Joshua BRI

B.R.I—Joshua

1.      Identify what Author, wrote for which Original Readers, and When

a.      Author/Compiler of Joshua

                                                                                      i.      Internal

1.      Joshua 24:26- ‘Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God...’

                                                                                    ii.      External

1.       Jewish tradition gives authorship of the book of Joshua to Joshua. (Nelson’s)

2.      The most logical theory is that Joshua wrote most of the book. But it most likely did not reach its finished form until several years after his death. An editor must have added additional narrative, such as Joshua’s death, and geographical locations. (Nelson’s)

3.      The author is not named; but the statements about the death of Joshua and his colleagues, plus the references of Othneil and migration of the Danites, indicate that the writer lived after the rise of Israel’s judges. (Zondervan’s)

4.      DK Kim said that it could have been Joshua, but he leans toward the opinion that Phinehas wrote it, because he was close to Joshua, and lived after Joshua, so he would have known many details that Joshua would have known and would have been present at Joshua’s death and burial. (lecture)

5.      It could have been an unknown priest in Judah, since there is so much detail of the land. (DK Kim, lecture)

6.      Some believe that the book was written by an eyewitness (perhaps Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas) within a generation after the events it relates. (Zondervan’s)

                                                                                  iii.      Conclusion

I believe that Joshua wrote the book, but later sometime after Joshua’s death, Phinehas complied and add the parts about the death, because it seemed to be most likely to me. Phinehas is recorded to be with Joshua many times, but obviously Joshua could not have written the account of his own death and burial, and he could not have known about the judges, as he was already dead. So it makes sense that Phinehas would have complied and added to it.

b.      Written To

                                                                                      i.      Internal

1.      Judges 2:10- ‘Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.’

                                                                                    ii.      External

1.      The third generation of the Israelites. ( DK Kim, lecture)

                                                                                  iii.      Conclusion

I believe that the OR is the third generation of the Israelites, because they did not know God, so Joshua would have been written to tell them who God is.

c.       Written/Compiled When/Where

                                                                                      i.      Internal

1.      Joshua 9:27- ‘But Joshua made them hewers of wood...for the congregation...to continue to this day...’

a.       Saul kills off the Gibeonites, so it has to be pre-Saul.

2.      Joshua 15:63- ‘But the people of Judah could not drive out...the inhabitants of Jerusalem...’

a.       David overtakes Jerusalem, so it must be pre-David.

3.      Joshua 16:10- ‘They did not, however drive, drive out the Canaanites...’

a.       Solomon drove the Canaanites out of the land, so it has to be pre-Solomon.

                                                                                    ii.      External

1.      A few groups believe that the book was written by an eyewitness within a generation after the events it relates, while others date its composition centuries later. (Zondervan’s)

2.      The more commonly accepted date for the death of Joshua is about 1375 BC, so the book may have been written shortly after this date. (Nelson’s)

3.      Pre-12^th century BC. (DK Kim, lecture)

                                                                                  iii.      Conclusion

I believe that it was compiled shortly after the death of Joshua, simply because there are so many different views on when it was written. None of the different views support each other, so it’s difficult to choose just one. But after much deliberation with myself, I have decided to choose 1375 BC, since it was soon after Joshua’s death.

2.      Research the Background of the Author, Original Audience, and Readers

a.      Author’s Background

Joshua, son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, was originally called Hoshea (meaning ‘save’), but Moses gave him the name Joshua (more accurately translated as Jehoshua, meaning ‘Yahweh is salvation’). Not long after the exodus from Egypt, he was appointed the commander of the army of Israel, and defeated the Amalekites. He was also Moses assistant, and would often stay in the tent of meeting for long periods of time. He was chosen out of the tribe of Ephraim, to go along with eleven other men to spy out the land of Canaan. Upon return, he and one other spy, Caleb, were in danger of being stoned because of their intense faith that God would allow them to conquer the land. Forty years later, he became Moses’ successor. Some people say that when Moses died, Joshua was the oldest man in Israel, being in his nineties.  He led the second generation of Israelites into the land of Canaan and to many victories against the people of the land.

b.      Original Audience’s Background

The OA, the second generation of Israelites, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, until the entire first generation, with the exception of the Joshua and Caleb, had died. They entered the land of Canaan led by Joshua. They disobeyed God by utterly destroying most of the inhabitants of the land.

c.       Original Reader’s Background

The OR, the third generation of Israelites was the first generation of Israelites to be born in the land of Canaan. They did not know the Lord (Judges 2:10).  They were idol worshipers, depraved and corrupt.
They lived in Canaan, as God had promised, yet they did not follow God, but the pagan gods. They were being attacked on all sides by their enemies.

3.      Reasons Written

a.       The new generation did not know God. God wanted them to know that he was more powerful than all the nations who were surrounding them and trying to destroy them.

4.      Author’s Literary Tools

a.      Kind of Writing

                                                                                      i.      Prose

                                                                                    ii.      Poetry

1.      6:26

2.      10:12b-13a

b.      Type of Literature

                                                                                      i.      Narrative

c.       Structure

                                                                                      i.      Biographical

                                                                                    ii.      Geographical

d.      Composition Tools

                                                                                      i.      Climax

5.      Main Ideas

a.       God gives boldness and courage and strength.

6.      Final Book Overview

a.      Reason Written Summary

Because the new generation did not know God, he wanted them to know who he was; that he was more powerful than all of their enemies combined.

b.      Main Idea Summary

When the OR sees that God makes them strong, they will be able to understand who God is and that their strength does not come from themselves, but from him.