Joshua 1-10

I read Joshua last year after we finished D’varim because frankly the narrative if not the actual writing is picked right up after Moshe’s death. I have decided to re-read it and write my own synopsis of it for the heck of it.

Joshua was born Hoshea the son of Nun, from the tribe of Ephraim. Joshua was chosen by Moses to fight Amalek at (Exodus 17:9) He is also mentioned in Shemot 32:17 as hearing the noise from the Israelite camp (the golden calf) as he descended from the Summit of Sinai by Moshe’s side. “And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses: 'There is a noise of war in the camp.”
Joshua is also one of the twelve spies sent out by Moshe in Bamidbar chapter Bamidbar 13. He is listed in B13:8. Then it says in 13:16 that “Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.”

In Bamidbar 14:10-16, of the twelve spies only Joshua and Caleb stand up against the Israelites who are terrified to enter the land based on reports of its warlike inhabitants. The crowd actually threatens to stone them for insisting they should enter the land.

The book of Joshua is largely a chronicle of the Israelite conquest of the land of Caanan. Therefore, I haven’t subjected it to interpretation. My goal was just to provide a digest.


Chapter 1."This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." 1:8

Joshua is commanded to direct the Israelites to cross the Jordan. The Reubenites, Gadites, and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh (12) remind Joshua that Moses granted them land on the East side Jordan. (The side they are on.) Joshua tells them that their wives and children can stay but that the men must cross to help fight.

"To have courage" is mentioned in four verses (6,7,9,18) this emphasis stresses the fear the people must have felt entering into a new occupied land without the man
who had led them so many years.

Chapter 2."Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by; and thou shalt gather unto thee into the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household." 2:18.

Thus said two spies that had been sent by Joshua to "view the land and Jericho" 2:1. This promise was to a 'harlot' named Rahab. She hid the Israelite spies and then begged them to remember her when they invaded.

Saying to them, "For we have heard how the L*rd dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed: 2:10.

Chapter 3."And the LORD said unto Joshua: 'This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee." 3:7.

Carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the L*rd before them the Jordan splits like the (Sea of Reeds) and "stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, while all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over the Jordan." 3:17

Chapter 4. G*d commands Joshua to have twelve stones gathered from the bottom of the Jordan one for each tribe that " these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever." (7)

According to verse 19, the Israelites then "encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho."

Chapter 5."The kings of the Amorites who ruled west of the Jordan, And the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the Sea..." 5:1 are said to be terrified of reports of the miracle of the Israelites crossing the Jordan.
Joshua is commanded to circumcise the children again.

This is followed by an explanation that they hadn't circumcised everyone in the desert.

It is reported that "And the manna ceased on the morrow, after they had eaten of the produce of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anymore;" (12)
In verses 14 and 15 the "Captain of the host of the L*rd" appears to Joshua with the message similar to that given to Abraham and Yaakov "Put off thy shoe.. for the place whereon thou standest is holy."

Chapter 6.G*d commands the Israelites to hold a siege of Jericho for six days (3). Then they are to circle the city seven times carrying the Ark and blowing rams horns. On the seven blast they are all to raise a great roar. When this is accomplished "The wall fell down flat." (20)

The city of Jericho was totally destroyed except for the household of Rahab (The Harlot who had protected Joshua's spies.)

Chapter 7.The Israelites suffer a defeat to "The Men of Ai." After which it is related that the defeat was a curse by G*d.

"I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you." (12) and "There is a curse in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you."

The 'accursed thing" is discovered to be "Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took" (1), who took the forbidden "spoil [consisting of] a goodly Shinar mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight." from Jericho.

Chapter 8.G*d now tells Joshua how to conquer the people of Ai.
The strategy is to retreat and lure the men out, then ambush the city. This is successful and Joshua then builds and alter with a copy of the law upon it.

The Israelite people then line up "Half in front of Mt. Gerizim and half of them n front of Mt. Ebal." (33)

Like Moshe had done Joshua "read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse..." (34) and "There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that walked among them." (35)

Chapter 9.Joshua and the Israelites remain camped at Gilgal. The Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the HIvite, and Jebusite join forces to confront them.

This tale is not yet unfolded instead the chapter focuses on the "inhabitants of Gibeon" they had also "heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai."

They contrive to be from a "Far country." and seek to make peace with the Israelites. There ruse is soon discovered but they explain that "'Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you." (24)

Amazingly, the Gibeons are spared but are made slaves. "There shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God" (23)

Chapter 10.The five kings of the Amorites "Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon (3) ally themselves to punish Gibeon for joining with the Israelites.

Joshua and the children of Israel come to the aid of the Gibeons in a night attack that surprises and destroys the Amorites. As they retreat "LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died; they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword." (11)
The sun and moon were said to stand still in the sky until the victory was conclude. The Israelites then proceed to each King's city and destroy them. This included the capture of Hebron.