Joshua 5:13

Israel Conquers Jericho

5:13 When Joshua was near ¹  Jericho, ²  he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. ³  Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?” ⁴ 

Joshua 8:18

8:18 The Lord told Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city ⁵  over to you.” So Joshua held out toward Ai the curved sword in his hand.

Joshua 20:5

20:5 When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation. ⁶ 

[5:13]  ¹ tn Heb “in.”

[5:13]  ² map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[5:13]  ³ tn Heb “he lifted up his eyes and looked. And look, a man was standing in front of him, and his sword was drawn in his hand.” The verb הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the reader to view the scene through Joshua’s eyes. By calling the stranger “a man,” the author reflects Joshua’s perspective. The text shortly reveals his true identity (vv. 14-15).

[5:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

[8:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Ai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “for without knowledge he killed his neighbor, and he was not hating him prior to that.”