joshua donald j friday old testament i - bi 514 father timothy hayes, b.a., s.t.b., s.t.l. 28...

JoshuaDonald J Friday

Old Testament I - BI 514Father Timothy Hayes,

B.A., S.T.B., S.T.L.28 October, 2004Adapted November 2010

Sources(102) Brueggemann, Walter; An Introduction to the

Old Testament; Louisville, Westminster, 2003

(56) James, Fleming; Personalities of the Old Testament; New York, Scribner’s, 1938

(227) The Catholic Study Bible; New York, Oxford, 1990

(1050) New Catholic Encyclopedia; 2000

Introduction

Joshua.

Book of Joshua. Joshua, Son of Nun.

Book of Joshua First book of the Bible after

the Pentateuch - it stands at the beginning of the collection that the classical division of the Hebrew Bible calls the Earlier Prophets - it is named after the man who figures most prominently in its pages.

Book of Joshua … The overriding theme of the

book - the land of Canaan had been won by the Israelites ultimately because of Yahweh’s promise to the Patriarchs and His special help to Joshua, determined its structure and its literary forms.

Book of Joshua ... Structure - Three Parts.

Chapters 1-12 are concerned with the conquest of Canaan.

Chapters 13-21 are concerned with the partitioning of the land.

Chapters 22-24 contain certain supplements.

Book of Joshua ... Literary Forms.

Etiological.Chapter 1 has the form of

an introduction.Chapters 2-9 is that of the

etiological story.

Book of Joshua ...

Etiological.

Explanatory myths. These are stories which provide a mythological explanation for peculiar things in nature or certain events and customs of which the origin has long been forgotten.

Book of Joshua ...

Epical.Chapters 10-11 is the

epic, or saga, in which the central figure, Joshua, is presented in heroic proportions.

Book of Joshua ...

Geographical.Chapters 13-21 are

heavily geographical.The Eastern Tribes - The

Western Tribes - Boundaries of Judah - Cities of Asylum - and on and on.

Book of Joshua ...

Deuteronomic.Chapters 22-24 that close

the Book of Joshua are written in the style of Deuteronomy.

Book of Joshua ...

Origin. that Joshua wrote this book

has been universally abandoned.

The variety of literary elements that make up its contents shows that it was not written by one (1) author but by many.

Book of Joshua ...

Doctrine. If the Book of Joshua is a

history, it is above all a religious history.

The writer is concerned to present a teaching about Yahweh’s action in Israel’s life.

Joshua, Son of Nun Biblical Portrait.

Joshua overshadows all the other human figures.

Joshua as a man fearless in battle.

Joshua is seen as an expert military strategist.

Joshua, Son of Nun …

In general, Chapters 1-12 present Joshua’s work of conquering Canaan as coming off without any doubt of the outcome.


Chapters 13-21 - do not add much to the earlier chapters in describing Joshua - except that - except that they stress his wisdom and fairness in seeing to the distribution of the land.


Chapters 22-24 - show Joshua as a man deeply concerned about the people’s loyalty and obedience to Yahweh and deeply aware of Yahweh’s own fidelity in making good all His promises.

Joshua, Son of Nun … Other books of the Old

Testament help to fill in the picture of Joshua. Ex 17:8-13 - Joshua’s first

appearance in the bible - and - Joshua was Moses’ attendant and commander of the Israelite battle forces.


Ex 24:13-14 - Joshua is placed in close association with Moses during the latter’s communion with Yahweh.


Nm 11:27-29 - Joshua is shown as jealous for Moses when he thinks that Moses’ position as prophet is being threatened by the prophetic spirit stirring among the people.


Nm 14:5-7; 28:18-23; 32:6-15.

Dt 1:37-38; 34:7-9. 1 Chr 7:27. Jos 24:30. Sir 46:1-6. Heb 4:8-11.

Joshua, Son of Nun … Criticism of the Biblical

Portrait. The epic or saga form -

which is prominent - is exaggerated and simplified.

The whole work of the conquest is attributed to Joshua - thereby playing down all other humans.


Jos 11:23 says that ‘ Joshua conquered the whole land and then distributed it among the various tribes of Israel’.

However, Jos 13:1 speaks of; Joshua being an old and about the amount of work that needs - AKA - that needs to be conquered.

Joshua, Son of Nun … Joshua’s place in Salvation

History. Joshua stands forever in the

shadow of Moses. This fact does not diminish him. It highlights his indispensable role as the man who led the people all the way into the Holy Land.

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