Joshua

Joshua

Book Outhne

Key theme: Claiming our victory and our inheritance in Christ

Key verse:

I. Preparing the Nation ()

A. Encouraging the leader ()

B. Spying out the land ()

C. Crossing the river ()

D. Affirming the covenant ()

II. Defeating the Enemy ()

A. The central campaign ()

B. The southern campaign ()

C. The northern campaign ()

D. Summary of the victories ()

III. Claiming the Inheritance ()

A. Territory assigned to the tribes ()

B. Cities of refuge set apart ()

C. Cities for the Levites identified ()

D. Border tribes sent home ()

IV. Renewing the Covenant ()

A. Joshua’s final message to the leaders ()

B. Joshua’s final message to the nation ()

Book Overview

Why should anybody today study the Book of Joshua, an ancient book that gives a grim account of war, slaughter, and conquest? If the Book of Joshua were fiction, we might accept it as an exciting adventure story; but the book conveys real history and is a part of inspired Holy Scripture. What does it mean to us today?

“There never was a good war, or a bad peace,” Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1783, but it’s possible that the wise old patriot was wrong for once. After all, God called Joshua to be a general and to lead the army of Israel in holy conquest. But there were bigger issues involved in that conquest than the invasion and possession of a land—issues that touch our lives and our faith today.

That’s why we’re embarking on this study. The Book of Joshua is the book of new beginnings for the people of God, and many believers today need a new beginning. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel claimed their inheritance and enjoyed the blessings of the land that God had prepared for them, “like the days of the heavens above the earth” (). That’s the kind of life God wants us to experience today. Jesus Christ, our Joshua, wants to lead us in conquest now and share with us all the treasures of His wonderful inheritance. He has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (), but too often we live like defeated paupers.

From to , the Bible focuses attention on the ministry of Moses, God’s chosen servant to lead the nation of Israel. But Moses dies, and though he would not be forgotten (he’s named over fifty times in the Book of Joshua), a new “servant of the Lord” () would take his place.

Like Moses, Joshua was human and made his share of mistakes, but he was still God’s chosen and anointed leader, and the people knew this. This is why they said to Joshua, “We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses” (). God’s people in the church today need to acknowledge God’s leaders and give them the respect that they deserve as the servants of God (, ).

The secret of Joshua’s success was his faith in the Word of God (), its commandments and its promises. God’s Word to Joshua was “Be strong!” (vv. , , , ; and see , , ); and this is His Word to His people today.

“Be Transformed”

The practical message of the Book of Joshua is that God keeps His promises and enables His servants to succeed if they will trust Him and obey His Word. The spiritual message is that God has a rich inheritance for His children now, and they can claim it by faith. This message is amplified in the Book of Hebrews, especially chapters and .

The Bible tells us that, when it comes to the things of the Lord, there are several different kinds of people in this world. Most people are still in bondage in Egypt and need to be delivered by faith in Jesus Christ. Others have trusted Christ and been delivered from bondage but are wandering in the wilderness of unbelief because they won’t enter into their inheritance by faith. Still others have “sampled” the inheritance but prefer to live on the borders of the blessing. Finally, there are those who follow their Joshua (Jesus/Joshua = “Jehovah is salvation”) and enter the Promised Land and claim their inheritance.

Remember, crossing the Jordan and entering the land is not a picture of dying and going to heaven. The crossing is a picture of dying to self and the old life and entering our spiritual inheritance here and now, enjoying the fullness of God’s blessing as we serve the Lord and glorify Him. The transition is what and call “entering into his rest.”

The greatest need in the church today is for God’s people to see how much they are missing by wandering in unbelief, or by living on the borderline of the blessing and then to claim God’s promises and enter into their spiritual inheritance. We’re a deprived people, because we’ve failed to claim our spiritual riches, and we’re a defeated people, because we’ve failed to trust our Joshua to lead us on to victory. Too many of us are like Achan, stealing from God, when we ought to be like Caleb, claiming the mountains and overcoming the giants.

God’s Commission to Joshua

2“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.

4“From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

7“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

The Order to Cross the Jordan

13“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’

14“Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them,

15“until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

16So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

18“Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

Rahab Hides the Spies

So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.

2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”

3So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”

4Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

5“And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.”

7Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

10“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

12“Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token,

13“and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

14So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

16And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”

17So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear,

19“So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

20“And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”

21Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

22They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them.

23So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them.

24And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

Israel Crosses the Jordan

2So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp;

5And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

6Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

7And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

10And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:

11“Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.

12“Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.

13“And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

16that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

The Memorial Stones

2“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,

3“and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”

4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;

5and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

6“that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7“Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

8And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

10So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.

11Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.

12And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.

13About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.”

18And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

20And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

21Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’

22“then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’;

23“for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over,

The Second Generation Circumcised

3So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt.

5For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.

6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

7Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

12Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the Army of the LORD

15Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The Destruction of Jericho

3“You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.

5“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

7And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.”

8So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

9The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.

10Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”

11So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.

12And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

13Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.

15But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times.

17“Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

18“And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

19“But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”

22But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.”

23And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.

24But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

25And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”

Defeat at Ai

2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

3And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”

4So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.

5And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

6Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.

7And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!

9“For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

10So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?

12“Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

13“Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

14‘In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come man by man.

15‘Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”

16So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

17He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.

18Then he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

20And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done:

21“When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.

23And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

25And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.

The Fall of Ai

4And he commanded them, saying: “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

5“Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them.

6“For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them.

7“Then you shall rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

8“And it will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the LORD you shall do. See, I have commanded you.”

9Joshua therefore sent them out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

10Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11And all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay between them and Ai.

12So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

14Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

16So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

17There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel.

18Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.

19So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire.

20And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

21Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.

22Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

24And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.

25So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the people of Ai.

26For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua.

28So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.

29And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.

Joshua Renews the Covenant

33Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

35There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.

The Treaty with the Gibeonites

2that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord.

3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

4they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,

5old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

7Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?”

8But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

9So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,

10“and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11“Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’

12“This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.

13“And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

15So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

16And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them.

17Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.

18But the children of Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.

19Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.

20“This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.”

21And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.”

22Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us?

23“Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

24So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

25“And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.”

26So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

The Sun Stands Still

2that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

3Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4“Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”

5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

6And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.”

7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

9Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.

10So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

12Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;

And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”

13So the sun stood still,

And the moon stopped,

Till the people had revenge

Upon their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.

15Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Amorite Kings Executed

16But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

17And it was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

18So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.

19“And do not stay there yourselves, but pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”

20Then it happened, while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities.

21And all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”

23And they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

26And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening.

27So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

Conquest of the Southland

29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah.

30And the LORD also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and fought against it.

32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.

34From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought against it.

35They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.

37And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were in it.

38Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and they fought against it.

39And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.

40So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded.

41And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.

42All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

43Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Northern Conquest

1And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,

2and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,

3to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

4So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.

5And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

6But the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”

7So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.

8And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining.

9So Joshua did to them as the LORD had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

10Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms.

11And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.

12So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.

13But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.

14And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing.

15As the LORD had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

Summary of Joshua’s Conquests

16Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands,

17from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them.

19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.

20For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

22None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.

The Kings Conquered by Moses

2One king was Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites,

3and the eastern Jordan plain from the Sea of Chinneroth as far as the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.

4The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

5and reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

6These Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

The Kings Conquered by Joshua

7And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,

8in the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

9the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

10the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

11the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

12the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

13the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

14the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

15the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

16the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

17the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

18the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

19the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

20the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

21the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

22the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;

23the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one;

24the king of Tirzah, one—all the kings, thirty-one.

Remaining Land to Be Conquered

2“This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites,

3“from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites;

4“from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

5“the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath;

6“all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.

7“Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

The Land Divided East of the Jordan

9from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon;

10all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon;

11Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah;

12all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.

13Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

14Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

The Land of Reuben

15And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families.

16Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba;

17Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

18Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

19Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley,

20Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—

21all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country.

22The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.

23And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Gad

24Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families.

25Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah,

26and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,

27and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward.

28This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

Half the Tribe of Manasseh (East)

29Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families:

30Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities;

31half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.

32These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.

33But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.

The Land Divided West of the Jordan

1These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them.

2Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe.

4For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.

5As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

Caleb Inherits Hebron

7“I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.

8“Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

9“So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’

10“And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.

12“Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”

13And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.

14Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

15And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then the land had rest from war.

The Land of Judah

2And their southern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.

3Then it went out to the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.

4From there it passed toward Azmon and went out to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.

5The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. And the border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.

6The border went up to Beth Hoglah and passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

7Then the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel.

8And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim northward.

9Then the border went around from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah (which is Kirjath Jearim).

10Then the border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah.

11And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea.

12The west border was the coasthne of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.

Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir

13Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).

14Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

15Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).

16And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.”

17So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.

18Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”

19She answered, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The Cities of Judah

20This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

21The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

22Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

23Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

24Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

25Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor),

26Amam, Shema, Moladah,

27Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,

28Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah,

29Baalah, Ijim, Ezem,

30Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

31Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

33In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

34Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

35Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

36Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages;

37Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,

38Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,

39Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

40Cabbon, Lahmas, Kithlish,

41Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages;

42Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

43Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

44Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages;

45Ekron, with its towns and villages;

46from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages;

47Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea with its coasthne.

48And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh,

49Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir),

50Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

51Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages;

52Arab, Dumah, Eshean,

53Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,

54Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages;

55Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

56Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

57Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages;

58Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,

59Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages;

60Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

61In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,

62Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.

Ephraim and West Manasseh

1The lot fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to Bethel,

2then went out from Bethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth,

3and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites, as far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to Gezer; and it ended at the sea.

The Land of Ephraim

5The border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus: The border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon.

6And the border went out toward the sea on the north side of Michmethath; then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janohah.

7Then it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and Naarah, reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.

8The border went out from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families.

9The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.

The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)

1There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan.

2And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

3But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

4And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore, according to the commandment of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.

5Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan,

6because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

7And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.

8Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.

9And the border descended to the Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea.

10Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border. Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

11And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions.

12Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.

13And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

More Land for Ephraim and Manasseh

15So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

16But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”

17And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot,

18“but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

The Remainder of the Land Divided

3Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?

4“Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me.

5“And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north.

6“You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

7“But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”

9So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

10Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

The Land of Benjamin

11Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

12Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven.

13The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon.

14Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward; and it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.

15The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.

16Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel.

17And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

18Then it passed along toward the north side of Arabah, and went down to Arabah.

19And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

20The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.

21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

23Avim, Parah, Ophrah,

24Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages;

25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

26Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,

27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

28Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

Simeon’s Inheritance with Judah

2They had in their inheritance Beersheba (Sheba), Moladah,

3Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,

4Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

5Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

6Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities and their villages;

7Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their villages;

8and all the villages that were all around these cities as far as Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

9The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people.

The Land of Zebulun

10The third lot came out for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was as far as Sarid.

11Their border went toward the west and to Maralah, went to Dabbasheth, and extended along the brook that is east of Jokneam.

12Then from Sarid it went eastward toward the sunrise along the border of Chisloth Tabor, and went out toward Daberath, bypassing Japhia.

13And from there it passed along on the east of Gath Hepher, toward Eth Kazin, and extended to Rimmon, which borders on Neah.

14Then the border went around it on the north side of Hannathon, and it ended in the Valley of Jiphthah El.

15Included were Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

16This was the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Land of Issachar

17The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

18And their territory went to Jezreel, and included Chesulloth, Shunem,

19Haphraim, Shion, Anaharath,

20Rabbith, Kishion, Abez,

21Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.

22And the border reached to Tabor, Shahazimah, and Beth Shemesh; their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.

23This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Asher

24The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.

25And their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

26Alammelech, Amad, and Mishal; it reached to Mount Carmel westward, along the Brook Shihor Libnath.

27It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon; and it reached to Zebulun and to the Valley of Jiphthah El, then northward beyond Beth Emek and Neiel, bypassing Cabul which was on the left,

28including Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon.

29And the border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea by the region of Achzib.

30Also Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob were included: twenty-two cities with their villages.

31This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Land of Naphtali

32The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

33And their border began at Heleph, enclosing the territory from the terebinth tree in Zaanannim, Adami Nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum; it ended at the Jordan.

34From Heleph the border extended westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there toward Hukkok; it adjoined Zebulun on the south side and Asher on the west side, and ended at Judah by the Jordan toward the sunrise.

35And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,

36Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

37Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,

38Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities with their villages.

39This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Dan

41And the territory of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh,

42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Jethlah,

43Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

45Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,

46Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the region near Joppa.

47And the border of the children of Dan went beyond these, because the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it; and they struck it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it, and dwelt in it. They called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

Joshua’s Inheritance

50According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt in it.

51These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.

The Cities of Refuge

2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,

3‘that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

5‘Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.

8And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.

9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.

Cities of the Levites

2And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for our livestock.”

4Now the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin.

5The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

6And the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

8And the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.

9So they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are designated by name,

10which were for the children of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs first.

11And they gave them Kirjath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah, with the common-land surrounding it.

12But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13Thus to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Libnah with its common-land,

14Jattir with its common-land, Eshtemoa with its common-land,

15Holon with its common-land, Debir with its common-land,

16Ain with its common-land, Juttah with its common-land, and Beth Shemesh with its common-land: nine cities from those two tribes;

17and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its common-land, Geba with its common-land,

18Anathoth with its common-land, and Almon with its common-land: four cities.

19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

20And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, the rest of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim.

21For they gave them Shechem with its common-land in the mountains of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the slayer), Gezer with its common-land,

22Kibzaim with its common-land, and Beth Horon with its common-land: four cities;

23and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its common-land, Gibbethon with its common-land,

24Aijalon with its common-land, and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: four cities;

25and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its common-land and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: two cities.

26All the ten cities with their common-lands were for the rest of the families of the children of Kohath.

27Also to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), and Be Eshterah with its common-land: two cities;

28and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its common-land, Daberath with its common-land,

29Jarmuth with its common-land, and En Gannim with its common-land: four cities;

30and from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its common-land, Abdon with its common-land,

31Helkath with its common-land, and Rehob with its common-land: four cities;

32and from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Hammoth Dor with its common-land, and Kartan with its common-land: three cities.

33All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

34And to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its common-land, Kartah with its common-land,

35Dimnah with its common-land, and Nahalal with its common-land: four cities;

36and from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its common-land, Jahaz with its common-land,

37Kedemoth with its common-land, and Mephaath with its common-land: four cities;

38and from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Mahanaim with its common-land,

39Heshbon with its common-land, and Jazer with its common-land: four cities in all.

40So all the cities for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

41All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their common-lands.

42Every one of these cities had its common-land surrounding it; thus were all these cities.

The Promise Fulfilled

43So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

44The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

45Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands

2and said to them: “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.

3“You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

7Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,

8and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”

An Altar by the Jordan

11Now the children of Israel heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.”

12And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

13Then the children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead,

14and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and each one was the head of the house of his father among the divisions of Israel.

15Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

16“Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD: ‘What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the LORD?

17‘Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,

18‘but that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

19‘Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.

20‘Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”

21Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the divisions of Israel:

22“The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the LORD, do not save us this day.

24“But in fact we have done it for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the LORD God of Israel?

26“Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,

27‘but that it may be a witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the LORD.” ’

28“Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’

30Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.

31Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.”

32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them.

33So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

Joshua’s Farewell Address

2And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: “I am old, advanced in age.

3“You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you.

4“See, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward.

6“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,

7“and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

8“but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

9“For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day.

10“One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.

12“Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you,

14“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.

15“Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.

16“When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

The Covenant at Shechem

2And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.

3‘Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.

4‘To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

6‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.

7‘So they cried out to the LORD; and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time.

9‘Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

10‘But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.

12‘I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow.

15“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

16So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;

17“for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed.

18“And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.”

20“If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”

21And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD!”

22So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses!”

23“Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”

25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

26Then 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.

27And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.”

28So Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.

Death of Joshua and Eleazar

30And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.

32The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.

33And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.

Annotations for Joshua

A wise leader doesn’t completely abandon the past but builds on it as he or she moves toward the future. Moses is mentioned fifty-seven times in the Book of Joshua, evidence that Joshua respected Moses and what he had done for Israel. Joshua worshiped the same God that Moses had worshiped, and he obeyed the same Word that Moses had given to the nation. There was continuity from one leader to the next, but there wasn’t always conformity, for each leader is different and must maintain his or her individuality. Twice in these verses Moses is called God’s servant, but Joshua was also the servant of God (). The important thing is not the servant but the Master.

What a new leader needs is not advice but encouragement. “To encourage” literally means “to put heart into.” As God’s people today face the challenges that God gives us, we would do well to learn from the encouragement found in this chapter.

God didn’t give Joshua explanations as to how He would accomplish these things, because God’s people live on promises and not on explanations. When you trust God’s promises and step out by faith (v. ), you can be sure that the Lord will give you the directions you need when you need them.

God has given this promise to His people today! The gospel of Matthew opens with “Immanuel . . . ’God with us’ ” () and closes with Jesus saying, “I am with you always” (). The writer of quotes and applies it to Christians today: “I will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Divine sovereignty is not a substitute for human responsibility. God’s sovereign Word is an encouragement to God’s servants to believe God and obey His commands. Joshua had to exercise faith and “be strong and of good courage.” Believers can be certain of God’s promises, but these promises are to move believers into action not just to sit back and bask.

Joshua had to take time to read God’s Word daily and make it a part of his inner person by meditating on it (; ; see ). The Hebrew word translated “meditate” means “to mutter.” Consider the benefit of “muttering” God’s words throughout the day, either through reading or memorization of Scripture. What an encouragement and blessing for believers!

In the years to come, whenever Joshua faced an enemy and was tempted to be afraid, he would remember that he was a man with a divine commission—and his fears would vanish. Whenever things went wrong and he was tempted to be dismayed, he would recall God’s command—and take new courage. What promises from Scripture remind you of God’s provision, care, or protection and are an encouragement to you today?

Caleb and Joshua were the oldest men in the camp, and yet they were enthusiastic about trusting God and entering the land. It isn’t a matter of age; it’s a matter of faith, and faith comes from meditating on the Word of God (; ). We can thank God for the “senior saints” who have been a part of our lives and have encouraged us to trust the Lord and move forward.

Joshua didn’t try to second-guess God and work things out for himself. He knew that the God who opened the Red Sea could also open the Jordan River. He and Caleb had been present when God delivered the nation from Egypt, and they had confidence that God would work on their behalf again.

, It was a concession on Moses’ part to allow the two and a half tribes to live outside the Promised Land. The tribes liked the land there because it was “a place for livestock” (, , ). Apparently their first concern was making a living, not making a life. They would rather have big flocks and herds than dwell with their brothers and sisters in the inheritance God had given them. How have you been tempted to settle for the blessings of making a living rather than seek, and by faith receive, the promises of God?

The officers encouraged Joshua by praying for him. “Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses.” The best thing we can do for those who lead us is to pray for them daily and ask God to be with them. Joshua was a trained man with vast experience, but that was no guarantee of success. As the Israelites, so we also ought to pray for our leaders, whether in the church or in secular society.

Only two women are personally named in , “The Hall of Fame of Faith”: Sarah, the wife of Abraham (), and Rahab, the harlot of Jericho (). Humanly speaking, Sarah and Rahab had nothing in common. But from the divine viewpoint, Sarah and Rahab shared the most important thing in life: They both had exercised saving faith in the true and living God. Review the genealogy in to see the variety of men and women that God used to accomplish through Christ His redemption program to save the lost.

Jericho was one of many “city-states” in Canaan, each one ruled by a king (see ). The city covered about eight or nine acres, and there is archaeological evidence that double walls about fifteen feet apart protected the city. Rahab’s house was built into the wall (v. ).

Rahab’s faith was conspicuous, and she demonstrated it by receiving the spies and risking her life to protect them. James saw her actions as proof that she was truly a believer (). Her faith wasn’t hidden; the spies could tell that she was indeed a believer.

True saving faith isn’t just a feat of intellectual gymnastics by which we convince ourselves that something is true that really isn’t true. Nor is it merely a stirring of the emotions that gives us a false sense of confidence that God will do what we feel He will do. Nor is it a courageous act of the will whereby we jump off the pinnacle of the temple and expect God to rescue us (). True saving faith involves “the whole personality”: The mind is instructed, the emotions are stirred, and the will then acts in obedience to God.

Keep in mind that the most important thing about Rahab was her faith. That’s the most important thing about any person, for “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (). Not everything that is called “faith” is really true faith, the kind of faith that is described in the Bible. What kind of faith did Rahab have?

What a confession of faith from the lips of a woman whose life had been imprisoned in pagan idolatry! She believed in one God, not in the multitude of heathen gods. She believed He was a personal God (“your God”), who would work on behalf of those who trusted Him. This God whom she trusted was not limited to one nation or one land, but was the God of heaven and earth. Rahab believed in a great and awesome God! Take time to meditate on the awesomeness of God.

A covenant is simply an agreement, a contract between two or more parties, with certain conditions laid down for all parties to obey. You find a number of divine covenants recorded in Scripture: God’s covenant with our first parents in Eden (); God’s covenants with Noah (), Abraham (; ), and Israel (); the covenant concerning the Promised Land, as explained in Deuteronomy; the messianic covenant with David (); and the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ (; ; ). You also find human covenants, such as the agreement between David and Jonathan (; ) and between David and the people of Israel ().

It’s important to note that Rahab and her family were saved by faith in the God of Israel and not by faith in the rope hanging out the window. The fact that she hung the rope from the window was proof that she had faith, just as the blood of the slain lamb put on the doorposts in Egypt proved that the Israelites believed God’s Word. Faith in the living God means salvation, and faith in His covenant gives assurance. Many people today depend for their salvation on their baptism or their participation in the Lord’s Table (the Eucharist, Communion), but this kind of faith is vain. Rahab had faith in the Lord and in the covenant promises He had made through His servants.

When you read , the great “faith chapter” of Scripture, you discover that the people mentioned there all did something because they believed God. Their faith wasn’t a passive feeling; it was an active force, because living faith always leads to action. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” ().

, The ark of the covenant was the “throne of God,” the place where His glory rested in the tabernacle () and God sat “between the cherubim” (). The law of God was kept in the ark, a reminder of God’s covenant with Israel, and the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled on the atonement cover on the annual Day of Atonement (, ).

Since the people had not traveled this way before, they needed God to guide them. But they were not to get too close to the ark, for this was a holy piece of furniture from the tabernacle, and it was not to be treated carelessly. God is our companion as we go through life, but we dare not treat Him like a “buddy.”

The priests would also have to stand in the middle of the riverbed until all the people had passed over. When the priests arrived on the other side, the waters would return to their original condition. It took faith and courage for these priests to do their job, but they trusted God and relied on the faithfulness of His Word.

Having instructed the priests bearing the ark, Joshua then shared the words of the Lord with the people. He didn’t magnify himself; he magnified the Lord and His gracious blessings to the nation. True spiritual leadership focuses the eyes of God’s people on the Lord and His greatness. If you are in a position of leadership, consider how you might draw attention to God’s glory and His promises rather than your own service.

During most of the year, the Jordan River was about a hundred feet wide, but at the spring flood season, the river overflowed its banks and became a mile wide. As soon as the priests bearing the ark put their feet into the river, the water stopped flowing and stood like a wall about twenty miles away upstream, near a city called Adam. It was a miracle of God in response to the faith of the people.

When God opened the Red Sea, He used a strong wind that blew the whole night before (, ). This was not an accident, for the wind was the blast of God’s nostrils (). When Moses lifted his hand, the wind began to blow, and when he lowered his hand, the waters flowed back and drowned the Egyptian army (). When Israel crossed the Jordan River, it was not the obedient arm of a leader that brought the miracle but the obedient feet of the people. Unless we are willing to step out by faith and obey His Word, God can never open the way for us.

“All Israel . . . crossed over on dry ground.” The Book of Hebrews was written to challenge God’s people to go on in spiritual maturity and not go backward in unbelief. In , the writer used Israel’s experience at Kadesh Barnea () to warn foolish Christians not to come short of all that God had planned for them. We never stand still in the Christian life; we either move forward in faith or go backward in unbelief.

The Lord was in control of all the activities at the Jordan River that day. He told the priests when to enter the river and when to leave and go to the other side. He told the water when to roll back and when to return. Both the water and the people obeyed Him, and everything worked out as God planned. It was a day that glorified the Lord and magnified His servant Joshua (v. ). Take time today to worship God by recalling His sovereignty and providence over all things.

, Two heaps of stones were set up as memorials of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan River: twelve stones at Gilgal (vv. , ), and twelve stones in the midst of the river (v. ). They were witnesses that God honors faith and works on behalf of those who trust Him. This pile of twelve stones was a reminder of what God did for His people; to a believing Israelite, it was a constant reminder that Jehovah was his or her God, working His wonders on behalf of His people. Our sinful human minds are prone to forget the blessing and work of God; take a moment to write down and recall God’s work in your life.

The monument at Gilgal reminded the Israelites that God had opened the Jordan River and brought them safely across into the Promised Land. They had made a break with the past and were never to think of going back. The monument in the depths of the river reminded them that their old life was buried and they were now to “live new lives” (). When we study , we will see the spiritual significance for the Christian today of the establishing of this monument and the circumcising of the new generation.

Joshua put an obligation on the Israelites to fear the Lord and bear witness of Him to the whole world. The God who can open the river is the God everybody ought to fear, love, and obey! Israel needed to tell the other nations about Him and invite them to trust Him too. The God of Israel cares for His people, keeps His promises, goes before them in victory, and never fails. What a witness to give to the world!

God brings us out that He might bring us in (), and He brings us in that we might overcome and claim our inheritance in Jesus Christ. Because God’s people are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (; ), they have “overcoming power,” and the world (), the flesh (), or the devil () need not defeat them. In Jesus Christ we are overcomers ().

The events described in took at least ten days, and then the people marched around Jericho for six more days. God waited over two weeks before giving His people their first victory in the land. Are you presently struggling with accepting God’s timing rather than your own? Offer this to God in prayer, and His peace will fill you as you wait for God to act in the circumstances in which you find yourself.

You would have expected Joshua to mobilize the army immediately and attack Jericho. After all, the people of Israel were united in following the Lord, and the people of the land were paralyzed by fear. From the human point of view, it was the perfect time for Joshua to act. But God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours (, ), and Joshua was getting his orders from the Lord, not from the military experts. As believers, we are constantly challenged to see the situation through God’s perspective rather than our own.

Israel and God restore their covenant relationship. Israel is a covenant nation, a privilege God has given to no other nation on earth (, ). God gave His covenant to Abraham when He called him out of Ur of the Chaldeans (), and He sealed that covenant with a sacrifice (). God gave circumcision as the sign of the covenant to Abraham and His descendants (, ; note especially v. ).

Catalyst

Because the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers into the body of Christ (), all believers are identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (; ). This truth is pictured in Israel’s crossing of the river. We’re saved from the penalty of sin, because of substitution: Christ died for us (). But we’re saved from the power of sin, because of identification: We died with Christ (). We must believe what God says is true and reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive in Christ (). We have crossed the river!

We have also been identified with Christ in His circumcision. “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (, ; see also , ).

The Christian’s circumcision is in contrast to that of the Israelites. They had external physical surgery, while believers have internal “spiritual surgery” on their hearts. The Jews’ surgery involved only a part of the body, while for the believer the whole “body” (the whole sinful nature; ) is removed. When you accept this fact and count on it, you have victory over sins of the flesh that would enslave you. Faith in the working of God () can give you overcoming power.

In the early church there were false teachers who said the Gentile Christians had to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses, or they couldn’t be saved (). They were adding human works to God’s grace (; ). Paul called these false teachers “dogs” (that’s what some Jews called the Gentiles) and called circumcision a mutilation, and he affirmed that Christian believers were “truly circumcised” (). God’s children have experienced in Christ an inward “spiritual surgery” that has given them a new heart and new desires (; ; ; see ; ).

Go to the

Israel was camped in enemy territory, just a few miles from Jericho. Now they were going to temporarily disable every male in the nation, including every soldier in the army! What a golden opportunity for the enemy to attack and wipe them out. (See .) It took faith for Joshua and the people to obey the Lord, but their obedience to the law was the secret of their success (, ). In their weakness they were made strong, and through faith and patience they inherited the promises (). This physical operation on the body was meant to be a symbol of a spiritual operation on the heart. “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no long” (). No amount of external surgery can change the inner person. It’s when we repent and turn to God for help that He can change our hearts and make us love and obey Him more. (See .) For Israel, circumcision created a physical difference from the nations. How has your spiritual circumcision of the heart shown a noticeable separation from the world?

Israel’s sin at Kadesh Barnea brought shame to them, but now that was all in the past. The nation was actually in the Promised Land! They had captured the territory east of the Jordan, and their people were already occupying it (). They had crossed the Jordan River and were ready for conquest. No matter what the Egyptians and the other nations had said about Israel because of their sin at Kadesh Barnea, that reproach was now completely gone.

Forty years before, Israel had celebrated the Passover on the night of their deliverance from Egypt (). They also celebrated Passover at Mount Sinai, before leaving for Kadesh Barnea (), but there is no evidence that they commemorated the Passover at any time during their years of wilderness wandering. The fact that the new generation wasn’t circumcised prevented them from participating, and God had temporarily suspended His covenant with His people because of their rebellion at Kadesh Barnea.

, The death of Jesus Christ is typified in the slaying of the Passover lamb (), and His resurrection is typified in the wave offering that was presented on the day after the Sabbath that followed Passover (; ). The day after the Sabbath would be the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, the day of Christ’s resurrection ().

The sequence here is significant: first humble worship, then holy walk, then heavenly warfare. This parallels the “spiritual postures” found in the epistle to the Ephesians. Joshua first bowed the knee (); then he submitted to a holy walk (, ; , , ), and then he went out to battle the enemy in the power of the Lord (.). Like Joshua, we have already been given our inheritance (described in ) and we must overcome the enemy in order to claim it for ourselves and enjoy it. In what areas of your life must you apply this three-fold posture before the Lord? The main lesson of is that we must be a spiritually prepared people if we are going to do the Lord’s work successfully and glorify His name. Instead of rushing into the battle, we must “take time to be holy.”

This paragraph records one of the pre-incarnation appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the Old Testament. To Abraham the pilgrim, the Lord came as a traveler to share in a friendly meal (). To Jacob the schemer, He came as a wrestler to bring him to the place of submission (). The three Hebrew men met Him as their companion in the furnace of fire (), and Joshua met Him as the commander of the Lord’s army. Our Lord always comes to us when we need Him and in the way we need Him.

Joshua was reminded that he was second in command. Every father and mother, pastor, and Christian leader is second in command to the Lord Jesus Christ, and when we forget this fact, we start to move toward defeat and failure. The Lord came to Joshua that day, not just to help but to lead. “For without Me you can do nothing” (). Take some time this week to submit again to the command of God in your life.

, The Christian soldier stands in a position of guaranteed victory because Jesus Christ has already defeated every spiritual enemy (). Jesus defeated Satan not only in the wilderness (), but also during His earthly ministry (), on the cross (), and in His resurrection and ascension (). As He intercedes for His people in heaven, He helps us mature and accomplish His will (, ), and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” ().

Victorious Christians are people who know the promises of God, because they spend time meditating on God’s Word (); they believe the promises of God because the Word of God generates faith in their hearts (); and they reckon on these promises and obey what God tells them to do. To “reckon” means to count as true in your life what God says about you in His Word. Christ has conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil; and if we reckon on this truth, we can conquer through Him. It’s possible to believe a promise and still not reckon on it and obey the Lord. Believing a promise is like accepting a check, but reckoning is like endorsing the check and cashing it.

God’s plan for the conquest of Jericho was seemingly foolish, but it worked. God delights in using weakness and seeming foolishness to defeat His enemies and glorify His name. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” ().

In biblical numerology the number seven represents completeness or perfection. The Hebrew word translated “seven” (shevah) comes from a root that means “to be full, to be satisfied.”

, J. Hudson Taylor described three different ways to serve the Lord: (1) to make the best plans we can and hope they succeed; (2) to make our own plans and ask God to bless them; or (3) to ask God for His plans and then do what He tells us to do. Joshua received his orders from the Lord, and that’s why Israel succeeded. Revisit the past several events in your life; were those more like examples one and two, or more like Joshua and number three?

The activities of the week were a test of the Israelites’ faith and patience. No doubt some of them were anxious to get on with the invasion so they could claim their inheritance and settle down to enjoy the rest God had promised them ().

Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, for the people of Israel had been given one demonstration after another proving that God’s Word and God’s power can be trusted. The Lord had opened the Red Sea, destroyed the Egyptian army, cared for His people in the wilderness, defeated great kings, given Israel their land, opened the Jordan River, and brought His people safely into the Promised Land. How could they do anything other than believe Him! How are these truths an encouragement to you in your walk with Christ?

, The Holy Spirit directed the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews to use this event as one of the “by faith” examples in . The fall of Jericho is an encouragement to God’s people to trust the Lord’s promises and obey His instructions, no matter how impossible the situation may appear to be. You and I may not capture a city as Joshua did, but in our everyday lives we face enemies and obstacles that challenge us. Prayerfully hand over the timing and plan for dealing with the enemies that are against you right now.

It disturbs some people that God commanded every living thing in Jericho to be killed. Isn’t our God a God of mercy? After all, it’s one thing for the Israelites to kill the enemy soldiers, but why kill women, children, and even animals? Why? Because the civilization in Canaan was unspeakably wicked, and God didn’t want His holy people contaminated by their neighbors (). The people in the land had been given plenty of opportunity to repent and turn to the Lord, just as Rahab and her family had done. God patiently endured the evil of the Canaanites since the time of Abraham (). In the destruction of Jericho and its population God is telling us that He will tolerate no compromise with sin in the lives of His people.

As He promised, God was with Joshua (, ), and God magnified Joshua’s name in the land (; ; ). God’s servants must never magnify themselves, and if the Lord magnifies them, they must be careful to give Him the glory. It’s when we are strong that we get overconfident and forget to trust the Lord ().

Never underestimate the amount of damage one person can do when outside the will of God. Abraham’s disobedience in Egypt almost cost him his wife (); David’s disobedience in taking an unauthorized census led to the death of 70,000 people (); and Jonah’s refusal to obey God almost sank a ship (). That’s why Paul admonished the Corinthian believers to discipline the disobedient man in their fellowship, because his sin was defiling the whole church ().

, God made it clear that it was Israel that had sinned and not just Achan alone. Why would God blame the whole nation for the disobedience of only one soldier? Because Israel was one people in the Lord and not just an assorted collection of tribes, clans, families, and individuals. God’s people today are one body in Christ. Consequently, we belong to each other, we need each other, and we affect each other (.).

, , Achan disobeyed God just to possess some wealth that he couldn’t even enjoy. Had he waited just a day or two (, ), he could have gathered all the spoils he wanted from the victory at Ai! “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” ().

When you walk by faith, you will claim all that God has for you, but unbelief is always content to settle for something less than God’s best. This is why the epistle to the Hebrews is in the Bible, to urge God’s people to “go on” and enter into the fullness of their inheritance in Christ ().

, Now Joshua gets to the heart of the matter: Israel’s defeat had robbed God of glory, and for this they had to repent. If the people of the land lost their fear of Israel’s God (), this would make it difficult for Joshua to conquer the land. But the important thing was not Joshua’s fame or Israel’s conquests, but the glory of the God of Israel. Hiding and covering our sin, or dismissing it brings glory to us as we protect our possessions or reputations, but repentance brings glory to God calling to mind His unfailing love and forgiveness.

What the Lord said to Joshua helps us see Achan’s sin (and Israel’s sin) from the divine point of view. “Sin” means “to miss the mark.” God wants His people to be holy and obedient, but they missed the mark and fell short of God’s standard. Sin is sometimes called “transgression,” which means “to cross over.” God had drawn a line and told them not to cross it, but they had violated His covenant and crossed the line.

Since a law in Israel prohibited innocent family members from being punished for the sins of their relatives (), Achan’s family must have been guilty of assisting him in his sin. His household was judged the same way Israel would deal with an Israelite city that had turned to idols (). As members of the body of Christ we are to be pure and to confront the sins of fellow believers for their redemption and healing (; ).

The heap of stones in the valley would be a reminder that God expects His people to obey His Word, and if they don’t, He must judge them. The heap of stones at Gilgal () reminded them that God keeps His Word and leads His obedient people to the place of blessing. Both memorials are needed in the walk of faith. God is love (, ) and longs to bless His people, but God is also light () and must judge His people’s sins.

, Once the nation of Israel had judged the sin that had defiled their camp, God was free to speak to them in mercy and direct them in their conquest of the land. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand” (, ). Is there sin your heart presently? Repent quickly that your relationship with God might be restored.

God always has a plan for His people to follow, and the only way for us to have victory is to obey God’s instructions. Had Achan waited only a few days, he could have picked up all the wealth that he wanted. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. When we run ahead of the Lord, we usually rob ourselves and hurt others.

God changes His leaders lest we start trusting flesh and blood instead of trusting the Lord, and He changes His methods lest we start depending on our personal experience instead of on His divine promises. The strategy God gave Joshua for taking Ai was almost opposite the strategy He’d used at Jericho.

The work of the Lord requires strategy, and Christian leaders must seek the mind of the Lord in their planning. Like Joshua, we must get the facts and weigh them carefully as we seek the will of God. Too often, the work of the Lord only drifts along on the tide of time, without any rudder or compass to give direction, and the results are disappointing.

, Ai’s king was slain. This was the final symbolic gesture of complete victory on the part of Israel. The king had no army, subjects, or city, for the Lord had destroyed them all. It was total victory on the part of Israel.

Since the first portion of the spoils of war in Canaan had already been given to God at Jericho, He permitted the army to claim the spoils at Ai. Furthermore, at Jericho, the victory was theirs because of a miracle of God; while at Ai, because the men actually had to fight, they earned their reward.

Joshua interrupted the military activities to give Israel the opportunity to make a new commitment to the authority of Jehovah as expressed in His law.

In building the altar, Joshua was careful to obey and not apply any tool to the stones picked up in the field. No human work was to be associated with the sacrifice lest sinners think their own works can save them (, ). God asked for a simple stone altar, not one that was designed and decorated by human hands. It’s not the beauty of man-made religion that gives the sinner forgiveness, but the blood on the altar ().

, Believers today have the Word of God written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit of God (; ). The law written on stones was external, not internal, and could instruct the people but could never change them. Paul makes it clear in the epistle to the Galatians that while the law can convict sinners and bring them to Christ (), it can never convert sinners and make them like Christ. Only the Spirit of God can do that.

Joshua now reaffirmed the law in the land of promise. Although Christians “are not under law” but instead “under grace” (; ), this doesn’t mean that we can live any way we please and ignore the law of God or defy it. We aren’t saved by keeping the law, nor are we sanctified by trying to meet the demands of the law, but “the righteous requirement of the law” is “fulfilled in us” as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit ().

, After an experience of great blessing, God’s people must be especially prepared to confront the enemy, for like Canaan, the Christian life is “a land of hills and valleys” ().

Satan is a liar and the father of lies (), and human nature is such that many people find it easier to tell lies than the truth. With tongue in cheek, the American political leader Adlai Stevenson said, “A lie is an abomination unto the Lord—and a very present help in trouble.” The Gibeonites told several lies in their attempt to get out of trouble. Always measure teachings from others by the truth in Scripture. We should never assume that what others teach from the Bible is necessarily true, but must study the Scriptures with eagerness like the Bereans ().

, Joshua and his leaders concluded that the men were telling the truth. The leaders of Israel took the “scientific approach” instead of the “spiritual approach.” They depended on their own senses, examined the “facts,” discussed the matter, and agreed in their conclusion. As a believer, be diligent to approach God in prayer, seeking wisdom in all things (, ). God sees our hearts and knows whether we are really serious about obeying Him. Certainly we ought to use the mind God has given us, but we must heed the warning of , and not lean on our own understanding.

In later years the Gibeonites were called the Nethinim (“given ones” = given to assist the priests) and labored as servants in the temple (). It’s likely that their service in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, influenced them to abandon their idols and worship the God of Israel. The fact that over 500 Nethinim returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (; ) suggests that they were devoted to the Lord and His house.

God in heaven must have laughed (), because unknown to the Israelites, He was using these events to accomplish His own purposes. Instead of having to defeat these five city-states one by one, He would help Joshua conquer them all at one time! Just as God used the defeat at Ai to form a battle plan for victory over Ai (), so also He used Joshua’s mistake with the Gibeonites to protect Gibeon and accelerate the conquest of Canaan. God can and does redeem our mistakes for His glory and for His purposes. How has God done this in your life or that of a loved one? Make your mistakes work for you!

Whenever we believe the promises of God and obey the commands of God, we act by faith and can expect God’s help. The Israelites didn’t have to be afraid because God had already promised them victory. Consider God’s promises to you and by faith believe them, expecting God’s presence and work in your life (cf. ).

Either we believe in a God who can do anything, or we must accept a Christian faith that’s non-miraculous, and that does away with the inspiration of the Bible, the Virgin Birth, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Certainly there’s room for honest questions about the nature of the miraculous, but for the humble Christian believer, there’s never room for questioning the reality of the miraculous.

How do you explain a miracle, any miracle? Of course, the simplest answer is the answer of faith: The Lord is God and nothing is too hard for Him (, ). Day and night belong to God (), and everything He has made is His servant. If God can’t perform the miracle described in , then He can’t perform any miracle and is imprisoned in His own creation, unable to use or suspend the very laws He built into it.

This humiliating posture announced that Joshua had won a total victory and the end had come for the kings. But there was more. He called for his officers to put their feet on the necks of the kings, symbolic not only of the past victory but also of the victories the Lord would give His people in the days ahead.

Joshua’s words must have thrilled the hearts of his brave soldiers. They echo the words God spoke to him when he began his career (). Since Joshua is a type of Jesus Christ, we can apply this scene and these words to Christ and His people. Jesus has defeated all His enemies and will one day return and destroy them forever. Through Him, we can claim victory and put our feet on the necks of our enemies (). Consider a struggle that you have in your spiritual life and meditate on this truth that God in Christ has put His foot on the neck of that enemy in your life.

This section of the Book of Joshua and the chapters that follow summarize Israel’s conquest of the southern (vv. ) and northern cities () in Palestine, and closes with a list of the names of some of the kings whom Israel defeated (). Two things stand out in this record: It was the Lord who gave the victory (, , ; , ), and Joshua obeyed the Lord by utterly destroying the enemy, just as Moses had commanded (, , , ). The only exception was Gibeon.

The “long time” of verse is about seven years. Israel’s failure at Kadesh Barnea (), at which time Caleb was forty years old (), to their crossing of the Jordan was thirty-eight years. He was eighty-five when the conquest was over (), which means that at least seven years had been devoted to the campaign.

, The Anakites mentioned here were a race of giants, descendants of Anak, who were greatly feared by the ten unbelieving men who had spied out Canaan (, , ). The two believing spies, Joshua and Caleb, didn’t fear them but had trusted the Lord for victory. Joshua’s victory over the Anakites is recorded in , and Caleb’s victory in .

Here it says that Joshua “took the whole land” but in it says “there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” The apparent contradiction can easily be explained. Joshua and his army did take control of the whole land by destroying the key cities with their kings and people. Israel didn’t take every little city or slay every citizen or ruler, but they did enough to break the power of the enemy and establish control over the land. Once this was accomplished and there was rest in the land, Joshua was able to assign each tribe its inheritance, and within each inheritance, the tribes had to gain mastery over the remaining inhabitants who were still there. Even after the death of Joshua and his officers, there was additional land to be taken ().

Thirty-three kings are named in , beginning with Sihon and Og whose lands were east of Jordan and had been conquered under the leadership of Moses (vv. ; ). The sixteen kings defeated in the southern campaign are listed in and the fifteen northern kings in verses .

We don’t know Joshua’s exact age at this time in Israel’s history, although he could well have been 100. Caleb was 85 (), and it’s likely that Joshua was the older of the two. Joshua lived to be 110 (), and the events described in the last half of the book could well have taken over ten years. When reviewing Joshua’s life, what is the legacy that remains now that he is buried and in the company of Jesus? What is the legacy that you want to leave in this world?

Catalyst

Lesson #1. Don’t become a “borderline believer.” Enter into the inheritance God appoints for you and rejoice in it. He chose the Promised Land as “our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves” (). The will of God is the expression of the love of God and is always the best for us.

Lesson #2. Be encouraged in your pilgrim journey! You have already received your inheritance in Christ and can claim “every spiritual blessing” (). Since you have a glorious inheritance before you (), keep looking up! The best is yet to come!

Lesson #3. We are never too old to make new conquests of faith in the power of the Lord. Like Caleb, we can capture mountains and conquer giants if we wholly follow the Lord. No matter how old we become, we must never retire from trusting and serving the Lord.

Lesson #4. The older generation must provide for the next generation, not only materially but most of all spiritually. “Senior saints” must be examples of believers and encourage the younger generation to trust the Lord and wholly follow Him.

Lesson #5. God wants to give all His people their inheritance. “You do not have, because you do not ask (God for it)” (). In Jesus Christ, all believers are one and are heirs of God (). Nothing from your first birth should hinder you from claiming all that you have in Jesus Christ.

Lesson #6. It’s not your boasting but your believing that gives you the victory and gains you new territory. Sometimes those who talk the most accomplish the least.

Lesson #7. Unless you have fled by faith to Jesus Christ, you aren’t saved! Since our sins put Jesus on the cross, all of us are guilty of His death. He is the only Savior, and apart from faith in Him, there is no salvation. Have you fled to Him?

Go to the

The two and a half tribes east of the Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh—had agreed to help the other tribes conquer the land before they returned to the east side of the Jordan to enjoy their inheritance (). The boundaries are given for Reuben in the south (), and the half tribe of Manasseh in the north (vv. ), with Gad sandwiched between (vv. ). According to the twenty-second chapter of Joshua, we learn that while their choice may have been good for their cattle, it created serious problems for their children.

These tribes became a sort of “buffer zone” between the Israelites in Canaan and the heathen nations like Moab and Ammon. Of course, their location made them extremely vulnerable both to military attack and ungodly influence, and both of these liabilities eventually brought about their downfall (, ).

, Four times in chapters we are reminded that the Levites were given no inheritance in the land (, ; , ; ), because the Lord was their inheritance (; ; , ). The priests received certain portions from the sacrifices as their due, and both the priests and Levites shared in the special tithes and offerings that the people were commanded to bring.

Since Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah () and had been one of the two faithful spies, he received his inheritance first. Joshua, the other faithful spy, was the last to receive his inheritance (). Caleb reminded his friend Joshua of the promise Moses had made to them forty-five years before (, ; ), that they would survive the years of wandering and receive their inheritance in the land. This promise gave Joshua and Caleb joy and courage as they endured years of wandering and waiting. Remind a friend or family member of God’s promises to encourage and strengthen him or her to finish well.

Caleb was eighty-five years old, but he didn’t look for an easy task, suited to an “old man.” He asked Joshua for mountains to climb and giants to conquer! His strength was in the Lord, and he knew that God would never fail him. The secret of Caleb’s life is found in a phrase that’s repeated in various forms six times in Scripture: “He wholeheartedly followed the LORD, the God of Israel” (vv. , , ; also see ; ; ). Caleb was an overcomer because he had faith in the Lord (). Believers are constantly tempted to have faith in lesser things. If you are being tempted to put faith in yourself, your abilities, or your career, repent and again put your faith in God alone.

The inheritance of the rest of the tribe of Judah is described in great detail—in verses and again in .

This verse says twenty-nine cities, but thirty-six are named. Perhaps the names of some of the “villages” outside the city walls are included in the list.

At that time the Israelites couldn’t take Jerusalem. They held it temporarily later on (), and then David captured it permanently and made it the capital city ().

The birth order was “Manasseh and Ephraim” (see also ), but Jacob reversed it (). God rejects our first birth and gives us a second birth. He accepted Abel and rejected Cain; He rejected Ishmael and accepted Isaac, Abraham’s second-born son; He rejected Esau and accepted Jacob.

Joshua had a problem with the children of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), who complained because the Lord didn’t give them enough room. In pride they told Joshua what a “great people” they were. After all, didn’t Jacob personally adopt and especially bless them? And hadn’t they multiplied in a great way? And wasn’t Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim ()? They were a special people who deserved special treatment. In prayer believers ought to explore their heart for possible feelings of entitlement. After repenting of those feelings, believers should consider others better than themselves.

It is worth noting that the people of Ephraim and Manasseh seemed to be given to criticism and pride. They not only created problems for Joshua but also for Gideon (), Jephthah (), and even David (). “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” ().

Five tribes now had been given their inheritance as Joshua, Eleazer, and the twelve tribal leaders cast lots at Gilgal. Then Joshua moved the camp to Shiloh, in the territory of Ephraim, where the tabernacle remained until David moved the ark to Jerusalem (). The Lord must have directed Joshua to make this move or He would not have done it (). Shiloh was centrally located and was more convenient for all the tribes.

Seven tribes still had to have their inheritance marked out for them, and apparently they were slow to respond to the challenge. Unlike Caleb and the daughters of Zelophehad, these tribes didn’t have faith and spiritual zeal. These tribes had helped fight battles and defeat the enemy, but now they hesitated to claim their inheritance and enjoy the land God had given them.

At this point, Joshua and the leaders inaugurated a new system for allocating the land. After each of the seven tribes appointed three men, all twenty-one men went through the remaining territories and listed the cities and the landmarks, describing each part of the land. They brought this information back to Joshua, who then assigned the various portions to the remaining seven tribes by casting lots before the Lord.

Simeon shared his inheritance with Judah (see ) and eventually inhabited the cities assigned in . The children of Joseph wanted more territory, but were not willing to fight for it by faith, but the people of Judah had so much land that they shared it with Simeon. What a contrast!

The last tribe to receive its assignment was the tribe of Dan, which immediately went to work and expanded its territory. Dan and Benjamin formed a “belt” across the land, connecting the Dead Sea with the Mediterranean.

, Being the leader that he was, Joshua waited until the very last to claim his own inheritance, and the Lord gave him the city of Timnath Serah (vv. , ). Like his friend Caleb, Joshua preferred living in the mountainous region of the land.

Many students have seen in the cities of refuge a picture of our salvation in Jesus Christ, to whom we “have fled . . . for refuge” (). The picture is one of contrast. When we come to Christ for salvation, there’s no need for an investigation or a trial, because we know we’re guilty, and we admit it! The only people Jesus can save are those who confess their guilt and throw themselves on His mercy.

When the nation was still on the other side of the Jordan, God told Moses to have the people set aside special cities for the Levites (), as well as six “cities of refuge” (; ; ). Now that the tribes had received their territories, Joshua could assign these cities.

The six “cities of refuge” were needed because society in that day had no police force to investigate crimes. It was the responsibility of each family to see to it that murders were avenged, but how could they tell whether it was a case of premeditated murder or accidental manslaughter? In the heat of anger, a relative of the dead person might kill somebody who was really innocent of a capital crime.

Our High Priest will never die, and we are forever secure. “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (, ).

The meanings of the names of the cities are interesting. Taking them in the order listed in these verses, you have: Kedesh = “righteousness”; Shechem = “shoulder”; Hebron = “fellowship”; Bezer = “fortress” or “strong”; and Ramoth = “heights.” Hebraists do not agree on what Golan means, but the Gesenius Lexicon says it means “exile.”

These names then can be used to describe what sinners experience when they flee by faith to Jesus. First, He gives them His righteousness, and they can never be accused again. There is no condemnation ()! Like a shepherd, He carries them on His shoulders, and they enter into fellowship with Him. He is their fortress, and they are safe. They dwell in the heights even though they are exiles, pilgrims, and strangers in this world.

The tribe of Levi didn’t have territory assigned to it but was scattered throughout the land. This way, they could teach the people the law and influence each of the tribes to be faithful to the Lord. But the Levites needed places to live and pastures for their cattle. Thus God assigned forty-eight cities for them to live in, along with a specific amount of land for pasture (). The pasturelands could not be sold, but their houses could be sold, and the Levites even had special privileges for redeeming their property ().

It was important that Israel have qualified and authorized people to minister in the tabernacle and later in the temple, and we must never minimize the teaching ministry of the priests and Levites (). Since the common people didn’t own copies of the Scriptures, it was important that the Levites identify with the people and explain the law to them. These Levitical cities were so located that nobody was too far away from someone who could help them understand and apply the Law of Moses.

Catalyst

provides three wonderful affirmations:

First, God was faithful and gave Israel the land (). He kept the covenant that He made, first with Abraham () and then with His descendants.

Second, God gave Israel victory over all their enemies and then gave them rest from war (; see , ; ). What the ten unbelieving spies at Kadesh-barnea said could never happen did happen, because Joshua and the people believed God and obeyed His Word.

Third, God kept His promises (). At the close of his life Joshua would remind the people of this (), and Solomon reminded them of it when he dedicated the temple ().

As the people of God, we can claim these assurances by faith. God’s covenant with us is not going to fail; God’s power and wisdom can give us victory over every foe; and God’s promises can be trusted, no matter what the circumstances may be. The covenant of God, the power of God, the promises of God—these are the spiritual resources we can depend on as we claim our inheritance in Jesus Christ.

Go to the

Joshua was magnanimous in the way he treated his troops after the victory. He commended them (vv. ); he discharged them (v. ); he admonished them (v. ); and he blessed them (vv. ).

These two and a half tribes had promised Moses that they would remain in the army until all the land was conquered, and they kept their promise (; ). After the death of Moses, they pledged that same loyalty to Joshua, their new leader (). They were first of all loyal to the Lord their God. It was His mission they were carrying out and His name they were seeking to glorify. Far above our devotion to a leader, a cause, or even a nation is our devotion and service to the Lord.

Having fulfilled their mission and kept their promise, the tribes were now free to go home, for God had given His people rest. The word “rest” carries with it the meaning of both victory and security, and it involved Israel having their “resting place” in the land. When we trust Christ as Savior, we enter into rest because we have peace with God ().

Like any good leader, Joshua was more concerned about the spiritual walk of his people than anything else. The army had experienced victory in Canaan because Joshua loved the Lord and obeyed His Word (, ), and that would be the “open secret” of Israel’s continued peace and prosperity. Just as they had been diligent in battle, obeying their commander, so they must be diligent in worship, obeying the Lord their God.

It was the ministry of the high priest to bless God’s people (), but the common people could invoke God’s blessing on others, especially a leader upon his people or a father upon his family (; ; , ; ). What a sight to see: a great general asking God’s blessing on his troops!

The wilderness wanderings represent the experience of believers who don’t enter by faith into the rest God has for them (). The two and a half tribes portray believers who have experienced the blessings and battles of Canaan—their inheritance in Christ—but prefer to live on the border, outside God’s appointed place of blessing.

These tribes built a large altar of stones by the Jordan River, on the Canaan side, as a reminder to everybody that the two and a half tribes also belonged to the nation of Israel. Had these tribes been living in the land of Canaan where they belonged, nobody would have questioned their citizenship. But living outside the land, they gave the impression that they were not Israelites.

While “religious” bumper stickers, jewelry, decals, and other items (like altars here in ch. ) might occasionally open doors of opportunity for witness, how much better it would be if our Spirit-led conduct and speech made the lost sit up and take notice. When we’re living as God wants us to live, we’re salt and light, and the Lord uses our witness for His glory.

The Transjordanic tribes accused their fellow Israelites of having worldly children, but they even accused God of creating the problem in the first place! “The LORD has made the Jordan a barrier between you and us.” No! They were the ones who had made the Jordan River the dividing line! In choosing to live east of the river, the two and a half tribes separated themselves from their own people and from the land God had given to all of them.

The delegation gave a wise word of counsel: “Come over and dwell with us, because we have the Lord’s tabernacle in our land” (paraphrase). No man-made altar could substitute for the presence of the Lord among His people in His tabernacle. It’s too bad the two and a half tribes didn’t take this advice and claim their inheritance within the land that God had promised to bless ().

“A witness between us that the LORD is God.” The stones may have been a witness, but the people certainly were not. Surrounded by heathen nations and separated from their brothers and sisters across the river, these tribes quickly fell into idolatry and were eventually taken by Assyria (, ).

Joshua the son of Nun had lived a full life! His long life started in Egyptian bondage and ended in a worship service in the Promised Land. In between those events God had used him to lead Israel in defeating the enemy, conquering the land, and claiming the promised inheritance. With the apostle Paul, Joshua could sincerely say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (). At the end of a long and full life, Joshua’s greatest concern wasn’t himself. His greatest concern was His people and their relationship to the Lord (). He didn’t want to leave until he had challenged them once again to love the Lord and keep His commandments. His life’s work would be in vain if they failed to keep the covenant and enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land.

Having assembled the leaders of the nation, Joshua presented them with two scenarios: Obey the Lord, and He will bless you and keep you in the land; disobey Him, and He will judge you and remove you from the land. These were the terms of the covenant God had made with Israel at Mount Sinai, which Moses had repeated on the Plains of Moab, and which Israel had reaffirmed at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.

Catalyst

Joshua gave the people three strong motives for remaining a separated people and serving the Lord faithfully.

First, remember what the Lord did for Israel (, ). From the day that Israel left Egypt, the Lord had fought for His people and delivered them from their enemies.

Second, obey what the Lord said to Israel (vv. ). He obeyed God’s commandments and believed God’s promises, and God worked on his behalf. But even more, his devotion to the Word of God enabled Joshua to get to know God better, to love Him, and to want to please Him.

Third, consider what the Lord would do to Israel (vv. ). The Word of God is like a two-edged sword (): If we obey it, God will bless and help us; if we disobey it, God will chasten us until we submit to Him. If we love the Lord (), we’ll want to obey Him and please Him, so the essential thing is that we cultivate a satisfying relationship with God.

Go to the

The task of the tribes wasn’t finished! The great danger, of course, was that the people of Israel would gradually change their attitudes toward the pagan nations around them and start accepting their ways and imitating them.

Joshua’s three main admonitions in this address need to be heeded by God’s people today: Keep God’s Word (v. ), hold fast to the LORD (v. ), and love the LORD (v. ). Too many Christians have not only compromised with the enemy but also have capitulated to the enemy, and the Lord is not first in their lives.

Moses had warned Israel against compromising with the evil nations in the land (; ; ), and Joshua reaffirmed that warning (). If Israel began to mingle with these nations, two things would happen: God would remove His blessing, and Israel would be defeated; and these nations would bring distress and defeat to Israel.

Shechem was the ideal location for this moving farewell address by Israel’s great leader. It was at Shechem that God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land (, ), and there Jacob built an altar (). Shechem was located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where the people of Israel had reaffirmed their commitment to the Lord (). Shechem was indeed “holy ground” to the Israelites.

God chose Israel. Abraham and his family were idolaters when God called Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and go to Canaan (). Abraham didn’t seek after God and discover Him; it was God who came to Abraham! There was nothing special about the Israelites that God should choose them (; ; ). Their national identity was an act of God’s grace. No matter what “school” of theology we belong to, all of us must admit that God takes the first step in our salvation.

Catalyst

Joshua’s two farewell speeches (chs. ) give ample evidence that he was a true leader, burdened for the future of his country. He wanted to be sure that the people knew the Lord and wanted to serve Him with their whole heart. People who think only of what they can get today are opportunists and not true leaders. Leadership means planting the right seeds that will bear fruit in years to come for the benefit of others, and Joshua did that.

He glorified God. There was a time in Joshua’s life when he was jealous for the honor of his master, Moses (), but he learned that the most important thing was the glory of the Lord. When the nation crossed the Jordan, it was God who received the glory. “By this you shall know that the living God is among you,” he told the people (). When that miracle march was over, Joshua put up a monument so that Israel and “all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty” (). A lesser man would have put up a monument glorifying himself.

As you read the book that Joshua wrote, you see that he repeatedly gave God the glory for all that happened (; ; ; ; ; ; ). It was the Lord who conquered the enemy and gave the land to the people. It was the name of the Lord that was to be magnified in all the earth. It has been said that a leader is somebody who takes twice as much blame and half as much credit, and Joshua would qualify on both counts.

Go to the

God delivered Israel. God sent Joseph ahead to Egypt to preserve the nation during the famine (), and then He sent Moses and Aaron to deliver the nation from bondage (). It does a believer good to remember what it was like to be in bondage to sin and then to rejoice in the redemption that was purchased so dearly for us on the cross. It’s a dangerous thing to take the gift of salvation for granted.

God guided Israel. God brought Israel out that He might bring them in (). His goal for them was the Promised Land, but their sin at Kadesh Barnea caused them to wander in the wilderness until the old unbelieving generation had died off.

God gave them their land. The same God who took Israel through the Red Sea also took them across the Jordan River and into their inheritance. Except for a temporary defeat at Ai (ch. ) and a humiliating compromise with Gibeon (ch. ), Joshua and his army defeated every enemy in the land because the Lord was with them.

God’s words remind us of what Moses said to Israel in . Once again, the emphasis is on the goodness of God and all that He did for Israel because He loved them. When the Israelites started taking their blessings for granted, they began drifting away from sincere worship of the Lord. A grateful heart is a strong defense against the devil’s temptations.

One of the key words in this section is “serve,” used seventeen times. To serve God means to fear Him, obey Him, and worship only Him. It means to love Him and fix your heart upon Him, obeying Him because you want to and not because you have to.

Joshua made it clear that the people of Israel had to make a decision to serve the Lord God of Israel. There could be no neutrality. But if they served the Lord, then they would have to get rid of the false gods that some of them secretly were worshiping.

Joshua knew that it was easy for the people to promise obedience to the Lord, but it was quite something else for them to actually do it. His stern words were meant to curb their overconfidence and make them look honestly into their own hearts (v. ).

Three times the people affirmed their desire to serve only the Lord (vv. , , ), and Joshua took them at their word. So that they wouldn’t forget this solemn covenant with Jehovah, Joshua wrote it in the book of God’s instructions and then set up a large stone as a perpetual witness to their agreement. This is the ninth and last memorial mentioned in the Book of Joshua.

There is certainly nothing unbiblical about God’s people memorializing a wonderful event or a sacred decision, so long as the memorial doesn’t become the focus of idolatrous worship. It’s good to remember what the Lord did and how we responded, but we must never live in the past. Religious traditions can be helpful or hurtful, depending on how we use them. Here are memorials mentioned in Joshua.

The stones in the midst of the Jordan ()

The stones on the western bank of the Jordan ()

The stones in the Valley of Achor ()

The heap of stones at Ai ()

The altar on Mount Ebal ()

The stones of the law on Mount Ebal ()

The stones at the cave at Makkedah ()

The altar built by the Transjordanic tribes (.)

Joshua’s stone of witness ()

Go to the

Moses had named Joshua as his successor, but it’s significant that God didn’t tell Joshua to appoint a successor. The elders who had served with Joshua guided the nation after his death, but then the people went astray and began to disobey the Lord and worship the false gods of the Canaanites (). Why didn’t the next generation know the Lord and what He had done for Israel? Because the people who lived after Joshua’s time failed to keep their promise and teach their children and grandchildren to fear and serve the Lord.

The Book of Joshua is not a biography of Joshua in the strictest sense, but it certainly tells us a great deal about this godly man. Like the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures, this book was written both to warn us () and to encourage us (). Therefore, we ought to take time to review Joshua’s life and ministry and learn from him lessons that will help us know the Lord better and serve Him more effectively.

Joshua 1

1:1

1:2

1:3

1:4

1:5

1:5

1:5 ,

1:5 ,

1:6 ,

1:7

1:7

1:8

1:8

1:9

1:9

1:11

1:13

1:15

1:17

Joshua 2

2:1

2:1

2:1

2:1 Hebrew Shittim

2:2

2:4 ,

2:6

2:9

2:9 ;

2:9

2:10

2:10

2:10

2:11 ,

2:11 ;

2:11

2:12 , ,

2:12

2:12

2:13

2:14

2:15

2:17

2:18

2:18

2:19

2:24

Joshua 3

3:1

3:1 Hebrew Shittim

3:2 ,

3:3

3:3 ,

3:4

3:5

3:6

3:7

3:7 ,

3:8

3:8

3:10

3:10

3:10

3:11 ;

3:12 ,

3:13 ,

3:13

3:13 ;

3:14 ,

3:15

3:15

3:15 ; ,

3:16 ;

3:16

3:16

3:17 ; ; , , ;

Joshua 4

4:1

4:2

4:3

4:3 ,

4:6

4:6

4:7 ,

4:7

4:11 ;

4:12 , , ,

4:14

4:16 ,

4:18

4:19

4:20 ; ,

4:21

4:22

4:22

4:23

4:24

4:24

4:24

Joshua 5

5:1

5:1 ,

5:1 , ;

5:1 Following Kethib; Qere, some Hebrew manuscripts and editions, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read they.

5:2

5:3 Hebrew Gibeath Haaraloth

5:4

5:6

5:6

5:6

5:6

5:7

5:8

5:9

5:9

5:9 Literally Rolling

5:10

5:12

5:13 , ; ,

5:13

5:14

5:14

5:15

Joshua 6

6:1

6:2 , ;

6:2

6:4

6:4

6:4

6:9

6:11

6:12

6:17

6:17

6:17 ,

6:18

6:18 , ,

6:20

6:21 ; ,

6:22

6:23

6:25 []

6:26

Joshua 7

7:1 ,

7:1

7:1

7:1 Called Zimri in

7:4

7:5

7:6 ,

7:6

7:7

7:9

7:9

7:11

7:11 ,

7:12

7:12 [, ]

7:13

7:13

7:14 []

7:15 ,

7:15

7:15

7:18

7:19

7:19 ,

7:19

7:20

7:24 ,

7:24 ;

7:25

7:25

7:26

7:26

7:26

7:26 Literally Trouble

Joshua 8

8:1 ;

8:1

8:2

8:2

8:4

8:5

8:8

8:11

8:14

8:15

8:22

8:26

8:27 ,

8:27

8:28

8:29

8:29 ,

8:29 ;

8:30

8:31

8:31

8:31 ,

8:32 , ,

8:33 ,

8:33

8:33 ;

8:34

8:34 , , ; , ;

8:34

8:35

8:35

Joshua 9

9:1

9:1

9:1 ;

9:2 ,

9:3 , ; ;

9:3

9:6

9:7 ;

9:7

9:8

9:9

9:9 , ;

9:10 ,

9:14

9:15

9:17

9:18

9:20 , ,

9:21

9:21

9:22 ,

9:22

9:23

9:24 ,

9:24

9:25

9:27 ,

9:27

Joshua 10

10:1

10:1

10:1

10:1 , ,

10:1

10:2

10:4 ;

10:5

10:5

10:6 ;

10:7

10:8

10:8 ,

10:8

10:10

10:10 ,

10:10

10:11

10:12

10:12

10:13

10:14 ,

10:14 ;

10:15

10:21

10:24

10:25

10:25 ;

10:26

10:27 ,

10:28 ,

10:28

10:28 Following Masoretic Text and most authorities; many Hebrew manuscripts, some manuscripts of the Septuagint, and some manuscripts of the Targum read it.

10:29 ;

10:36 ;

10:38

10:40

10:40

10:40 ,

10:40 Hebrew Negev, and so throughout this book

10:41

10:41

10:41 ;

10:42

Joshua 11

11:1

11:1

11:2

11:2

11:3

11:3 ,

11:3 ; ,

11:3

11:4

11:6

11:6

11:8

11:8

11:8 Hebrew Misrephoth Maim

11:11

11:11

11:12

11:13 Hebrew tel, a heap of successive city ruins

11:14

11:15

11:15 ,

11:15

11:16

11:16 ,

11:16 Hebrew arabah

11:17

11:17

11:19

11:20

11:20 ,

11:21 ,

11:22

11:22

11:23

11:23

11:23 , ;

Joshua 12

12:1

12:1

12:2

12:3

12:3

12:3 ;

12:4

12:4

12:4

12:5

12:5

12:5

12:6 ,

12:6

12:7

12:7 ;

12:7

12:8 ;

12:8 ;

12:9

12:9

12:10

12:12

12:13 ,

12:15 ,

12:16

12:16

12:17

12:19

12:20 ;

12:22 ; ;

12:23

12:23

12:24

Joshua 13

13:1 ; ,

13:2

13:2

13:2

13:3

13:3

13:3

13:4 ;

13:4

13:5 ;

13:5

13:5 Or Giblites

13:6

13:6

13:6 ,

13:6 Hebrew Misrephoth Maim

13:8

13:8

13:9

13:10 ,

13:11

13:12

13:12 , ,

13:13

13:14 ,

13:14

13:15

13:16

13:16

13:16

13:17 ,

13:18

13:19

13:19

13:20

13:21

13:21

13:21

13:22 ;

13:24

13:25 ,

13:25 ,

13:25

13:27

13:27

13:27

13:29

13:30

13:31 ; ;

13:31 ,

13:33 ;

13:33

Joshua 14

14:1

14:2 ; ;

14:3 , ,

14:4

14:4

14:5

14:6 ,

14:6 ,

14:6

14:7 , ;

14:8 ,

14:8

14:9 ,

14:9

14:10 , ,

14:10

14:11

14:11

14:12 ,

14:12

14:12

14:13

14:13 ;

14:14

14:14 ,

14:15

14:15

Joshua 15

15:1

15:1

15:2 ,

15:3

15:4

15:5

15:6 ,

15:6

15:7

15:7

15:7

15:8

15:8 ;

15:8

15:8 Literally Giants

15:9

15:9

15:9

15:10

15:11

15:12 ,

15:13

15:13

15:13

15:14 ,

15:14

15:15

15:16

15:17 ;

15:17

15:17

15:18

15:18

15:19

15:21

15:24

15:28

15:30

15:31 ;

15:32 ,

15:33 ;

15:35

15:38

15:39

15:39

15:40 Or Lahmam

15:42

15:46

15:47

15:47

15:51 ;

15:54

15:55 ,

15:60

15:62

15:63

15:63

Joshua 16

16:1 ;

16:2

16:2 Septuagint reads Bethel (that is, Luz).

16:3

16:3

16:4

16:5

16:5

16:5

16:6

16:7 Or Naaran (compare )

16:8

16:8

16:9

16:10

Joshua 17

17:1 ; ;

17:1

17:1

17:2

17:2

17:2

17:2

17:2 Called Jeezer in

17:3 ; ;

17:4

17:4

17:5

17:7

17:8

17:9

17:11

17:11

17:12 , ,

17:13

17:14

17:14

17:14

17:16 ;

17:16

17:18

Joshua 18

18:1

18:1

18:3

18:5

18:5

18:6 ;

18:7

18:7

18:8

18:10

18:10

18:11

18:12

18:13

18:13

18:14

18:15

18:16

18:16

18:16 Literally Giants

18:17

18:18 Or Beth Arabah (compare and )

18:19 ,

18:25 ,

18:25

18:28 ,

Joshua 19

19:1

19:1

19:2

19:8

19:9

19:11

19:11

19:12

19:13

19:22

19:24 ,

19:26

19:27

19:28

19:28 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; a few Hebrew manuscripts read Abdon (compare and ).

19:29

19:32

19:34

19:37

19:40

19:41

19:42

19:42 ;

19:43

19:47

19:47

19:50

19:50

19:51

19:51 ,

Joshua 20

20:2

20:5

20:6 , ,

20:7

20:7

20:7 ; ,

20:7

20:8

20:8

20:8

20:9

20:9

Joshua 21

21:1

21:1 ;

21:2

21:2

21:4 ,

21:4

21:5

21:6

21:7

21:8

21:8

21:11

21:11 ; ,

21:11

21:12

21:13

21:13 ; ,

21:13

21:14

21:14

21:15

21:15

21:16

21:16

21:16

21:17

21:17

21:18

21:20

21:21

21:21

21:24

21:27

21:27

21:32

21:34

21:36

21:37 Following Septuagint and Vulgate (compare , ); Masoretic Text, Bomberg, and Targum omit verses and .

21:38

21:41

21:43 ; , ; , ,

21:43

21:44 ,

21:44 , ;

21:44

21:45

Joshua 22

22:2

22:2

22:4

22:4

22:5 , ;

22:5 ; ,

22:6

22:7

22:8

22:9 , ,

22:11 ,

22:12

22:13

22:13

22:14

22:14 Literally thousands

22:16

22:16 ,

22:17

22:18

22:19

22:20

22:21 Literally thousands

22:22 ;

22:22 []

22:23

22:27

22:27 ,

22:29 ,

22:30 Literally thousands

22:31 ,

22:33

22:34 Septuagint adds and half the tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua 23

23:1 ;

23:1 ;

23:2

23:3

23:3

23:4 , ;

23:5 ;

23:5

23:6

23:6

23:7 ,

23:7

23:7 ;

23:7

23:8

23:9 ;

23:10

23:10

23:11

23:12 [, ]

23:12 ,

23:13

23:13 ;

23:14

23:14

23:15

23:15

23:16

Joshua 24

24:1

24:1

24:1

24:2

24:2

24:2 Hebrew Nahar, the Euphrates, and so in verses , , and

24:3 ; ,

24:3 []

24:4

24:4

24:4 , ,

24:5

24:5

24:6 , ;

24:7

24:7

24:7

24:8

24:9

24:9

24:10

24:10 , ;

24:11 ,

24:11 ;

24:12

24:12

24:13 ,

24:14

24:14

24:14

24:14 ,

24:15

24:15

24:15 ,

24:15

24:18

24:19

24:19

24:19

24:19

24:20

24:20

24:22

24:23

24:23 ,

24:24

24:25

24:25

24:26

24:26

24:26

24:26

24:27

24:27

24:28 ,

24:29

24:30

24:31

24:31

24:32

24:32

24:33

24:33

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