Joshua 3 Explained

Joshua 3 is the third chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible or in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish tradition, the book was attributed to the Joshua, with additions by the high priests Eleazar and Phinehas,[1] [2] but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE.[2] This chapter focuses on the Israelites crossing the Jordan River westward into the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, a part of a section comprising Joshua 1:1–5:12 about the entry to the land of Canaan.

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 17 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q48 (4QJosh; 100–50 BCE) with extant verses 15–17.[3] [4]

Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B;

ak{G}

B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A;

ak{G}

A; 5th century). Fragments of the Septuagint Greek text containing this chapter is found in manuscripts such as Washington Manuscript I (5th century CE), and a reduced version of the Septuagint text is found in the illustrated Joshua Roll.[5] [6] [7]

Analysis

The narrative of Israelites entering the land of Canaan comprises verses 1:1 to 5:12 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:

A. Preparations for Entering the Land (1:1–18)

1. Directives to Joshua (1:1–9)

2. Directives to the Leaders (1:10–11)

3. Discussions with the Eastern Tribes (1:12–18)

B. Rahab and the Spies in Jericho (2:1–24)

1. Directives to the Spies (2:1a)

2. Deceiving the King of Jericho (2:1b–7)

3. The Oath with Rahab (2:8–21)

4. The Report to Joshua (2:22–24)

C. Crossing the Jordan (3:1–4:24)

1. Initial Preparations for Crossing (3:1–6)

2. Directives for Crossing (3:7–13)

3. A Miraculous Crossing: Part 1 (3:14–17)

4. Twelve-Stone Memorial: Part 1 (4:1–10a)

5. A Miraculous Crossing: Part 2 (4:10b–18)

6. Twelve-Stone Memorial: Part 2 (4:19–24)

D. Circumcision and Passover (5:1–12)

1. Canaanite Fear (5:1)

2. Circumcision (5:2–9)

3. Passover (5:10–12)

Preparations and directives of the crossing (3:1–13)

The crossing of the Jordan narrative (3:1–5:1) consists of several units that backtrack and overlap, with a number of elements recounted more than once (e.g. the selection of men to carry the stones, 3:12; 4:2; the setting up of the stones, 4:8–9, 20). It includes a miraculous parting of the waters (Joshua 3:16) which recalls the crossing of the Reed Sea (Exodus 14:21–22; cf. Psalm 114:3, 5; Micah 6:4–5), to be followed by the first Passover kept in the new land (Joshua 5:10-12) corresponding to the first ever Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12–13). The centrality of the Ark of the Covenant in the whole narrative emphasizes the guidance of YHWH on the way into the land, and the preparation for the Holy War ahead (verse 10; Numbers 10:33–36), although the differences in the terminology of the ark throughout this chapter may indicate diverse origins:

The crossing narrative is connected to that of the spies (chapter 2) by the mention of Shittim (3:1), as well as bringing Joshua, together with 'all the Israelites', to the verge of Jordan for the crossing (cf. verse 17), where the officers play their part to observe the due timing of three days (verses 2–3; cf. 1:10–11). The crossing respects the requirements of holiness, the ark being attended by the properly authorized personnel (verses. 3, 6; cf. Numbers 3:5–10, 31), and the people keeping due distance, recalling the encounter with YHWH at Sinai (cf. Exodus 19:10–12). The preparations also include a reaffirmation of Joshua's leadership, and of YHWH's special promise to accompany him (3:7; cf. 1:5) throughout his conquest (verses 10–11; cf. Exodus 3:17). The phrase 'the LORD, the Lord of all the earth' (verse 13; cf. Micah 4:13; Psalm 97:5) states a claim to absolute universal dominion, as also found in other ancient Near-Eastern documents for local deities, for examples, Baal in Ugarit literature is written as zbl b'I arș ('the prince, lord of the earth').

Verse 1

And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.[8]

Crossing the Jordan (3:14–17)

After all the preparations, an initial report of the crossing was given, with a note that it was miraculous, as the river being in its spring flood (verse 15) was suddenly cut off of its flow of water, leaving a dry land to walk on (verse 16). This passage anticipates a fuller account in the following chapter.

Verses 14–16

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.[9]

See also

Sources

. Joseph Fitzmyer . A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2008. 9780802862419. Grand Rapids, MI .

External links

Notes and References

  1. [Talmud]
  2. Gilad, Elon. Who Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets?, Haaretz, June 25, 2015. Summary: The paean to King Josiah and exalted descriptions of the ancient Israelite empires beg the thought that he and his scribes lie behind the Deuteronomistic History.
  3. https://thewaytoyahuweh.com/dead-sea-scrolls/general-info/#joshua Dead sea scrolls - Joshua
  4. https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/4Q48-1 4Q48 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library
  5. Web site: Discrepancies in manuscripts show how Old Testament scribes edited the Book of Joshua. January 29, 2018. University of Helsinki.
  6. The septuagint-version of the book of Joshua. Martin. Rösel. Martin Rösel. January 1, 2002. Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament. 16 . 1 . 5–23 . Taylor and Francis+NEJM. 10.1080/09018320210000329. 161116376.
  7. http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/illuman/9-10_08.html Facsimiles of Illuminated Manuscripts of the Medieval Period
  8. 3:1 KJV KJV
  9. 2 Joshua ESV
  10. Dr. Amos Nur, a Stanford University geophysicist, wrote: The combination, the destruction of Jericho and the stoppage of the Jordan, is so typical of earthquakes in this region that only little doubt can be left as to the reality of such events in Joshua's time.; In: Wilford, John Noble (1990) "Believers Score in Battle Over the Battle of Jericho". The New York Times. February 22, 1990
  11. Garstang, John. Joshua Judges. The Foundations of Bible History. London: Constable & Company, Limited, 1931. Reprinted in 1978 by Kregel, Grand Rapids MI. p. 137 Quote: "… and dammed it up, so that the water of the river ceased to flow and none remained in its bed. The waters spread over the valley above the dam and none flowed down the bed for some sixteen hours.'
  12. [Charles Moore Watson|Watson, Charles M.]
  13. Braslavski, Yosef. The Earthquake and the Stoppage of the Jordan River in 1546. Zion (new series) 1938; 3: 323–36 (Hebrew); Braslavski, Yosef. The Earthquake of the Year 1546 in Eretz Israel. Bulletin of the Israel Exploration Society 1956; 19: 230–35 (Hebrew).
  14. Beinart, C.H. The Earthquake in Eretz Israel in January 1546. Bulletin of the Israel Exploration Society. 1955; 19: 29–34 (Hebrew). hlm 33–34, column ם; Ambraseys, Nicholas and Karcz, I. The Earthquake of 1546 in the Holy Land. Terra Nova 1992; 4: 253–62. Hlm 255.
  15. Beinart 1955: 33–34, column ג; Ambraseys and Karcz 1992: 255.
  16. Beinart 1955: 33–34, column א; Ambraseys and Karcz 1992: 257.
  17. http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2015/09/25/The-Jordan-Blockage-Reexamined-(Joshua-315e2809316).aspx The Jordan Blockage Reexamined (Joshua 3:15–16)
  18. Pettenati, Franco (2013) "Source inversion of the M6.3 1927 Jericho earthquake, possibile repetition of the biblical earthquake of 1473 B.C"

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