Who was Joshua in the Bible?
Judge, during Egypt, the wilderness, and the conquest
Joshua, the son of Nun, was a prominent figure in the Old Testament who served as Moses' assistant and later succeeded him as the leader of the Israelites. Joshua appears in 188 verses across 11 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Joshua for 2 different people. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Joshua, son of Nun
Joshua, the son of Nun, was a prominent figure in the Old Testament who served as Moses' assistant and later succeeded him as the leader of the Israelites. He was from the tribe of Ephraim (Num.13.8) and was originally named Hoshea, but Moses changed his name to Joshua (Num.13.16). Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent to explore the land of Canaan (Num.13.8), and he and Caleb were the only ones who brought back a positive report and encouraged the people to trust God (Num.14.6-9). As a result, Joshua and Caleb were the only adults from their generation permitted to enter the Promised Land (Num.14.30, 38). Before Moses' death, God appointed Joshua to succeed him as the leader of Israel (Num.27.18-23; Deu.31.7-8, 14, 23). After Moses' death, Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the land of Canaan (Joshua 1-4). He oversaw the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6), Ai (Joshua 8), and numerous other cities and territories (Joshua 10-12). Joshua also led the Israelites in renewing their covenant with God (Jos.8.30-35; 24.1-28). Under Joshua's leadership, the land of Canaan was divided among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance (Joshua 13-21). In his old age, Joshua gave a farewell address to the Israelites, encouraging them to remain faithful to God (Joshua 23-24). He died at the age of 110 and was buried in his inheritance at Timnath-serah (Jos.24.29-30; Jdg.2.8-9). Joshua is remembered as a courageous leader, a faithful servant of God, and a key figure in Israel's history who led the people into the Promised Land and helped establish them as a nation.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Joshua (Jeshua)
Joshua, also known as Jeshua, was the high priest who played a significant role in the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He was the son of Jehozadak (or Jozadak) and is mentioned in the books of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Joshua is first mentioned among the leaders who returned from exile with Zerubbabel (Ezr.2.2; Neh.7.7). He worked alongside Zerubbabel to rebuild the altar and lay the foundation of the temple (Ezr.3.2, 8). When the temple construction faced opposition, Joshua and Zerubbabel successfully petitioned the Persian authorities to allow the work to continue (Ezr.5.2). The prophets Haggai and Zechariah delivered messages of encouragement and support to Joshua during the temple reconstruction (Hag.1.1, 12, 14; 2.2, 4; Zec.3.1-9; 6.11). In a vision, Zechariah saw Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan accusing him. The Lord rebuked Satan and affirmed His choice of Joshua as the high priest (Zec.3.1-5). Joshua was also given a symbolic crown and a promise of the coming "Branch," a messianic figure (Zec.6.11-13). Joshua continued to serve as high priest during the early years of the restored Jewish community in Jerusalem (Neh.12.1, 7, 10, 26). His leadership, along with that of Zerubbabel, was instrumental in the completion of the temple and the reestablishment of Jewish worship in the post-exilic period.
9 verses: Haggai 1:12, Haggai 2:2, Haggai 2:4, Zechariah 3:1, Zechariah 3:3, Zechariah 3:6, Zechariah 3:8, Zechariah 3:9, Zechariah 6:11
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Where does Joshua appear in the Bible?
Joshua is referenced in 188 verses across 11 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 7:27
- Acts 7:45
- Deuteronomy 1:38
- Deuteronomy 3:21
- Deuteronomy 3:28
- Deuteronomy 31:3
- Deuteronomy 31:7
- Deuteronomy 31:14
- Deuteronomy 31:23
- Deuteronomy 32:44
- Deuteronomy 34:9
- Exodus 17:9
- Exodus 17:10
- Exodus 17:13
- Exodus 17:14
- Exodus 24:13
- Exodus 32:17
- Exodus 33:11
- Hebrews 4:8
- Judges 1:1
- Judges 2:6
- Judges 2:7
- Judges 2:8
- Judges 2:21
Showing the first 24 of 188.
Open all 188 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Joshua.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Joshua?
Joshua refers to 2 different people in the Bible: Joshua, son of Nun; Joshua (Jeshua).
How many times does the Bible mention Joshua?
Joshua appears in 188 verses across 11 books, most often in Joshua, which accounts for 142 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Joshua?
Joshua, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Exodus, Judges, Zechariah, Haggai, 1 Chronicles, and 3 more.
Where can I read every verse about Joshua?
This page lists 24 of them. Protos carries all 188, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
