The Beginnings.... Joshua's Life

Joshua was the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. The Hebrew pronunciation of his name would normally be Yehoshēa, and in three places he is called Hoshēa. In Greek he is called Ιησούς (Iēsoûs), the same as the name as Jesus of Nazareth and others bearing the Hebrew name Yēshua.


Joshua first appears in the biblical narrative as a young man in Exodus 17, when Moses appoints him to lead a battle against the Amalekites at Rephidim. While Joshua commands the fighting forces, Moses stands atop a nearby mountain assisted by Aaron and Hur. The battle goes the Amalekites' way whenever Moses lowers his hands, but the fighting goes Joshua's way when when Moses' hands remain uplifted. In the end, "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword."
Joshua alone accompanies Moses when the great prophet is called by God to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Here he is identified as Moses' "aide" (Exod. 24:13). They remain on the mountain 40 days. Joshua is the first to hear a commotion in the camp as they descend, believing it to be the sound of a battle; but Moses recognizes it as an idolatrous festival centering on the Golden Calf.


Exodus 33 states that Joshua also attends the "Tent of Meeting," erected before the construction of the more formal Tabernacle, where Moses would speak to God "face to face." Joshua remains inside the tent when Moses leaves it to return to the camp. Later, when God expands the gift of prophecy to include 70 elders at the tent, Joshua is also present. Hearing a report that two additional elders had received the prophetic gift without being present at the tent, Joshua objects, saying, "Moses, my lord, stop them!" Moses, however, responds: "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (Num. 11:24-29).

Joshua's faithfulness is demonstrated particularly in his role in the episode of spying in Canaan. Here (Numbers 13) his name is initially given as "Hoshea son of Nun." The spies are sent up through the Negev Desert into the hill country of Canaan. The spies return, all agreeing that the land is a good one, "flowing with milk and honey," but also reporting that its towns are well fortified and that some of the area is inhabited by the giant Anakites, descendants of the legendary Nephilim (Gen. 6:4). Only Joshua and Caleb testify in favor of attempting to conquer the land, saying "Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them" (Num. 14:19). The assembly, however, sides with the faithless spies and attempts to stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses intervenes on their behalf, prophesying that all of the Israelites born in Egypt except Joshua and Caleb will die before entering Canaan. Moreover, for every day of spying, the Israelites would have to spend a year wandering in the wilderness, a total of 40 years in all. The other ten spies soon meet their deaths in a plague.