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Hi there—I’ve lots to share, so I’ll get right to it!

Last Week’s Work

WRITING TYPES

Overall, I believe Joshua 2 is narrative, and I think it was intended to be interpreted literally. Still, I suspect the hearts of the people in Jericho weren’t literally “turning to liquid” when they heard about the Israelites (vv9, 11, 24)—this is definitely a metaphor (see my interlinear research below)..

LITERAL CONTEXT

I read Joshua 1 and 3-6 to get a timeline of the events leading up to and following the study text scenario. In chapter 1, Moses dies, and Joshua takes over leadership of the Israelites. God tells him to be strong and courageous and stick to the Law (vv1-9), and Joshua tells the people to prepare to cross the Jordan.

In chapters 3-5, they cross the Jordan River, create a memorial on the other side from 12 stones picked up in the river, and set up camp. Next, they circumcise all the men who hadn’t been circumcised in the desert [if you’re curious about that, see the covenant between God and Abraham established about 2067 BC (661 years before Joshua 2!) and described in Genesis 17:6-14]. They also celebrate the Passover feast (Joshua 5:1-12). You can learn more about Passover in Exodus 12. Finally, in Chapter 6, they attack and take Jericho, sparing only Rahab and her family as the spies agreed.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

We know the cultures involved (Israelites and Canaanites), their co-location in Jericho in Canaan, and the approximate date of the events described in Joshua 2 (1406 BC). I didn’t find much information about either culture from the ESV Global Study Bible, so I tried a secular source, Britannica.com, and discovered the Canaanites were influenced by several dominant cultures in the area surrounding them. They worshiped many gods, including Resheph, Kothar, Astarte, El, Asherah, and Baal, unlike their forefather, Noah, who walked so closely with God only Noah and his family were spared in the great flood (Genesis 6:5-18).

INTERLINEAR RESEARCH

I focused on the curious use of melt/melting in verses 9, 11, and 24, and discovered the author used two different terms to describe this phenomenon.

In verses 9 and 24, H4147, nā-mō-ḡū, is translated in the ESV melt away. This metaphor is based on the Hebrew belief that the heart was the center of emotion and will, and indicates fear, despair, or overwhelm. It was often used in the context of warfare or divine judgment where strength and resolve are tested. This connects with other research indicating the conquest of Jericho and surrounding areas represented God’s judgment on the Canaanites for various abominations (see Leviticus 18).

In Verse 11 though, melted is a totally different word(H4549 masas) that was also used metaphorically to symbolize weakening or fainting courage, strength, or resolve. In other words, fear or discouragement caused one’s heart to weaken in the face of overwhelming circumstances. When reading for context, I noticed the same word used in Joshua 5:1 to describe the hearts of the kings who learned about the LORD drying up the Jordan (not unlike Rahab’s statement in 2:10 referencing His drying up the Red Sea!). Really thinking about this meaning reminded me of how I felt that day in the desert right before God saved my life. I know exactly how Rahab and her countrymen felt. Knowing her place in the genealogy of my Savior (Matthew 1:5), I am so glad she trusted God, too!

Dig-In Challenges

This week, let’s wrap up the second half of the Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.

1. Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
2. REFINE: Then consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool (I’ll be starting at this blb.org page) to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in and log what the Spirit shows you.
   NOTE: if you’re interested in other verses, follow the above link, then scroll down to the verse you want to study, click the TOOLS button on the left side, and choose Cross-Refs from the menu.
3. REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations of your study verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT using this biblehub.com page. You can compare your own verses from that link by entering them in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.

I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover with you next week. I hope you join me then!