note at Jos. 14:2.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 18:11-20
 ¹¹Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot lay between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. ¹²Their border on the north side was from the Jordan, then the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward, and it ended at the wilderness of Beth-aven. ¹³From there the border continued to Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel) southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill which lies on the south of lower Beth-horon. ¹⁴The border extended from there and turned round on the west side southward, from the hill which lies before Beth-horon southward; and it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west side. ¹⁵Then the south side was from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel. ¹⁷It extended northward and went to En-shemesh and went to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ¹⁸It continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward and went down to the Arabah. ¹⁹The border continued to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border. ²⁰Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and according to its borders all around.

18:11 "Benjamin" This means "son of the right hand" (BDB 122). This is the tribe (the smallest tribe) of the first king, Saul, and the Apostle Paul (cf. Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5). Its land was between the powerful tribes of Judah to the south and Ephraim to the north.

18:12 "Beth-aven" This is a wordplay on a place name ("house of wealth," BDB 20; "house of sorrow," BDB 19; or "house of iniquity," BDB 110), which came to be used of Bethel by Hosea (cf. Jos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5).

The place name occurs seven times in Joshua and refers to a place near the city of Bethel.

18:15

NASB"the border went westward and went to the fountain of"
NKJV"the border extended on the west and went out to the spring"
NRSV"the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the springs of"
TEV"and went to the Springs of"
NJB"the boundaries went to Gasin and came out near the spring of"

This same boundary is described in Jos. 15:9. The Hebrew text has "and went westward" (cf. JPSOA).

18:17 "Geliloth" The Semitic root gl (i.e., Gilgal or Galilee) seems to refer to a cultic or sacred site formed by a circle of stones or a circular pile of stones (cf. Gen. 31:46; Jos. 7:26; 8:29; 18:17; 2 Sam. 18:17). The verb gll (BDB 165,166) means "to roll" (Jos. 10:18).

This specific term (BDB 165), found only here in the OT, can mean

1. a region - Jos. 13:2; Ezek. 47:8; Joel 3:4

2. a city - Jos. 18:17; 22:10-11

▣ "the stone of Bohan" See note at Jos. 15:6.

18:19 "Beth-hoglah" This city is first mentioned in Jos. 15:6. The name means "place of the partridge" (BDB 111).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 18:21-28
 ²¹Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-hoglah and Emek-keziz, ²²and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel, ²³and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah, ²⁴and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni and Geba; twelve cities with their villages. ²⁵Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth, ²⁶and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah, ²⁷and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah, ²⁸and Zelah, Haeleph and the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.

18:23 "Avvim" This plural term (BDB 732) may refer to the people of the southwestern coastal region (cf. Jos. 13:3; Deut. 2:23).

18:24 "Chephar-ammoni" This place name means "village of the Ammonites" (BDB 499 and 770).

18:27 "Irpeel" This place name means "God heals" (BDB 951), but its location is unknown. It is in the tribal allocation of Benjamin.

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

 A. Chapters 20 and 21 are a discussion of the Levitical cities and the cities of refuge. There are forty-eight Levitical cities, six of which are cities of refuge; three in the trans-Jordan area and three in the Promised Land.

 B. The cities of refuge were an attempt to bring fairness to the "eye for an eye," limited revenge concept which was initiated within Israel. A city of refuge was a place where one could flee for safety if one had accidentally killed another person and where one could be protected from the aggressive actions of a near kinsmen (Go'el, BDB 145) of the person killed. There is another list of the Levitical cities found in 1 Chr. 6:58-81 which has some basic differences. This is possibly due to the fact that the Israelis did not fully occupy their tribal allocations.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 20:1-6
 ¹Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, ²"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, ³that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴He shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and state his case in the hearing of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may dwell among them. ⁵Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand. ⁶He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the manslayer shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"

20:2 This verse has two commands from YHWH to Joshua.

1. "speak," BDB 180, KB 210, Piel imperative

2. "designate," BDB 678, KB 733, Qal imperative

These commands relate to previous revelation about these special cities of asylum and mercy.

1. Exodus 21:12-14

2. Numbers 35:10-28

3. Deuteronomy 19:1-13

No other culture in the ancient Near East has cities like these. They uniquely reflect the mercy of YHWH toward those who act without malice or forethought.

▣ "cities of refuge" Originally those who were fleeing from hasty justice could grab the horns of the altar for safety (cf. Exod. 21:14; 1 Kgs. 1:50-53; 2:28-31). However, this system was replaced by having set cities within the Promised Land. Moses had already designated three cities in the trans-Jordan area (cf. Deut. 4:41ff). There are several discussions in the Pentateuch related to the cities of refuge (cf. Exod. 21: 12-14; Num. 35:10-28; Deut. 19:1-13). If a person killed a fellow Israelite by accident, he could flee to one of these six cities. There, a trial would be held (cf. Jos. 20:4). If innocent of premeditated murder, he still had to remain in the city until the death of the High Priest. If guilty of murder, he was turned over to the blood avenger of the family he violated for the immediate punishment of death (cf. Jos. 20:9).

20:3 "who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation" The entire sacrificial system was geared toward those who sinned in ignorance or passion. NIDOTTE, vol. 2, states, "the concept of ‘unintentionally' or ‘inadvertently' (Lev. 4:2) is both strategic and problematic (cf. Jos. 4:13,22,27; 5:15,18; 22:14; Num. 15:22,24-29). Because of it some scholars have concluded that the sin offering only treated inadvertent sin, that is, sins that were committed by mistake or sins which were done not knowing that the particular act was sinful (see Milgrom, 1991, 228-29). However, the word ‘unintentionally' means basically ‘in error' (the vb. means to commit an error, go astray). Although it can also mean that the error was unintentional or inadvertent (see e.g., Num. 35:11,15,22-23; Jos. 20:3,9), this is not necessarily the case (see 1 Sam. 26:21; Eccl. 5:6)" (p. 94).

There was no sacrifice for high-handed, defiant, premeditated, or known sin (e.g., Ps. 51:17). This concept of intentionality (BDB 993) is referred to in Lev. 4:2,22,27; 5:15; 22:14; Num. 4:42; 15:27-31; and 19:4.

This is a good place to point out that the commandment "You shall not murder" (cf. Exod. 20:13; Deut. 5:17) does not mean "kill" (KJV), but do not commit "non-legal, premeditated murder" (BDB 953, cf. Exod. 21:12-14). There was legal premeditated killing.

1. blood avenger

2. holy war

3. judicial sentences

▣ "refuge" This term (BDB 886) means "asylum." It has no cognates, which means it was unique to Israel's judicial system. It is used about twenty times and always in connection with the cities of refuge. This new legal concept reveals the fairness and justice of YHWH. Motives make a difference! However, there are consequences to every act!

▣ "the avenger of blood" This is the Hebrew term (BDB 145 I), which denoted a near relative who rendered aid to the family and avenged the family in a case of injury (cf. Num. 35:19,21,24,25,27; Deut. 19:6,12). The concept first appears in Gen. 4:14 and 9:5,6. The positive side can be seen in Ruth 3:13. It is also mentioned in Lev. 25:25; Num. 5:8 and Jer. 32:7.

20:4 "he shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and state his case in the hearing of the elders of that city" Because of Jos. 20:4, these cities of refuge were not entirely inhabited by Levites or else there would have been no elders. Hebron, mentioned in Jos. 20:11, was a Levitical city and was also given to Caleb (cf. Jos. 14:13-15). The city gate was the place where the elders sat and administered justice. The elders of the city initially tried the man to see if he was worthy of being protected. From Jos. 20:6 he also had to go to trial before the entire congregation (cf. Num. 35:12).

20:5 "he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand" The concept of "neighbor" in the OT refers primarily to one's covenant partner. The OT talks a lot about one's responsibility in this area.

1. positively

a. love your neighbor - Lev. 19:18 (Jesus' second most important command, Matt. 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27)

b. Jesus adds, "as yourself" - Matt. 22:39-40; Rom. 13:9

2. negatively (Ten Commandments)

a. do not slander

b. do not give false witness

c. do not covet his property

d. do not steal from him

e. do not take his life

f. do not cheat financially - Deut. 15:2; 24:10

g. do not forsake a friend - Pro. 27;10

h. do not hate - Lev. 19:17

20:6 "until the death of the one who was High Priest in those days" Even though the man was protected there still was a price to be paid for his actions: he was separated from his own tribal allocation and home (but not his immediate family) until the death of the High Priest (cf. Num. 35:25). Part of the penalty was also the fact that the person had to live with the Levites and, therefore, would be trained in the way of the Law for these many years.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 20:7-9
 ⁷So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation.

20:7 "set apart Kedesh in Galilee" This is a play on the Hebrew word "holy," which means "set apart" (BDB 872, KB 1073, Hiphil imperfect). It is the root of the name "Kedesh" (BDB 873). The word "holy" means "to be set apart by God for a specific purpose" (e.g., Jer. 1:5).

▣ "Kedesh . . . Shechem . . .Hebron" These were centrally located cities. We learn from Deut. 19:3 that the roads were made straight so the people could flee to these cities easily.

20:8 "Bezer . . .Ramoth . . . Golan" These were the cities which Moses appointed on the eastern side of the Jordan.

20:9

NASB"the appointed cities"
NRSV"the cities designated"
TEV"the cities of refuge chosen"
NJB"the towns designated"

This term (BDB 558) is found only here in the OT and means "designated" or "appointed." These cities were the fulfillment of divine revelatory mercy and were revealed to both Moses and Joshua.

▣ "for the stranger who sojourns among them" This shows that God was concerned with more than just the people of Israel (cf. Lev. 19:33-35; Deut. 10:18-19, see Special Topic at Jos. 1:7). Also notice that the same unintentionality is the criteria.

▣ "until he stands before the congregation" This refers to an appearance before a called judicial council (BDB 763), not a religious festival.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What is the difference between a Levitical city and a city of refuge?

2. What is the purpose of a city of refuge?

3. Who is the go'el or "avenger of blood"?

4. Does accidental killing have consequences?

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Joshua 22:1-8 is Joshua's farewell address to the trans-Jordan tribes.

B. Joshua 22:9-34 is the account of a serious misunderstanding between these eastern tribes and their brothers on the western bank in the Promised Land. It shows that problems and misconceptions can be solved in non-violent ways. Israel had seemingly misunderstood the motive behind the altar and the eastern tribes failed to clearly communicate its purpose. Honest dialog can bring peace!

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:1-6
 ¹Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ²and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. ³You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. ⁴And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan. ⁵Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." ⁶So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

22:1 "and Joshua summoned" Based on Jos. 22:3, some commentators have wondered about how long these three tribes stayed and helped their brothers. It is possible that they were home and Joshua summoned them, but it is more likely that Jos. 22:3 states they had stayed the whole time, possibly even as long as fourteen years.

▣ "Reuben" This is the oldest son of Jacob, who was rejected as family leader because he lay with one of Jacob's concubines (cf. Gen. 35:22; 49:4).

22:2 "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I have commanded you" Joshua addresses the eastern tribes and affirms them for (1) obeying Moses (cf. Num. 32:28-32; Deut. 3:18-20) and (2) listening to him (cf. Jos. 1:12-18). It is significant that in Jos. 22:3 they are told that they kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord, which implies that God's words through Moses and Joshua are God's words (cf. Jos. 22:3).

22:4 "now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers" This "rest" (BDB 628, Hiphil perfect, cf. Exod. 33:14; Deut. 3:20; Jos. 1:13,15) refers to a time of peace and the absence of internal conflict.

▣ "go to your tents" Since the Israelites took over the homes of the people they conquered, this must be an idiom for "go to your homes."

The verse has two commands from Joshua.

1. "turn," meaning "return" (BDB 815, KB 937, Qal imperative, cf. Jos. 22:8)

2. "go," literally "walk" (BDB 229, KB 246, Qal imperative)

22:5 "only be very careful to observe the commandments" Verse 5 (BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal imperative, "keep") clearly states that the covenant requirements were still in force and required obedience and faith. This verse is a series of quotes from themes in the book of Deuteronomy. It has three pairs of emphases: (1) observe and love; (2) walk and keep; and (3) hold fast and serve. They are a series of Qal infinitive constructs. This emphasizes not only lifestyle obedience, but also complete loyalty. Some of the places these themes can be seen in Deut. are: 5:32; 6:5; 7:9; 10:12; 11:1,13,22; 19:9; 30:6,16,20. Notice that love for God is expressed through obedience to His covenant.

▣ "hold fast to Him" Notice the emphasis here is not only on rules, which is the focus of the law of Moses, but also on the motive of serving God--because you love Him. This is also the focus of the prophets.

▣ "with all your heart and with all your soul" This is an emphasis on our entire person loving and serving God (Deut. 4:29; 6:4-5; 10:12). This is the essence of a covenant relationship!

22:6 "Joshua blessed them" This seems to be very similar to the blessing of Jacob, Moses, and the patriarchal blessings in general. These were seen almost as an independent power performing good on behalf of the people to whom they were spoken. This reflects the Hebrew concept of the power of the spoken word (cf. Genesis 1; Isa. 55:11; John 1:1).

▣ "and they went to their tents" This has been interpreted in two ways. It is either just a romantic way of referring to the wilderness wandering period and they were really going back to their houses, or they still lived in tents and did not divide their inheritance until all the men of war had returned.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:7-9
 ⁷ Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, ⁸and said to them, "Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers." ⁹The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home and departed from the sons of Israel at Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession which they had possessed, according to the command of the Lord through Moses.

22:7 "but to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond Jordan" See Jos. 17:1-13.

22:8 This shows three of the four ancient sources of wealth: (1) livestock; (2) weights of precious metals; and (3) clothing. The one source that is not specifically mentioned here is foodstuffs, but it is implied in the term "wealth" (BDB 647). The eastern tribes received part of the spoils of the defeated cities in Canaan.

▣ "divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers" We know that not all of the men of war crossed the Jordan with the rest of the tribes. Possibly during these months or years the men of war exchanged positions; that is, those who were home would go to war and those at war would go home. So the final division of the spoils ("divide," BDB 323, KB 322, Qal imperative) of the Canaanites was not done until all the men of war returned home.

22:9 "the sons of Israel at Shiloh" Gilgal was the first special site in the Promised Land, but later the tabernacle was moved to Shiloh.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:10-12
 ¹⁰ When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance. ¹¹And the sons of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the sons of Israel." ¹²When the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves at Shiloh to go up against them in war.

22:10 "the region of the Jordan" The term translated "region" (BDB 165, cf. Jos. 13:2) could refer to Galilee, Gilgal (LXX), or the city of Geliloth.

▣ "built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance" We learn from Jos. 22:28-29 that it was a large replica of (1) the altar of sacrifice which was in the tabernacle or (2) the altar on Mt. Ebal (cf. Jos. 8:30-35). Apparently it was not for the purpose of sacrifice, but for a memorial like so many others (stone heaps) in Joshua.

22:12 "to go up against them in war" There was such an over-reaction! How could these brothers so quickly be willing to kill each other over something like this? There are several theories:

1. it was strictly for religious purposes; it was a violation of Deut. 12:5-11, which says there was only one site where the Israelites could sacrifice and that was to be connected with the Tabernacle (cf. Jos. 22:16)

2. it was somehow related to a territorial jealously because of v.11

3. it was related to a sense of corporate guilt (cf. Jos. 22:17-20); if the trans-Jordanian tribes had somehow offended God or become idolatrous, all of Israel would have suffered for their sin

4. the other tribes were afraid that Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had become involved in the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites (cf. Jos. 22:19)

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:13-20
 ¹³Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, ¹⁴and with him ten chiefs, one chief for each father's household from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one of them was the head of his father's household among the thousands of Israel. ¹⁵They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying, ¹⁶ "Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the Lord this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the Lord this day? ¹⁷Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the Lord, ¹⁸that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. ¹⁹If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord, or rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the Lord our God. ²⁰Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.'"

22:13 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest" The person in charge of the delegation which was to visit the eastern tribes was none other than the son of the High Priest. This was a very distinguished delegation. We hear about Phinehas earlier in Num. 25:7,11 and 31:6, where his zeal for the Lord is clearly seen. Later, this same priest will deal with another problem of impurity in Jdgs. 20:28.

22:14 "chiefs" One of the major leaders (BDB 672, cf. Jos. 22:30,32; 9:15,18,19,21; 17:4; Exod. 16:22) of each tribe accompanied Phinehas. This was a very illustrious group which was sent to the eastern tribes.

▣ "head of his father's household among the thousands of Israel" One reason why we are not sure about the number of people who came out of Egypt is because the Hebrew word for "thousands" can be used literally, or it can mean a family unit (cf. Jdgs. 6:15; 1 Sam. 23:23; Zech. 9:7), or military unit (cf. Exod. 18:21,25; Deut. 1:15). See Special Topic at Jos. 3:17.

22:16 The eastern tribes' actions are described in three ways.

1. "an unfaithful act," BDB 591, KB 612, Qal perfect. This term is often used in connection with an act specifically toward YHWH, cf. Jos. 2:20; 7:1; 22:16,20,31; Lev. 6:2; 26:40; Num. 5:6,12,27. This term can have a sexual connotation.

2. "turning away from following the Lord," BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal infinitive construct, which implies they had purposefully violated the Mosaic covenant (i.e., by building an altar to rebel against the Lord). There is a play on the verb in this chapter.

a. "return to your tents," Jos. 22:8,9

b. "turn away," Jos. 22:16,18,23,29,32

3. "to rebel against the Lord," BDB 597, KB 632, Qal infinitive construct, cf. Jos. 22:18, 19(twice), 29; Num. 14:9

22:17 "Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us" This is a reference to the Israelites worshiping the Canaanite fertility gods. This occurred on the plains of Moab and is recorded in Num. 25:1-13. It was apparently instigated by Baalam's advice to Balak, which is also recorded in Num. 22-24. Israel was severely punished for this by God and the implication here is that they still carried the scars of that punishment.

22:18 "that He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow" Notice the sense of corporeality is not only seen in the closing verse of chapter 17, but is reaffirmed in the account of Achan's sin (cf. Joshua 7), mentioned in Jos. 22:20. It seems that this delegation mentioned one account of sin which had occurred on the eastern side of the Jordan, i.e., the Baal of Peor, and another account which happened on the western side of the Jordan, i.e., Achan and the defeat at Ai (cf. Joshua 7). When one person (or a few) sins, all are negatively affected!

22:19 "If, however, the land of your possession is unclean" There are two ways to understand this phrase:

1. the eastern lands were considered outside the Promised Land

2. the sin of Peor permanently polluted the whole area.

▣ Phinehas and the delegation confronted the eastern tribes to take decisive action.

1. "cross into the land," BDB 716, KB 778, Qal imperative

2. "take possession among us," BDB 28, KB 31, Niphal imperative

3. "only do not rebel against the Lord," BDB 597, KB 632, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

4. "or rebel against us," same verb as above

The rebellion is characterized as "building (BDB 124, KB 139, Qal infinitive construct) the altar." There was to be only one Hebrew altar of sacrifice, which was to be located at the tabernacle (cf. Deut. 12:11).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:21-25
 ²¹Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the families of Israel. ²² "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the Lord do not save us this day! ²³If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the Lord Himself require it. ²⁴But truly we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, 'In time to come your sons may say to our sons, "What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the Lord." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the Lord.

22:22 "the Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord!" Here we have three of the most common names for God in the Old Testament: (1) "El," which is the general name for God and seems to mean "the strong One"; (2) "Elohim," which is the plural form of "El" and is translated "God" in Genesis 1; it can refer to angels (cf. Ps. 8:5) or judges of Israel (cf. Ps. 82:6); and (3) the term "Lord," which seems to refer to the covenant name for God given in Exod. 3:14, "YHWH." The fact that these three names (cf. Ps. 50:1) are repeated twice possibly refers to the Hebrew concept that when something is stated three times it becomes a superlative. This may be a way of saying "the highest and only God" (cf. Ps. 50:1). This repetition of God's name is meant to show the solemnity of their oath. See Special Topic: The Names for Deity at Jos. 1:1.

Deity is not only characterized by titles, but by His actions.

1. "He knows," BDB 393, KB 390, Qal participle

2. "may Israel itself know," BDB 393, KB 390, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

3. "save" (negated conditional sentence), BDB 446, KB 448, Hiphil imperfect used in a jussive sense. The implication here is "save" us from the attack of the rest of the Israeli army.

22:23 The eastern tribes answer in a series of conditional sentences.

1. "If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord"

a. "build," BDB 124, KB 139, Qal infinitive construct

b. "to turn," BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal infinitive construct

2. "If to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it," "to offer," BDB 748, KB 828, Hiphil infinitive construct

3. "If to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it," "to offer," BDB 793, KB 889, Qal infinitive construct

4. "Then may the Lord Himself require it," BDB 134, KB 152, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense, cf. 1 Sam. 20:16; 2 Sam. 4:11. The NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 723, asserts that this usage of the verb means "investigate" in a legal sense.

22:24 "but truly we have done this out of concern, for a reason" This explanation, phrased in such strong terms, is meant to show the visiting delegation that they have totally misunderstood the reason for the altar. The altar was not meant for sacrifice, but to remind the tribes of the western bank that the three eastern tribes were also their brothers and that they should not be cut off from each other.

22:25 We see again the emphasis on training sons in religious ways, which is a recurrent theme of Deuteronomy (cf. Jos. 4:9; 6:20-25; 11:19; and 32:46).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:26-29
 ²⁶"Therefore we said, 'Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; ²⁷rather it shall be a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord."' ²⁸"Therefore we said, 'It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it is a witness between us and you."' ²⁹ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away from following the Lord this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle."

22:26 "Let us build an altar" This phrase has two verbals.

1. "do" or "make," BDB 793, KB 889, Qal imperfect, but used in a cohortative sense

2. "build," BDB 124, KB 139, Qal infinitive construct

Verses 26-28 are what the eastern tribes were saying to themselves.

22:28 "the copy of the altar of the Lord" For a detailed description of the bronze sacrificial altar see Exod. 20:24-26.

22:29 "Far be if from us" This is an emphatic exclamation (cf. Jos. 24:16; Gen. 44:7; 1 Sam. 2:30; 14:45; 20:2,9; 22:15).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:30-31
 ³⁰So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, even the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. ³¹And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the Lord; now you have delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord."

22:30 "it pleased them" This verb (BDB 405, KB 408, Qal imperfect) is used in this sense several times (cf. Jos. 22:33; Lev. 10:19,20; Deut. 1:23; 1 Sam. 18:5; 24:4; 2 Sam. 3:36; 18:4; 1 Kgs. 3:10).

22:31 "Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the Lord" Notice that the presence of God was related to the sin or lack of sin on the part of the believing community. In the Old Testament the holiness of God requires holiness in His people.

▣ "you have delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord" This verb (BDB 664, KB 717) in the Hiphil means "rescue," "save," or "snatch away" (cf. Jos. 2:13; 9:26; Jdgs. 9:17; 1 Sam. 14:48).

If these tribes would have acted unfaithfully, then YHWH's judgment would have fallen on all Israel (cf. Jos. 22:17,20). Since the eastern tribes had not rebelled, then all of Israel was "delivered"!

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 22:32-34
 ³²Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³The word pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in war to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living. ³⁴The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar Witness; "For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the Lord is God."

22: 34 "called the altar Witness" In the New American Standard Bible, the term "witness" is in italics, which means that it is not in the ancient Masoretic or Hebrew text. This term does not appear in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, or the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Old Testament. It is simply supplied for an English reader to understand what the altar was called (following the Syriac translation). It really refers to the term mentioned in Jos. 22:27.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How was it decided which tribes would inherit land on the eastern side of the Jordan?

2. What is the significance of verse 5?

3. What is the significance of Joshua's blessing?

4. What happened at Peor? What happened on account of Achan?

5. What is the significance of verse 22?

6. Why did the eastern tribes build an altar on their side of the Jordan?

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISION OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Verses 1-13 are a summary of YHWH's activity toward the man Abraham and his seed.

B. The Hittite treaties of the second millennium b.c. offer us an ancient, historically contemporary parallel to the structure of Deuteronomy (as well as Exod. - Lev. and Jos. 24). This treaty pattern changed by the first millennium b.c. This gives us evidence for the historicity of the Pentateuch and Joshua. For further reading in this area, see G. E. Mendenhall's Law and Covenants in Israel and the Ancient Near East and John Walton, Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context, pp. 95-107.

C. The Hittite treaty of the second millennium b.c. and its parallels in Deuteronomy

1. preamble (Deut. 1:1-5, introduction of speaker, YHWH)

2. review of the past acts of the King (Deut. 1:6-4:49, God's past acts for Israel)

3. treaty terms (Deuteronomy 5-26)

a. general (Deuteronomy 5-11)

b. specific (Deuteronomy 12-26)

4. results of treaty (Deuteronomy 27-29)

a. benefits (Deuteronomy 28)

b. curses/consequences (Deuteronomy 27)

5. witness of deity (Deut. 30:19; 31:19, also 32, Moses' son functions as a witness)

a. a copy in the temple of the deity

b. a copy with the vassal to be read annually

c. the uniqueness of the Hittite treaties from the later Assyrian and Syrian treaties were:

1) the historical review of the past acts of the king

2) the cursing section was last pronounced

D. The Hittite treaty pattern of the second millennium and its parallels in Joshua:

1. identification of the King (24:2)

2. narrative of the King's great acts (24:2-13)

3. covenant obligations (24:14,23)

4. instructions for depositing the treaty in the sanctuary (24:25-26)

5. the deities of the parties involved invoked as witnesses (24:22)

6. blessing of fidelity; curses for violation (24:20)

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:1-13
 ¹Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. ²Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. ³Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. ⁴To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. ⁵Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. ⁶I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷But when they cried out to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time. ⁸Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you. ⁹Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ¹⁰But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. ¹¹You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. ¹²Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. ¹³I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'"

24:1 "Shechem" This was a sacred site for the patriarchs (cf. Gen. 12:6-7; 33:18-20; 35:2-4). Also it is mentioned later in Deut. 27 and Joshua 8: 30-35. See NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1213-1216 or ABD, vol. 5, pp. 1174-1186. Shiloh became the dominate sacred site in the period of the Judges because of the presence of the tabernacle.

▣ There are several terms that describe leaders within Israel (cf. Jos. 23:2). Their exact meaning is often speculation:

1. Elders, 8:33; 23:2; 24:1 - BDB 278

2. Heads, 23:2; 24:1 - BDB 910

3. Judges, 8:33; 23:2; 24:1 - BDB 1047

4. Officers, 8:33; 23:2; 24:1 - BDB 1009

24:2 "Joshua said to all the people" He obviously spoke through the officers and the elders of Jos. 24:2 because the number of people would be too great for him to speak to them all at once.

▣ "Thus says the Lord the God of Israel" This is the covenant title for deity. Notice the number of "I's" in Jos. 24:1-13. Joshua is speaking directly for YHWH (cf. Jos. 24:3, 4 (twice), 5 (four), 6, 7, 8 (three), 10 (twice); 1:1,12,13)!

▣ "ancient times" "'Olam" must be interpreted in light of its context. It is often translated "forever" or "eternal," but this context shows its fluidity (semantic field). See Special Topic: Forever ('Olam) at Jos. 4:7.

▣ "the River" This refers to the Euphrates.

▣ "they served other gods" Ur and Haran were both centers of the worship of the Moon goddess. Terah's name (wandering, BDB 1076) itself may reflect this worship. Abraham was obviously involved to some extent. God chose him in grace, not because of his theology or unusual merit. The rabbis say he was persecuted by his neighbors because he was against idolatry. The hero in this text (and all other texts) is YHWH, not the human beings. The choice of Abraham was an act of pure grace and redemptive purpose (cf. Gen. 3:15; Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:28; Luke 22:22).

24:3-4 The verb "gave" (BDB 678, KB 733, Qal imperfect) occurs three times in these verses, emphasizing YHWH's power, control, and eternal purposes.

24:4 "Mount Seir" This refers to the land south of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, usually associated with Edom. YHWH gave this land to the descendants of Ishmael (cf. Gen. 16:7-14; 17:18,20).

24:5 Read Gen. 15:12-21. This was purposeful action on YHWH's part.

24:6 "chariots" See Special Topic at Jos. 11:4.

24:7 "darkness" This cloud represented YHWH's presence, to one, darkness (Egyptians), to the other, light (Israelis, cf. Exod. 14:19-20). This same word (BDB 66) is used of the ninth plague on Egypt (i.e., darkness, cf. Exod. 10:22).

24:8 "the land of the Amorites" This refers to the land east of the Jordan River, which became the territory of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (cf. Num. 21:21ff).

24:9 "Balah . . . Balaam" This false prophet's attempt to curse Israel (cf. Numbers 22) is alluded to several times (cf. Deut. 23:4-5; Jos. 13:22; here; Neh. 13:2; Micah 6:5).

▣ "fought against Israel" The UBS Translators Handbook on Joshua makes the good point that "fought against Israel" seems to contradict Num. 22:6,11; Deut. 2:9; Jdgs. 11:25. Therefore, some commentators have suggested

1. "prepared to fight"

2. "stood up against"

3. "opposed"

4. "stood in your way"

The verb (BDB 535, KB 1086, Niphal imperfect) seems to always mean "fight" (e.g., 9:2; 10:25,29,31; 19:47; Jdgs. 1:5; 9:17; 11:8,25).

24:10 The term translated "bless" is the Piel imperfect and the Piel infinitive absolute of the same root (BDB 138, KB 159), which is a way to express intensification.

24:11 "Amorite" This term may mean "highlanders." It was a collective term for all the tribes of Canaan. See Special Topic at Jos. 3:10.

▣ "Canaanite" This term may mean "lowlanders." It was a collective term for all the tribes of Canaan.

See Special Topic at Jos. 3:10.

24:12 "hornet" This is possibly a metaphor of divine activity causing fear because, although it is mentioned several times (cf. Exod. 23:28; Deut. 7:20), it is never listed as actually happening. The metaphor is also used in Deut. 1:44.

24:13 The Promised Land was an undeserved grace gift from YHWH for the purpose of establishing a people who would reflect His character and love to the nations. See Special Topic at Jos. 1:7.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:14-15
 ¹⁴"Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

24:14-15 This is a series of imperatives from Joshua to the tribes.

1. "fear," BDB 431, KB 432, Qal imperative, cf. Lev. 19:32; 25:36,43; Deut. 5:29; 6:2,13,24; 10:12,20; 13:4; 14:23; 17:19; Jos. 4:24

2. "serve," BDB 712, KB 773, Qal imperative; notice how often this verb is used in Joshua 24 (cf. Jos. 24:2,14[twice],15[four],16,18,19,20,21,22,24,31)!

a. in sincerity (BDB 1071)

b. in truth (BDB 54)

3. "put away" (lit. "turn aside"), BDB 693, KB 747, Hiphil imperative, cf. Gen. 35:2; 1 Sam. 7:4

4. "choose," BDB 103, KB 119, Qal imperative, cf. Jos. 24:22. Covenant faith involves a decision of human choice, as well as a divine choice! Covenant faith is more than family faith or national faith. It must be personal faith (cf. John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 10:9-13).

NASB"in sincerity and truth"
NKJV"in sincerity and in truth"
NRSV"in sincerity and in faithfulness"
TEV"sincerely and faithfully"
NJB"truly and sincerely"

The JPSOA translation has "with undivided loyalty." These terms focus on an inner attitude and outer lifestyle (cf. Deut. 6:4-5). The term "truth" (BDB 54) is the OT root for faith, believe, trust, which is paralleled to the NT term (pistis, pistos, pisteuō). See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: FAITH (PISTIS [noun], PISTEUŌ, [verb], PISTOS [adjective])

24:15 This is Joshua' affirmation of personal faith and family faith. He had served YHWH all his adult life and now at the end, he reaffirms his faith.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:16-18
 ¹⁶The people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; ¹⁷for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. ¹⁸The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God."

24:16-18 "The people answered" This is another of Israel's affirmations of faith. This is a covenant renewal ceremony, cf. Jos. 24:26-27 (also see Jos. 24:16-18, 21, and 24).

24:17-18 These verses reiterate YHWH's faithfulness and redemptive acts toward Israel: (1) the exodus from Egypt; (2) the miracles of deliverance; (3) God's presence and care during the wilderness wandering period; and (4) the defeat of the Canaanites and the possession of the Promised Land (cf. Gen. 15:16).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:19-28
 ¹⁹Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." ²¹The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord." ²²Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses." ²³Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel. ²⁴The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice." ²⁵So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. ²⁶And 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 oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. ²⁷Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God." ²⁸Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.

24:19 "You will not be able to serve the Lord" This follows the revelation to Moses in Deut. 31:16-22. Joshua seems to be emphasizing the difficulty in serving a holy God. The sacrificial system of Leviticus was a means for sinful people to approach a holy God and maintain fellowship (i.e., covenant). It is impossible in our own strength.

▣ "holy God" Both terms are plural (i.e., plural of majesty), which intensifies the concept.

▣ "jealous God" This is a love word which implies a deep personal relationship (cf. Exod. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15). He is spoken of as a "father" or even a "husband" (cf. Hosea 1-3).

▣ "He will not forgive your transgressions and sins" Covenant obedience is crucial. God is faithful, but the covenant is conditional. Sin has consequences! YHWH will not overlook rebellion (cf. Exod. 23:21). This is the problem of the first covenant—fallen human inability to maintain fellowship with a holy God.

24:20 "if" The "if" shows the conditional nature of YHWH's covenant and promises to Israel (e.g., Deut. 28:1-2,15). All of YHWH's blessings of Deuteronomy 27-28, as well as His land promises, are conditioned on a faithful, obedient, believing Israel. This is true of the Old Testament and the eschaton!

24:22 "you are witnesses against yourselves" The covenant has rights and responsibilities. To say "yes" has definite privileges and consequences. Israel had affirmed their covenant relationship to YHWH in Jos. 24:16-18 and again in Jos. 24:24.

24:23 "put away foreign gods which are in your midst" The verb "put away" (BDB 693, KB 747) is a Hiphil imperative, cf. Jos. 24:14; Gen. 35:2; 1 Sam. 7:4). The gods were already in their midst (i.e., the Canaanite gods). Amos 5:27 seems to confirm this possibility, but the second half of the verse implies attitudes, ("incline your hearts," BDB 639, KB 692, Hiphil imperative), not actual objects. This verse calls on Israel to "incline," but 1 Kgs. 8:58 calls on YHWH to cause His people to "incline" (cf. Prov. 21:1; Psa. 141:4 negated). The Hebrew can mean either.

24:26 "took a large stone" In Deut. 16:21-21 this was prohibited. But, remember, the purpose of this stone is the key. This was a third covenant renewal service!

24:27 "it has heard" This is a personification of the stone which was common (cf. Hab. 2:11; Ezek. 36:4,6). It is characteristic of Hittite treaties for natural objects to act as witnesses (rocks, trees, clouds, mountains). Joshua has used stones as memorials in the past (i.e., two piles in Joshua 4).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:29-30
 ²⁹It came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old. ³⁰And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash.

24:29 "the servant of the Lord" This was used often of Moses, but only here of Joshua. See note at Jos. 1:1.

▣ "one hundred and ten" This is also the age of Joseph when he died (cf. Gen. 50:26). This age may have been a symbol of a blessed life.

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:31
 ³¹Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

24:31 This is a common theme in the OT. Those who experienced YHWH's power and deliverance remained faithful, but the next generation which only heard about it often went astray (e.g., the book of Judges).

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): JOSHUA 24:32-33
 ³²Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph's sons. ³³And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

24:32 "bones of Joseph" This was Joseph's request (cf. Gen. 50:24-26; Exod. 13:19). He had been embalmed with great care in the tradition of the Egyptians.

▣ "which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor" (cf. Gen. 33:19). Shechem was also in the land allotment of Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

NASB, NRSV"pieces of money"
NKJV, TEV,
NJB"pieces of silver"

The Hebrew is uncertain (BDB 903, Gen. 33:19; Job 42:1). It occurs three times in the OT. It seems to refer to an unknown weight functioning as money. The Septuagint translates the term as "lamb," which may mean (1) shape of a lamb or (2) the value of a lamb (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 239).

24:33 "Eleazar" The High Priest during Joshua's day also died and was buried at Gibeah, not the city in the tribal allocation of Benjamin, but a place near Shiloh in the allocation of Ephraim.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What is the difference between chapter 23 and 24?

2. Does the Bible teach against inter-racial marriage?

3. Is this chapter a literary unit written in Joshua's day or a later compilation?

4. Why does "I" appear so often in Jos. 24:3-13?

5. Was Abraham a polytheist before God called him?

6. Why are Jos. 24:14 and 15 so important in describing biblical faith?

7. Are verses 29-33 a later addition?

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