Joshua by Richard Hess;

Author:Richard Hess;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783592241
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc. (Tier 3)
Published: 2014-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

a. Summary (10:7–10).

7. As the southern coalition obeyed Adoni-Zedek’s plea to come up, so Joshua responds to the same entreaty from the Gibeonites. Although the verb ‘to ascend’ (Heb. ʿlh) may simply describe an appearance on the scene, the location of Gibeon and nearby Nebi Samwel as the highest point in that region of the hill country implies that an ascent was probably necessary for both antagonists. As in verse 5, the respondents are first identified with a general statement (the five kings of the Amorites) and then with a specific description of each member of the coalition, so in verse 7 there is a general statement of the respondent, Joshua, which is followed by a specific description of who is involved, i.e. Joshua and his army. Joshua represents Israel’s army. This designation anticipates the Joshua and all Israel with him that occurs seven times in the chapter. It introduces each battle and concludes the whole account in verse 43, which, with verse 7, frames the participation of Israel. Thus verse 7 defines all Israel as used later in the chapter. It means the whole army under Joshua’s command. That they were the best fighting men recalls the good fighters of Gibeon (v. 2). This description foreshadows their victory over the southern coalition, the quality of whose forces is never so described. A theme common elsewhere in the Ancient Near East is one where many opponents fight against a single, unified army.241 In Joshua as well, the unity and order of a single nation worshipping a single God with a united army under one person’s leadership is an advantage. Likewise, the unity of the church as the body of Christ under his leadership (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18) is emphasized both by Jesus (John 17) and his disciples (Acts 15; 1 Cor. 3).

8. The command ‘do not fear’ recalls Joshua 8:1. Here also there follows a reference to the enemy and a promise of divine presence and support. The Gibeonites requested a hand (Heb. yad) in verse 6 (literally ‘Do not withdraw your hand’; NIV. Do not abandon). Joshua repeats it to his army at the rout of the enemy in verse 19. It refers to Israel’s military power to destroy their enemies and to preserve their allies. Behind this lies the gracious empowerment of God, who enables Israel to achieve success. The promise that no-one will be able to withstand you uses a verb, ‘to stand’ (Heb. ʿmd), that recurs in two important places: when the sun and moon ‘stand’ in verse 13 and again when Joshua addresses his army in verse 19, telling them not to stand still but to chase the enemy. With different subjects in each case, the verb relates the activities of God, of Joshua and of the enemy.

9–10. The strategy of an all-night march responded to the Gibeonite request for haste and facilitated the divinely ordained confusion of the enemy when they saw Israel appear out of the morning mists. Divine confusion of the enemy is described elsewhere in the Old Testament using the same verb (Heb.

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