Joshua 10: 1-15

Joshua 10: 1-15 exemplifies two critical ideas in the Bible: the power of God as immutable and inexorable, and the role of man as the Divine Warrior. These ideas are threshed out against the tumultuous backdrop of war; Joshua, acting as commander of the Israelites, comes to the aid of Gibeon and rallies against the five-kingdom Amorite coalition that has been organized by then-king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek. As an historical work, it has been observed that Joshua 10 makes sense geographically, and that archeological evidence appears to support it (Wright 109). Different biblical translations do, however, provide the reader with varying accounts of the battle that ensues between the Amorites and the Israelites. Though certainly the essential content and outcome of the battle will remain consistent no matter what text is consulted, the manner in which the story is told what words are chosen, what grammatical structure is employed, etc. will provide the scholar with much to ponder. Three translations of the Old Testament will be contrasted in this essay: the New Revised Standard Bible (NRSB), the Living Bible (LB), and the Old Testament as translated from the Vulgate Latin by Ronald Knox (OTVL). As will become clear, some critical distinctions arise between these texts, allowing a variation of interpretations regarding God's relationship with man.

To begin, consider the plight of Joshua as he heeds the call of the Gibeonites. As reported in the NRSB, Joshua went up

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His own immutable, inexorable divine will. In actuality, when God spoke to Joshua the Amorites were not already defeated. However, if God wills a defeat, that defeat has, for all intensive purposes, already taken place. The Amorites, condemned by God, were nothing more than living dead men; where God's divine will is in play, there can be no outcome other than the one He has ordained. Thus, in the LB text, it is clear that God is not telling Joshua simply to have heart, or to be brave (as it may be read in the NSRB text); God is telling Joshua that the battle has already been won the fate of the Amorites has been sealed by God Himself. So ubiquitous and sweeping is God's will that it becomes difficult to discern why He needs Joshua at all. No sooner had Joshua rushed upon the Amorites when God got into the act once again, this time throwing the Amorites "into a panic before Israel" (NRSB 10: 10); as the Amorites fled, God "threw down huge stones from heaven on them � and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword" (NRSB 10: 11). It is now appropriate to ask, was victory over the Amorites God's victory or Joshua's? Joshua and his Israelite warriors show valor, c

Category: Philosophy - J