Sefer Yehoshua – Evolving Plans/0/en

Sefer Yehoshua – Evolving Plans

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Introduction

Often, readers of Tanakh come to the text with knowledge of the end of the story.  This frequently means that we forget that the written outcome was not necessarily the only possible one, and that the Biblical characters were not privy to it.  Below are several examples drawn from throughout Sefer Yehoshua where it is possible that there was a change in plan. In each case, such a hypothesis explains otherwise difficult aspects of the narrative.

Crossing of the Yarden

Chapters 3-4 describe the miraculous splitting of the Yarden.  It is possible, however, that the initial plan was to cross the Yarden naturally, at the river's fords, and that Yehoshua was only told of the miracle immediately beforehand.  This would explain several difficulties and inconsistencies in the text:

• Food – In Yehoshua 1:11, Yehoshua commands the people to prepare food for the crossing, a seemingly unnecessary preparation¹ if the river was to split and the nation to cross in a matter of hours.²  If, however, Yehoshua was thinking about millions traversing the river naturally, an event that would take days, it is clear why provisions were needed.
• Day of crossing – There is a discrepancy between the date set for the crossing in Chapters 1 and 3.  In the former, Yehoshua tells the nation that "in another three days you will cross the Jordan" yet in Chapter 3 the verses state that "after three days" Yehoshua told the people to sanctify themselves to cross "the next day".  It is possible that after Yehoshua was told of the miracle, he needed to postpone the crossing so that everyone could prepare for Hashem's revelation and merit Divine intervention.³
•  Following the ark – Another discrepancy in the text relates to the directives regarding the ark. In Chapter 6:1-4 the leaders tell the nation to follow the ark at a distance of 2000 cubits.  During the actual crossing, however, the people don't follow the ark, but pass it, and there is no mention of staying far. This, too, might be understood if we assume that the leaders were speaking under the assumption that the crossing was to be natural.  Once the plan changed, their original instructions were overruled as Hashem directed that the ark should stay at the edge of the river.

Conquest of Yericho

Yehoshua 6 depicts the conquest of Yericho and the supernatural tumbling of its walls.  It is likely that here, too, Yehoshua was initially unaware of Hashem's plans and assumed that the city was to be destroyed via natural means in a human battle.  After all, it is first in Chapter 6, right before the conquest, that Hashem mentions the miracle.

• This would explain the need for the espionage mission of Chapter 2. Had Yehoshua known in advance that the city was to fall via Divine intervention, there would have been no reason to risk the lives of spies for superfluous military information.
• This also explains why the spies did not hesitate to hang an identifying rope on the outer walls of the city. Having no clue that the walls were to fall, they had no reason to believe that the rope might not survive.

Canaanite Plan of Attack

¹ Cf. Rashi who posits that "צֵידָה" does not refer to food, but rather weapons of war.

² Although people bring food for even short outings, the fact that Yehoshua directed the people to arrange provisions three days before the crossing suggests that he expected significant preparations. 

³ Cf. RalbagYehoshua 2:23About R. Levi b. Gershom who explains that the nation did not cross on the evening of the third day, but rather waited until morning so that the miracle would take place in daylight when it could be seen by all.  Other commentators resolve the contradiction by reinterpreting either