Before Israel entered the land of Canaan, God had been preparing for His people to take possession of it by sovereignly directing the political affairs of Egypt. Egypt had maintained control over Canaan for many years. However with the ascension of Pharaoh Amenhotep II (1417--1379 B.C.) to the throne, Egyptian interest in Canaanite affairs began to decline. Consequently some of the Canaanite kings asserted their independence from Egyptian control and began to increase their influence and to dominate their neighbors. In addition, foreigners besides the Israelites invaded portions of Canaan. Some of the victims of oppression wrote letters to Pharaoh asking for Egyptian assistance. They sent these letters to Amarna, the capital of Egypt at this time, and they are known today as the Amarna Letters. They wrote these documents in cuneiform script. Archaeologists discovered them at Amarna in A.D. 1887. They provide much valuable information on the political and military climate in Canaan during the period of Israel's conquests.69
"While Akhenaten [Amenhotep III, 1379-1361 B.C., the son and successor of Amenhotep II] spent his life preoccupied with religious reform, Egyptian prestige in Asia sank to a low ebb. As the Amarna Letters abundantly show, no effort was made by the court to answer the frantic appeals for help made by some princes who still professed loyalty to Egypt. The most common complaint in these letters is that unless Egypt would send troops urgently the land would fall into the hands of the Khapiru. Some historians are inclined to see in these Khapiru the Hebrews of the Bible who at this time were overrunning Palestine."70
When the Israelites began their conquest, the Canaanite city-states did not have the protection of Egypt or any other strong world power that they had enjoyed in the past.
5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. There was also the question of armaments. Israel's army had no siege engines, no battering rams, no catapults, and no moving towers. Their only weapons were slings, arrows, and spears--which were like straws against the walls of Jericho."71
As Joshua contemplated attacking Jericho, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and assured him of victory.72
"The Canaanite spectre had hatched in Noah's tent (Gen. 9:20-27), had evolved for generations, and now in Joshua's day would be tolerated by God no longer."73
Evidently Joshua was reconnoitering near Jericho only about two miles from Gilgal. He was planning his strategy when he met the Man who identified Himself as the Captain (Prince) of the Lord's host (angelic army; cf. 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Kings 6:8-17; Ps. 148:2; Matt. 26:53; Heb. 1:14). It is obvious that Joshua perceived this Man as a mighty warrior standing before him with sword drawn ready for battle (cf. Num. 22:23; 1 Chron. 21:16). As soon as the Stranger identified Himself, Joshua bowed before Him acknowledging His superiority.
"The stranger's response put everything in proper perspective. God is sovereign. It is never a question whether God is on our side but whether we are on God's side. . . . The purpose of this encounter was not to impart commands but to inspire Joshua with humility and reverence and to instill in him the confidence that God was with him and was in control (cf. 1:9)."74
The command to remove his sandals (v. 15) would have convinced Joshua that this was the same God who appeared to Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:5).
"As Moses went to investigate the bush (Exod 3:3), so Joshua goes to investigate the mysterious figure confronting him (5:13b)."75
"The strange confrontation of 5:13-15 resembles that between Jacob and the man of God at Peniel (Gn. 32:22-32) and that between Moses and the burning bush (Ex. 3:1-4:17). In each case, the human protagonist encounters a divine messenger before facing a life-and-death conflict . . ."76
Joshua would hardly have submitted as he did if he had not believed that this Man was the Angel of the Lord (cf. Exod. 3:5; Num. 22:31).
"The scene thus pictures Joshua as the totally obedient servant doing precisely what the divine messenger requires."77
God not only instructed Joshua concerning what he should do in the battle ahead, but this theophany assured Joshua that Yahweh would also personally lead His people in battle. We need not conclude, however, that this divine Leader continued to be visible after this. There is no reference to Him in the record of the battle that follows. His appearance on this occasion simply impressed Joshua with the fact that God would be leading Israel.
"The whole sequence--circumcision, Passover, and theophany--emphatically declared that the Israel of conquest was the Israel of exodus. The God who had saved his people out of Egypt would now save them in Canaan."78
6:1-5 The parenthetic comment about Jericho that opens this chapter (v. 1) emphasizes the fact that the city had strong fortifications.
As in the previous section, the writer recorded the command of God first (vv. 2-5; cf. Ps. 108:12-13) and then Joshua's execution of the command (vv. 6-21; cf. 3:7-8; 4:1-3, 15-16). Unlike Moses, who at the burning bush argued at length with the Lord about His plan (Exod. 3:11-4:17), Joshua obeyed without question.
6:6-14 The terms "Lord"and "ark"occur interchangeably here (v. 8). The Lord was over the ark, and the ark represented the Lord's presence.
Evidently the whole Israelite nation did not march around the walls of Jericho. Only warriors and priests circled the city (vv. 3, 4, 6, 9, et al.). The "people"referred to in the context (v. 7, 16, et al.) were these people, not all the Israelites. Probably representatives of the tribes participated in this march rather than all the soldiers of Israel. The line of march was as follows: soldiers, priests, the ark, and more soldiers (vv. 6-9, 13).
Jericho was not a large city. Archaeological excavations have revealed that its walls enclosed only about eight and one-half acres. The main part of the Dallas Seminary campus covers about 12 acres.
The trumpets the priests blew (vv. 4, 9, et al.) were not the long silver trumpets but rams horns (shophars). The blowing of trumpets in Israel reminded the people of God's activity for them. The priests used them to call the people to follow God who was going before them in the wilderness. Both functions were applicable on this occasion. The trumpet blasts signaled judgment to the Canaanites but victory to the Israelites (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:10-17).
"The first time that we read of a trumpet-blast is at Sinai, where the Lord announced His descent upon the mount to the people assembled at the foot to receive Him, not only by other fearful phenomena, but also by a loud and long-continued trumpet-blast (Ex. xix. 16, 19, xx. 14 (18). After this we find the blowing of trumpets prescribed as part of the Israelitish worship in connection with the observance of the seventh new moon's day (Lev. xxiii. 24), and at the proclamation of the great year of jubilee (Lev. xxv. 9). Just as the trumpet-blast heard by the people when the covenant was made at Sinai was as it were a herald's call, announcing to the tribes of Israel the arrival of the Lord their God to complete His covenant and establish His kingdom upon earth; so the blowing of trumpets in connection with the round of feasts was intended partly to bring the people into remembrance before the Lord year by year at the commencement of the sabbatical month, that He might come to them and grant them the Sabbath rest of His kingdom, and partly at the end of every seven times seven years to announce on the great day of atonement the coming of the great year of grace and freedom, which was to bring to the people of God deliverance from bondage, return to their own possessions, and deliverance from the bitter labours of this earth, and to give them a foretaste of the blessed and glorious liberty to which the children of God would attain at the return of the Lord to perfect His kingdom (vid. Pentateuch, vol. ii, p. 466-7). But when the Lord comes to found, to build up, and to perfect His kingdom upon earth, He also comes to overthrow and destroy the worldly power which opposes His kingdom. The revelation of the grace and mercy of God to His children, goes ever side by side with the revelation of justice and judgment towards the ungodly who are His foes. If therefore the blast of trumpets was the signal to the congregation of Israel of the gracious arrival of the Lord its God to enter into fellowship with it, no less did it proclaim the advent of judgment to an ungodly world."79
6:15-21 The warriors and priests were to remain silent as they circled the city each time except the last. God evidently used this strategy to impress on the people of Jericho, as well as the Israelites, that the deliverance was not by human might or power. It was by the Spirit of the Lord (cf. Zech. 4:6). He commanded the final shout on the seventh day to announce His destruction of the wall. It was a shout of joy for the Israelites.
"To emphasize the divine intervention, no secondary causes for the collapse of the wall are mentioned. It would be no less a miracle were we to find that God used an earthquake to bring the walls down."80
The writer did not explain the reasons for Israel circling Jericho once a day for six days and then seven times the seventh day. This strategy did give the king of Jericho an opportunity to surrender. The uniqueness of this approach undoubtedly impressed everyone with the supernatural character of the victory. It involved almost incredible faith for the Israelites (Heb. 11:30). There was probably also some significance to the number seven. This may have impressed the Israelites further that the victory was a complete work of God following the pattern of the seven days of creation.
"The emphasis on the number seven (fourteen times in this chapter [cf. Exod. 24:16; 2 Kings 3:9; Job 2:11-13; Ezek. 3:15]), the use of ceremonial trumpets (made from ram's horns), the presence of priests, and the prominence of the ark all indicate that the conquest of Jericho was more than a military campaign; it was a religious event. Israel must always remember that the land was God's gift to them."81
"The significance of this repeated marching round the town culminates unquestionably in the ark of the covenant and the trumpet-blast of the priests who went before the ark. In the account before us the ark is constantly called the ark of the Lord, to show that the Lord, who was enthroned upon the cherubim of the ark, was going round the hostile town in the midst of His people; whilst in ver. 8 Jehovah himself is mentioned in the place of the ark of Jehovah."82
Excavations at Jericho by John Garstang between 1930 and 1936, and more recently by Kathleen Kenyon between 1952 and 1958, have confirmed the collapse of the wall under itself as recorded. They also reveal that the invaders burned the city (v. 24) though there was some disagreement between Garstang and Kenyon concerning when this took place. Garstang held that the collapse of the wall and the burning of the city took place at approximately the same time, as the text records. However, Kenyon believed the city burned at a much earlier date and fell at a much later date.83
After discussing the views of Garstang and Kenyon, Waltke concluded as follows.
"Although meager, yet the textual and the archaeological evidence regarding Jericho in Late Bronze IIA and B [1400-1200 B.C.] remarkably coincide, and once again the archaeological evidence suggests a conquest during the first quarter of the fourteenth century. Even more conclusive, however, is the evidence that the city was not occupied during the mid-thirteenth century B.C., thereby precluding the option of the commonly accepted late date for the Exodus [ca. 1280 B.C.]."84
"On the basis of the scarabs and pottery found in the cemetery associated with City IV in Jericho, it is impossible to date the fall of that city subsequent to 1400 B.C., despite all of the negative findings of Kathleen Kenyon (as we have previously shown). On the other hand, there are absolutely insurmountable objections to the Late Date Theory [ca. 1280 B.C.] on the basis of archaeological discovery."85
There are some things about Jericho that archaeology has not revealed.
"Jericho is a classic example of incompleteness in the archaeological record caused by the depredations of man and nature combined where--as at Dibon--the literary record (here, the Old Testament) retains phases of history lost to the excavator."86
"Archaeological research thus leaves confusion and unanswered questions for the present generation. This does not lead us to abandon archaeological research. It reminds us of the great difficulties which stand in our way when we seek to utilize discoveries for historical reconstruction. Archaeology can rarely name sites. Seldom, if ever, can it determine precisely who destroyed a site. It often cannot tell who occupied a site; it can place only relative dates on sites. Only rarely can it excavate an entire site and secure all the evidence."87
6:22-25 God commanded the Israelites to consecrate all the spoils of this battle to Him since He had given Jericho into their hands as the firstfruits of the land. Rahab and her possessions were exceptions because she had aided the spies. The Israelites were to burn cities under the "ban"(Heb. herem, v. 17; cf. Deut. 20:16-18) and to kill their inhabitants including the cattle (Lev. 27:29). The only objects they were to spare were metal, gold, silver, and vessels of brass and iron. These they were to place in the treasury of the tabernacle (v. 19; Num. 31:54). The Israelites completely destroyed only three Canaanite cities west of the Jordan along with their populations, namely, Jericho, Ai, and Hazor. They captured many others and slew some of their inhabitants.88Earlier they had devoted Hormah (Num. 21:3), Heshbon (Deut. 3:1-2), and Og's towns (Deut. 3:3) to complete destruction.
"Joshua is perhaps best known as a book of war. Israel was at war with the Canaanites, but behind these human soldiers God was waging war against sin. Earlier in Israel's history God was compared to a warrior (Ex. 14:14; 15:3; Deut. 1:30, 3:22; 20:4). But now Israel experienced His leadership in war as never before. God is constantly at war with sin because it is an affront to His holiness and because it destroys people whom He loves and desires to bless (cf. Rom. 6:23)."89
6:26-27 The curse on the person tempted to rebuild Jericho (v. 26) would have discouraged anyone from fortifying again this city that was a symbol of military power. God wanted His people to trust in Him for their security and not to rely on physical defenses primarily (cf. 11:6). We could interpret building the city as building the fortifications of the city rather than as building houses on the site. The Israelites may have rebuilt and inhabited Jericho again during the period of the judges (18:21; Judg. 1:16; 3:13; 2 Sam. 10:5), but they may not have fortified it until much later. God executed Joshua's curse on Hiel when he rebuilt Jericho's fortifications during the reign of King Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 16:34). A better explanation may be that Canaanites rebuilt Jericho, but Hiel was the first Israelite to do so.
The miraculous victory over Jericho brought great honor to Joshua as Israel's leader (v. 27).
"Nothing can more raise a man's reputation, nor make him appear more truly great, than to have the evidences of God's presence with him."90
Keil and Delitzsch explained the reason for the miraculous defeat of Jericho as follows.
". . . Jericho was not only the first, but the strongest town of Canaan, and as such was the key to the conquest of the whole land, the possession of which would open the way to the whole, and give the whole, as it were, into their hands. The Lord would give His people the first and strongest town of Canaan, as the first-fruits of the land, without any effort on their part, as a sign that He was about to give them the whole land for a possession, according to His promise; in order that they might not regard the conquest of it as their own work, or the fruit of their own exertions, and look upon the land as a well-merited possession which they could do as they pleased with, but that they might ever use it as a gracious gift from the Lord, which he had merely conferred upon them as a trust, and which He could take away again, whenever they might fall from Him, and render themselves unworthy of His grace. This design on the part of God would of necessity become very obvious in the case of so strongly fortified a town as Jericho, whose walls would appear impregnable to a people that had grown up in the desert and was so utterly without experience in the art of besieging or storming fortified places, and in fact would necessarily remain impregnable, at all events for a long time, without the interposition of God."91
All the aspects of the battle at Jericho strengthened Israel's faith in Yahweh. God's people learned His strength and ability to overcome all their obstacles by personal experience here. They acted in faith obeying His Word and trusting in the outcome He had promised. This day Israel reached a high water mark in her spiritual history. We should learn the same things from this record as well as from the supernatural victories God has given each of us. She also became a nation among nations in the ancient Near East.92
At Jericho, Israel learned God's strength. At Ai, she learned her own weakness. She could only conquer her enemies as she remained faithful to God's covenant.
"We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a great victory."93
"The pinching of the [east-west] ridge route by Ai . . . makes it a natural first line of defensefor the Hill Country around Bethel. Therefore, tactically speaking, the strategic importance of the region and routes around Bethel . . . and Bethel's natural eastern approach from Jericho via Ai explain Joshua's choice of this region and this site as his first objective in the Hill Country. This basic fact cannot be ignored in any discussion of the identification of the location of Ai.
"In the Bible the site of Ai (HaAiin Hebrew means the ruinor the heap of stones) is linked with Bethel. The most prominent ruin in the entire area east of the Bethel Plateau is called in Arabic et-Tell. . . at the junction of the two main natural routes from Jericho to the Hill Country. . . . The site of et-Tell has no equal in the region both in terms of strategic importance and in terms of surface debris indicating an ancient city.
"Excavations at et-Tell have revealed a large city from the Early Bronze Age [3150-2200 B.C.] in the millennium prior to Joshua's conquest. A small village later than Joshua's conquest (later than both the early and the late dates for the conquest) does not provide the answer to the question of the lack of remains at et-Tell. Therefore, although the setting of et-Tell fits perfectly the detailed geographical information in Joshua 8 and 9, an archaeological problem exists due to the lack of remains from the period of Joshua at the site."94
7:1 "But"very significantly introduces this chapter. Chapter 6 is a record of supernatural victory, but chapter 7 describes a great defeat.
Even though Achan was the individual who sinned, and even though his sin was private, God regarded what he did as the action of the whole nation. This was so because he was a member of the community of Israel. The Hebrew word translated "unfaithfully"(maal) means "treacherously"or "secretly."
Achan had not just taken some things that did not belong to him. This would have been bad in itself. He stole what was God's, and he robbed the whole nation of its purity before God. The Lord's blazing anger against Israel fell on Achan and literally consumed him (v. 25; cf. Heb. 12:29).
7:2-5 The spies based their advice on the numbers of these Canaanites and the Israelites.
"East of Ai . . . one route descends due east to the pass across Wadi Makkuk. This pass affords the last crossing before the wadi deepens into a major canyon and obstacle. From there on, the unified stream bed of the wadi cuts a twisted path through the uplifted limestone resulting in rocky scarps of up to 200 meters or 660 feet before continuing east through the rough chalk wilderness. The difference between this rugged region and the pass just west of it is very dramatic. It may reflect what the Biblical writer states in Joshua 7.5 when he says that the defenders of the Hill Country pursued the Israelites as far as the broken/fractured area (shebarim), striking them down along the descent[from the pass]. (If this first attack came from the route southeast of Ai, the word shebarimmay point to the same type of broken terrain, but the descentwould refer to the steep slope off the eastern side of the uplifted limestone where this route to Jericho turns due east.)"95
The spies in Numbers 13-14 lacked faith because they did not believe that they were strong enough to defeat their enemies. These spies lacked faith because they believed that Israel was too strong for their enemies.96
The fact that the people's hearts melted (v. 5; cf. 2:11) hints that Israel may have been trusting in her own strength rather than in the Lord.
"It is strange indeed that the description which was originally used for the Canaanites about to be defeated now describes the heart of the Israelites . . ."97
7:6-9 Even Joshua had lost the divine perspective temporarily. His complaining lament sounds like Israel's murmuring in the wilderness (cf. Exod. 16:3; Num. 14:2-3; et al.). However, he also had a concern for the continuing honor of Yahweh (v. 9; cf. Exod. 32:11-12; Num. 14:13; Deut. 9:28). As Moses, Joshua desired above everything that God would receive glory. Unfortunately he did not yet possess the stability and objectivity that characterized Moses' later years because he had not yet walked with God as closely or as long as Moses had.
"Joshua had fallen on his face once before, when he confronted the divine messenger (5:14). That was in the humility of worship. This is in the humility of defeat and shame."98
7:10-15 God reminded Joshua that he should not look for the reason for Israel's defeat in God but in Israel.
"The first three clauses [in v. 11] describe the sin in its relation to God, as a grievous offense; the three following according to its true character, as a great, obstinate, and reckless crime."99
Israel resorted to the casting of lots when no eyewitness could testify against a criminal (cf. 1 Sam. 14:41-42; Jonah 1:7; Prov. 18:18). Probably the high priest used the Urim and Thummim (cf. Num. 27:21).
The burning of a criminal after his stoning was one way of emphasizing the wickedness of his crime (Lev. 20:14; cf. Deut. 13:15-16). It was a "disgraceful thing"(v. 15) to steal something under the ban from God.
7:16-26 Even though Achan's sin carried a punishment that he could not decrease or postpone, Achan could at least reduce his guilt by confessing his sin. This he did in response to Joshua's paternal entreaty (v. 19). Confessing one's sin is one way to glorify God.
Achan's confession clearly revealed the process involved in yielding to temptation (v. 21).100He allowed the sight of something attractive to grow into covetousness. Then he took the step from covert mental sin to overt physical sin.101Finally he sought to cover his action rather than confessing it. The same three verbs "I saw,""I coveted,"and "I took"appear in the story of the Fall (Gen. 3:6-7, 10; cf. 2 Sam. 11:2-4, 8).
The Israelites punished Achan's children with him (v. 24) evidently because they had participated in his sin (cf. Prov. 15:27).102It would have been difficult for Achan to hide the amount of spoil he took under his tent without raising the suspicions of his family. The people also destroyed all of his possessions (cf. Deut. 13:16-17). Achan's sin was high-handed defiance against God (cf. Num. 15:30, 35).
The heap of stones the people raised over Achan, his family, and his possessions (v. 26) memorialized this act of rebellion for the Israelites and their children (cf. 8:29; 2 Sam. 18:17). They named the valley in which the execution took place Achor (lit. troubling or disaster) as a further reminder (cf. Hos. 2:7; Isa. 65:10). Note the word play with Achan's name.
"Whilst they [the Israelites] learned from his mercies how greatly he was to be loved, they needed also to learn from his judgments how greatly he was to be feared."103
Israel's defeat at Ai graphically illustrates the far-reaching influence of sin. The private sin of one or a few individuals can affect the welfare of many other people who do not personally participate in that sin.
Achan and his family were to Israel at this time what Ananias and Sapphira were to the early church (Acts 5). They were a strong warning of the consequences of sin among God's people. Korah and his cohorts as well as Nadab and Abihu were similar examples. The fact that God does not judge sin today as He did on these occasions does not mean He feels any less strongly about it. He mercifully withholds judgment in most instances. Nevertheless sin still produces the same destruction and death.
"God's first revenges are so much more fearful, because they must be exemplary."104
God's punishment on Achan was not unfair. It is only by God's mercy that any sinner lives to old age. God can judge any sinner at any time in his or her life and be perfectly just. No sinner has any claim on God's grace. God is no man's debtor.
"As we read in ch. vii the story of Israel's first fight and first failure, we shall see that there were in the main, two causes of defeat: self-confidence, and covetousness; and these are still prime causes of failure in a Christian life."105
When the people had dealt with the sin of Achan as God had commanded, Israel was ready to engage the enemy again.
8:1-2 In view of Israel's defeat God's encouraging words were necessary to strengthen Joshua's resolve (cf. 1:9). God promised to give victory, but He specified the strategy. This time the Israelites could keep the spoil themselves. "You shall take only"(v. 2) means, "Only you shall take."
8:3-13 Out of the 40,000 Israelite soldiers, Joshua chose 30,000 for this battle. Of these he sent 5,000 to hide in ambush west of the town. The remaining 25,000 (double the population of Ai, v. 25) approached Ai from the north. "Took"(v. 12) makes better sense if read "had taken."
8:14-23 Evidently men from Bethel, Ai's neighbor, joined with the men of Ai to repulse Israel's attack (v. 17). These two cities had apparently made a treaty for mutual defense.
Stretching out his javelin (v. 18) was Joshua's prearranged signal to his men in ambush to attack. It symbolized that victory came from the Lord (cf. Exod. 17:8-12).
8:24-29 Joshua carefully obeyed the Lord's directions given here and previously in the law. He killed all the inhabitants of the town, utterly destroyed Ai, and killed the king whom he also hanged on a tree until sunset (Num. 25:4; Deut. 21:22-23). He also erected a memorial pile of stones at the former gate of the city (cf. 7:26).
This section, in contrast to the previous one, shows that God gives victory when His people acknowledge their dependence on Him by trusting and obeying His Word.
"It is interesting to note again that this first victory in the Hill Country was in the region of Ai and Bethel, exactly where some of the most significant promises had been given to Abraham and Jacob hundreds of years earlier, (. . . Genesis 13 and 28.10-22). In addition to the strategic nature of the region, these earlier promises may have played a part in Joshua's decision to begin his campaign precisely here. Joshua's bold move toward this part of the Hill Country may have been just what was needed to unify the Canaanites in the Bethel region. Up to this point they appear to have been in disarray in the face of the Israelite threat (Joshua 5.1). What better place to make their stand than here at the entrance to the strategic region of Bethel and the Central Benjamin Plateau?"106
One writer observed similarities between Joshua 7:1-8:29 and Deuteronomy 1:19-3:11; 9:7-10:11; Judges 10:6-11:33; and 20:1-48. He concluded that the biblical writer used similar motifs and terminology in these passages to impress on his readers by repetition three major lessons. First, Israel's occupation of the Promised Land was not a sure thing but depended on her obedience to God. Second, defeat in the land need not be final and irreversible. Third, to regain the land the people had to deal with the guilty in Israel, and they had to return to obeying the Lord.107
Israel had now obtained a substantial enough foothold in the land to journey north to Shechem to carry out God's instructions concerning the renewal of the covenant in the land (Deut. 27). Shechem stood about 30 miles north of Ai. It was a significant place for this ceremony because it was there that God first told Abraham that He would give him the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:7). Moreover Shechem had always been a busy site because of its geographical situation at a crossroads in northern Palestine.
"The story of the building of an altar on Mount Ebal and of the solemn reading of the blessings and curses of the covenant at that site is strategically important for understanding the message of the Book of Joshua. . . . In unmistakably clear symbolism the reader is told that the right of possessing the promised land is tied to the proclamation of, and subjection to, God's covenant claims upon his people (and upon the world)."108
The order of events the writer recorded here varies slightly from the order Moses gave in Deuteronomy. Probably the order here represents what took place.
This ceremony established Yahweh as "the God of Israel"(v. 30) in the sight of the Canaanites as well as the Israelites. It amounted to Israel's declaration of dependence. The people offered burnt and peace offerings on Mt. Sinai when God first gave the Law to Israel. Their offering again here recalled the former incident and shows that this ceremony constituted a covenant renewal.
"The method of plastering stones and then printing on them came originally from Egypt; thus, the letters were probably painted in red. So we can imagine large whitewashed monoliths with red Hebrew characters spelling out the Ten Commandments, and possibly the blessings and curses of the Law as well (cf. Deuteronomy 28). This structure was the firstpublic display of the Law."109
"This made it palpable [sic] even to strangers entering the land what God was worshipped in it, and all excuse for error was taken away."110
"The religion of Israel at its best has always been a missionary religion."111
The extent of the passages from the Mosaic Law that the people copied on the stone monuments is not clear from this passage. Deuteronomy 27 seems to imply the Ten Commandments. "The blessing and the curse"(v. 34) may be a synonym for "all the words of the law"(i.e., the Ten Commandments) rather than a reference to the specific blessings and curses listed previously and recited here (Deut. 28).112However, another possibility is that "the blessing and the curse"may refer to Deuteronomy 28.113
This ceremony confronted all the Israelites--men, women, and children--with the demands of their covenant God as they began this new phase of their national history. Obedient response would guarantee future happiness in the land.
It is important for God's people to declare their allegiance to His revealed will publicly among the unbelievers with whom we live (cf. Act 1:8). This helps them understand why we live as we do, and it brings glory to God when His people then proceed to live upright lives and demonstrate His supernatural power.
The residents of the town of Gibeon decided that if they could not defeat the Israelites they would join them. This has been a strategy that enemies of believers have employed for centuries (cf. Num. 25:1-2).
9:1-2 Israel is the probable antecedent of "it"in verse 1 rather than the renewal of the covenant at Shechem. Israel's success led several Canaanite kings to ally themselves against God's people. While this alliance was taking shape the Gibeonites initiated a different tactic.
Until now in Joshua Israel had chosen its military targets, but now others defined their military objectives.114
"The following chapters introduce the transition from a victorious people of God whose occupation of the land could have been the relatively simple matter of defeating those already discouraged to an unending history of battle, bloodshed, and idolatry that would haunt Israel throughout its history. As in the opening chapters of Genesis, so also in the opening chapters of Israel's dwelling in the Promised Land, a single transgression has cosmic ramifications."115
9:3-5 Gibeon lay seven miles south of Bethel. It was "one of the largest towns in the central part of Canaan,"116larger than Ai (10:2), and possibly the Hivite capital.117It later became a Levitical town (18:25; 21:17). The Israelites eventually pitched the tabernacle there, and it remained at that site until Solomon built his temple (1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29; 1 Kings 3:4-5). Hivites inhabited Gibeon at the time of the conquest (v. 7). They were "a brave people."118
When the leaders of Gibeon learned of the crafty methods the Israelites had used at Jericho and Ai, they determined to use deception too.
9:6-15 God had not forbidden the Israelites from making peace treaties with non-Canaanite peoples (Deut. 20:11), but He had expressly commanded them not to make treaties with the native Canaanite tribes (Exod. 23:32; 34:12; Num. 33:55; Deut. 7:2).
The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites with their diffident spirit (v. 8) as well as with their food and clothing (vv. 12-13). They pretended to fear Yahweh, too, the highest motive for allying with Israel (vv. 9-10). Their objective was to save their own lives.
On the surface the Gibeonites' request seemed within the Mosaic Law. Consequently the Israelites took some of their food, possibly to inspect it at least (v. 14). If they ate it with them, this eating may have been part of a covenantal agreement. This custom was common in the ancient Near East (v. 15; cf. Gen. 31:54).119The Israelites sealed the treaty with a solemn promise to preserve the Gibeonites (v. 15). The writer clearly identified the reason the Gibeonites were successful in deceiving Israel. The Israelites "did not ask for the counsel of the Lord"(v. 14; Num. 27:21; cf. James 4:2).
"Ironically, of all people, Joshua failed to inquire of the Lord. Joshua had gone up the mountain of revelation with Moses (Exod 24:13-14); and in his preparation for leadership, he had been trained in the use of the Urim and Thummim for determining the will of God (Num 27:18-21). How easy it is even in the service of the Lord to take God's guidance and blessing for granted!"120
". . . no proposed course of conduct can be so clear to a Christian as to excuse him from the duty of seeking direction from above."121
9:16-27 The leaders of Gibeon controlled four towns (v. 17). These towns acted together in many of their dealings including making the treaty with Israel. The possession of these cities by the Israelites gave God's people a more secure foothold in central Canaan.
"Here the wilderness motif had been turned upside down, for in the wilderness the leaders were justified, while the congregation was guilty. Here the congregation is justified, while the leaders are at fault."122
The Israelites considered their oath to the Gibeonites as binding, especially since it was a promise given in the name of Yahweh (v. 19).
"The oath' was made in the name of the Lord. Consequently fidelity was owed, not to the Gibeonites, but to the Lord. The form of the oath called on the Lord to punish the Israelites if they failed to keep their agreement (cf. vv. 18-20). This explains why Israel felt bound to the treaty even though it had been made under false pretenses (cf. Gen 27:35; Ps 15:4)."123
Ancient Near Easterners regarded all treaties as sacred agreements.124If Israel had violated this oath she would have brought great reproach on herself and her God. Israel's leaders were wise not to break their promise.125Later in Israel's history King Saul put some of the Gibeonites to death in his misguided zeal. God sent a famine on Israel as punishment (2 Sam. 21:1-2).
The reason God forbade His people from allowing the Canaanites to live and become incorporated into Israel was that they might lead the Israelites into idolatry. The leaders of Israel therefore punished the Gibeonites for their deception in a way designed to minimize the possibility of their doing this. They made them servants in the tabernacle. This plan undoubtedly reinstated the leaders in the good favor of the Israelites. Nevertheless this was not a wise move because the Lord wanted only authorized Israelites to assist in tabernacle worship. By bringing these foreigners into tabernacle service, the leaders of Israel violated the holiness of God (cf. Num. 3:10; Ezek. 44:7).
"Servantsshould be taken in the most pejorative sense here. As woodcutters and water carriersthe Gibeonites will perform only menial services (see Deut. 29:11)."126
"They are foreigners permitted to live, but their very presence is a living lesson for both Israel and for foreigners. Foreigners learn that they cannot trick their way into the people of Yahweh, even with pious confessions of faith. Israel learns the supreme danger which threatens its life and leadership when decisions are made without consulting Yahweh and when the Mosaic law is not followed."127
This partially fulfilled Noah's prophecy concerning the Canaanites in Genesis 9:25. The Gibeonites received tasks in the service of the tabernacle where, hopefully, they would have had exposure to the best spiritual influences. The Gibeonites never led the Israelites into idolatry as far as the text records, but their presence in the tabernacle displeased the Lord (Ezek. 44:7).
Some commentators regarded the Gibeonites as sincere converts to Yahweh rather than as enemies of Israel.
"So there really are exact parallels between Rahab the individual and the Gibeonites the corporate unit. Rahab (plus her family) was the only individual saved out of Jericho. The Gibeonites were the only people saved out of the land. Rahab believed, left Jericho and came among the people of God. The Gibeonites were the only people in the land who turned to God, and they flowed on through all the years of Jewish history."128
Were the Gibeonites genuine converts to Yahweh who were sympathetic with the Israelites' cause or enemies who believed the best way to survive was to yield rather than to resist? Most commentators have concluded that they were enemies and that their craftiness (v. 4) extended to their profession of the fear of Yahweh. There are no direct statements in Scripture that indicate that the Gibeonites were converts as Rahab was. Their motivation is simply not clear enough for us to make a dogmatic judgment, though I think the majority of interpreters is correct.129
Unbelievers usually oppose believers as we seek to carry out God's purpose for us in the world. They sometimes resort to deception to become part of the fellowship of God's people for their own selfish advantages. Some of these advantages are a good reputation, business contacts, or finding a spouse.
"This account,' as O. v. Gerlachsays, is a warning to the Church of God of all ages against the cunning and dissimulation of the world, which often seeks for a peaceable recognition on the part of the kingdom of God, and even for a reception into it, whenever it may be its advantage to do so.'"130
If God's people make covenants with unbelievers we may end up disobeying God as Israel did (cf. 2 Cor. 6:14-18). We need to seek the will of God beforewe make these commitments. We should look for it in prayer (James 4:2) and in Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17; cf. Num. 27:21). We should also consult other godly people who understand God's ways and can help us avoid overlooking important scriptural revelations that He has given us (Prov. 11:14). If we do make an unwise commitment, we should make the best of the situation if breaking the covenant would be contrary to God's will (e.g., marriage to an unbeliever, et al.).
Israel's continuing success led her enemies to exert increasing opposition against the people of God. This chapter records the Canaanites' first aggressive action against the Israelites.
10:1-5 The Jebusites lived in and around Jebus, ancient Salem (Gen. 14:18). The writer called this town Jerusalem for the first time in Scripture. "Jerusalem"means "the founding (or possession) of peace."Adonizedek (lit. lord of righteousness) and Melchizedek (king of righteousness, Gen. 14:18) were titles of the Jebusite kings, as Pharaoh was a title of the Egyptian kings. Jerusalem lay closer to Gibeon than any of the other towns that allied with Jerusalem against Gibeon. Probably for this reason Adonizedek took the initiative in this alliance.
"The Amarna letters indicate that Jerusalem was the center of political activity in the fourteenth century B.C. and was always conscious of its own security."131
10:6-11 Here the writer used the name "Amorites"(v. 6) generally of the Canaanites who were living in the nearby hills including the Jebusites.
"The Amorites who dwelt in the mountains were the strongest of all the Canaanites."132
This was the first time Israel had gone into battle against an alliance of city-states. God reassured Joshua that he would be victorious (v. 8).
God's strategy included an early morning surprise attack that caught the Amorites off guard (cf. Exod. 23:27). Israel was able to gain the advantage and pursued the fleeing Amorites for several miles. God also sent a hailstorm (cf. Exod. 9:24) as the Amorites descended from Upper Beth-horon to Lower Beth-horon along the ridge route that connects these towns (the "descent,"v. 11). This storm killed many of the enemy but none of God's people. By this the Amorites and the Israelites realized that this victory came as a result of the supernatural help of Yahweh and not simply by Israel's own power. Yahweh as well as Israel had devoted the Amorites to destruction.
"The crossing of the Jordan at high flood and the cyclonic hail storm at Aijalon are of special theological significance, for Baal was the great Canaanite storm god who was supposed to control the rain, the hail, the snow and the floods of Palestine. These episodes proved that Baal was as powerless before Yahweh in Palestine as he had been in the episode of the plagues in Egypt."133
Note in verses 9-15 how the writer alternated references to the activities of the Israelites and God. He seems to have wanted to impress the reader with the fact than God and men were laboring together to secure the victory (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9).
10:12-15 Joshua based his petition (v. 12) on God's promise (v. 8). It was a public prayer that he spoke in the hearing of the Israelites.
There are two basic explanations of this miracle among evangelical scholars.
1. God slowed or stopped the earth's rotation, or He tilted its axis thereby lengthening the period of daylight. Most of those who hold this view believe God counteracted the worldwide effects of this miracle by His supernatural power.134The main problem with this view is its improbability. Would God (He could, of course) perform such a worldwide miracle simply to give Israel more daylight? Advocates reply that this is the normal meaning of the words the writer used.
2. This may have been a local miracle whereby God provided additional light for Israel. Some advocates of this view believe God created unusual atmospheric conditions that resulted in the refraction of sunlight after the sun had set. Others feel God provided a light for Israel that may even have looked like the sun but was a different source of light such as the shekinah.135The main problem with this view is the language used in the text that seems to imply an actual alteration of the earth's rotation. Advocates reply that this is the language of appearance and cite similar miracles in Scripture (e.g., Exod. 10:21-23; 2 Kings 20:10-11). Some also cite God's promise to provide day and night regularly that seems to favor this view (Gen. 8:22; cf. Jer. 33:20-21).
Robert Dick Wilson, a competent and conservative Hebrew scholar, believed that both the sun and the moon experienced an eclipse by other heavenly bodies.136He argued that the Hebrew words translated "stand still"and "stood still"can be translated "be eclipsed"and "was eclipsed."This is a possible explanation.
Various writers have suggested many other views and variations of these views.137
The Canaanites regarded the sun and moon as deities. Their control by Yahweh must have deeply impressed Israel's enemies.138
The Book of "Jashar"("righteous,"v. 13) seems to have been a collection of stories of Israel's heroes. Some of these stories, if not all of them, were in verse and commemorated God's great acts for Israel (cf. 2 Sam. 1:18).
An additional note that Yahweh fought for Israel (v. 14) reemphasized God's initiative for His people in faithfulness to His promises.
"God fights for Israel. He also fights with and through Israel. She cannot expect the victory, however, if she does not do her part."139
10:16-27 The Israelites suffered no significant losses in the mopping up operation that followed. "No one uttered a word against"(v. 21) means no one lifted a finger in resistance against the Israelites (cf. Exod. 11:7).
Putting one's foot on the necks of one's enemies was a symbolic act that represented complete subjugation in the ancient Near East (v. 24; cf. 1 Kings 5:3; Ps. 8:6; 110:1). The act also gave the Israelites greater confidence. Joshua strengthened the impact of this act with an encouraging exhortation (v. 25).
Israel's leaders placed large stones over the grave of the Canaanite kings (v. 27) for the benefit of future observers (cf. 7:25). This constituted still another memorial to God's faithfulness and power.
As believers experience increasing success in our spiritual warfare, we normally experience increasing opposition from our spiritual enemies, as Israel did. Still the Lord fights with His people (2 Cor. 12:9). We have responsibilities to secure victory (e.g., trust, obedience, using our resources, etc.; cf. Eph. 6:14-18). The Lord also provides assistance naturally and supernaturally. He enables us to use the strength, wisdom, and endurance He has given us. He also does things we cannot possibly do for ourselves. He gave the Israelite army extra light and sent hail from the sky. He gives us material gifts, He changes the hearts of people, and He opens up new opportunities for us, to name a few of His acts.
To this point Israel's victories had taken place in central Canaan. God's strategy was to give His people a base of operation in the middle part of the land first. From there they could then advance to the South and then to the North. The writer summarized the southern campaign in this section of verses.
10:28-39 Seven other victories followed the battle at Gibeon. In the record of these encounters the writer highlighted two important facts. Israel was obedient to God's command to exterminate the Canaanites in these cities. Second, it was Yahweh who gave Israel's enemies into her hands (vv. 30, 32).
". . . Yahweh has shown himself to be a God who accepts a people who follow him despite their past mistakes."140
The purpose of Joshua's raids was to destroy the military capability of these city-states and to instill fear and confusion in the remaining Canaanites. Archaeology has confirmed that many of these cities did not suffer violent destruction at this time.
"Joshua, at this stage of the campaign, did not seem to be interested in completely destroying each one of the sites, or in occupying them."141
"But beyond inflicting immediate loss, this campaign achieved little else by itself--it was a sweep, not an occupation: Joshua returnedand all Israel with him, to the camp, to Gilgal' (Joshua 10:15, 43). Occupationof the land, to live in it, keep livestock and cultivate crops in it, etc., was a far slower process, visible in part later in Joshua and in Judges."142
According to Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), a philosopher of war, there are three principle military objectives in any war. First, the aggressor must destroy the military power of the enemy so he cannot continue or resume war. Second, he must conqueror the land of the enemy so a new military force cannot arise from it. Third, he must subdue the will of the enemy.143Joshua accomplished all three of these basic objectives.144
10:40-43 These verses summarize the conquest of the whole southern portion of Canaan. As we shall see later, Israel did not defeat every town or kill every Canaanite without exception. However, Joshua effectively removed the military threat to Israel that the cities in the south posed. "All"(v. 40) has a limited meaning. In this context it means all parts of the land, all the kings of the cities that Joshua destroyed, and all who lived in those cities (cf. 13:1).
Goshen (v. 41) was a town on the southern frontier of Israel (15:51). The reference is not to the section of Egypt that bore this name.
The writer emphasized God's fighting for Israel again (v. 42).
God's people do not have to engage every enemy that exists immediately any more than the Israelites had to kill every individual Canaanite or attack every city immediately. At this stage in their national life God's will was that they attack only certain selected targets. Sometimes we can experience discouragement when we look at the host of wicked people that surrounds us or the many sins that plague us. We may think, "What can one individual do to stem the tide of lawlessness?"We may even think it is useless to do anything in view of the huge task we face (Matt. 28:19-20). In those situations we need to do what God puts before us to do day by day rather than taking on more responsibility than God wants us to assume immediately (cf. Matt. 6:25-34).
The leaders of the northern Canaanite cities also decided to unite to withstand the threat of Israelite expansion.
11:1-3 Hazor was the leading city in northern Canaan with an area of 175 acres and a population of 30,000 to 40,000 people.145Archaeologists calculate the population of walled cities in Canaan as about 200 people per acre. Hazor was at one time the head of an alliance of all the northern cities (v. 10).146Jabin (v. 1) may have been a title rather than a proper name (cf. Judg. 4:2).147
11:4-9 According to Josephus the combined armies of the Canaanite tribes totaled 300,000 armed footmen, 10,000 horsemen, and 20,000 chariots.148
"The northern coalition was Israel's most formidable foe in terms of both numbers and weaponry. Each successive battle that Israel fought was more difficult than the last."149
The waters of Merom (v. 5) were evidently close to the village of Merom that was west of Hazor. Some scholars equate the waters of Merom with Lake Huleh. Lake Huleh lay to the north of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). Others equate Merom with Madon, about five miles west of modern Tiberias.150These locations seem less likely.
Hamstringing involved cutting the hamstring muscle of the horses' legs. Hamstringing the horses and burning the chariots (vv. 6, 9) had two effects. The enemy could not use them again, and the Israelites could not use them or trust in them.
11:10-15 The meaning of the phrase "cities that stood on their mounds"(v. 13) is unclear.
"It would be difficult to point out any single expression in the whole book of Joshua, perhaps in the whole Scriptures, more difficult of explanation than this."151
Perhaps these were the older more influential towns that previous generations had rebuilt on their former ruins.152If this is the meaning, probably Joshua did not burn them because he wanted to preserve these towns with time-honored sites for Israelite occupation.
The secret of Joshua's remarkable success from the human viewpoint was his consistent obedience to the Lord (v. 15). We too will experience victory over our spiritual enemies--the world, the flesh, and the devil--to the extent that we do God's will as He has revealed that in His Word.
