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Bible Dictionaries
Joshua
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Joshua (jŏsh'u-ah), Saviour, or whose help is Jehovah. Written also Hoshea, Oshea, Jehoshua, Jeshua, and Jesus. 1. The son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. 1 Chronicles 7:27, and minister of Moses. Exodus 24:13. He is mentioned first in connection with the fight against Amalek at Rephidim, when he was chosen by Moses to lead the Israelites. Exodus 17:9. He was one of the twelve spies who were sent, Numbers 13:17, to explore the land of Canaan, and one of the two, Numbers 14:6, who gave an encouraging report of their journey. Moses, shortly before his death, was directed, Numbers 27:18, to appoint Joshua leader over the people. God himself gave Joshua a charge through the lawgiver. Deuteronomy 31:14; Deuteronomy 31:23. Under God's direction, Joshua 1:1, Joshua assumed the command of the people at Shittim, sent spies into Jericho, crossed the Jordan, fortified a camp at Gilgal, circumcised the people, kept the passover, and was visited by the Captain of the Lord's Host. The miraculous fall of Jericho terrified the Canaanites. In the great battle of Beth-horon the Amorites were signally routed, and the south country was open to the Israelites. Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal, having conquered half of Palestine. He defeated the Canaanites under Jabin king of Hazor, In six years six tribes, with 31 petty chiefs, were conquered. Joshua, now stricken in years, proceeded to make the division of the conquered land. Timnath-serah in Mount Ephraim was assigned as Joshua's peculiar inheritance. After an interval of rest, Joshua convoked an assembly from all Israel. He delivered two solemn addresses, recorded in Josh. chaps. 23, 24. He died at the age of 110 years, and was buried in his own city, Timnath-serah. Joshua's character is a very noble one; and few blemishes are found in it. The favored disciple of Moses, he learned to be faithful to the Lord God. Once, indeed, he was too jealous for what he conceived to be Moses' honor. Numbers 11:28-29. He was generally bold and fearless, though an unexpected check at one time dispirited him. But, with these small exceptions, an able commander, a wise ruler, a faithful servant of the Lord, Joshua shines as a bright star among the noble worthies of Old Testament history. 2. An inhabitant of Beth-shemesh, in whose land was the stone at which the milch-kine stopped when they drew the ark of God with the offerings of the Philistines from Ekron to Beth-shemesh. 1 Samuel 6:14; 1 Samuel 6:18, b.c. 1124. 3. A governor of the city who gave his name to a gate of Jerusalem, 2 Kings 23:8, in the reign of Josiah, b.c. 628. 4. Jeshua the son of Jozadak. Haggai 1:14; Haggai 2:2; Zechariah 8:1, etc.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Joshua'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/j/joshua.html. 1893.
