JOSHUA (josh'u-a), (Heb. yeh-ho-shoo' ah, Jehovah saves). The name is rendered by Jo seplius, the Septuagint, and the Ncw Testament, ee-ay-soos, Jesus.
In the same manner is spelt the name of the au thor of the apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus. This is the name of four persons in the Old Testament, and means whose salvation is Jehovah (compare the German name Gotthi/f).
/. The most distinguished of the four persons, so called, who occur in the Old Testament, is Joshua the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, the assistant and successor of Moses. His name was originally Hoshea, salvation (Num. xiii :8) ; and it seems that the subsequent alteration of it by Moses (Num. xiii :16) was significant, and pro ceeded on the same principle as that of Abram into Abraham (Gen. xvii :5), and of Sarai into Sarah (Gen. xvii :15).
(1) Commander of Israelites. In the Bible he is first mentioned as being the victorious com mander of the Israelites in their battle against the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exod. xvii :8-16), B. C. 1210.
(2) On Mount Sinai. When Moses was on the mount, Joshua tarried somewhere on the side of it, and came down with him (Exod. xxiv :13 ; xxxii :17).
(3) In Charge of Tabernacle. After the de fection of Israel and their worship of the golden calf, Moses moved the tabernacle outside of the camp, and, returning to the congregation, left it in charge of Joshua (xxxiii :it).
(4) Eldad and Medad. Zealous for Moses' honor, he was for prohibiting Eldad and Medad from prophesying. Moses rebuked him, saying, "Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them" (Num. xi : 27-29).
(5) A Spy. He was one of the spies that searched the Promised Land (Num. xiii :8, 16; xiv :6, 38; xi :28, 29).
(6) Appointed Ruler. A little bcfore Moses' death, Joshua was solemnly installed in thc gov ernment of the Hebrew nation ; and such honor was by Moses put upon him as tended to makc them reverence and obey him (Num. xxvii :18-23 ; Deut. :21 ; xxxi :14-23).
(7) With Moses in the Tabernacle. It was
made known to Moses that he was about to die, and that he should appear with Joshua in the tabernacle. And while in the presence of Jeho vah Moses gave his devoted minister a "charge," and said, "Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them; and I will be with thee" (Deut. xxxi :14. 23).
(8) Takes Charge of Israel. After Moses' death, God directed and encouraged Joshua to take on him the government of the Hebrews, and promised to give him his continued presence and support. Joshua warned the Reuhenites, Gadites, and eastern Manassites, who were settled by Moses, to prepare for crossing the Jordan and conquering Canaan, along. with their brethren. Spies were sent to view Jericho. These, by means of Rahab, were preserved, and returned safe, though no small search had been made for them; they reported that the Canaanites were in the ut most consternation, for fear of the Hebrew in vasion.
(9) Crosses the Jordan. At this time, the Jordan overflowed its banks; but, as soon as the feet of the priests, who bare the ark of the Lord, going at the distance of 2,000 cubits, or 3,648 feet, before the host, touched the brim of the waters of Jordan, they parted; those above stood like a mountain, and those below ran off into the Dead Sea, leaving an empty space of about six miles for the Hebrew tribes to pass over. The priests, with the ark, continued in the middle of the chan nel till all were got over.
(10) In Canaan. To commemorate this event, Joshua erected twelve large stones in the very spot where the ark had stood ; and, taking twelve other stones from the mid channel of the river, erected them on the banks. Some days after he or dered that all that had been born for thirty-eight years back to be circumcised ; fully assured of God's protecting them, when sore, from their foes. Next, the passover was celebrated. On the mor row after, they began to eat the old corn of Ca naan, and the manna fell no more about their tents.