Blessings (Joshua 14.13, 22.6–7) ‣ Praying Through the Bible

Hand held up in forest

Then Joshua blessed him…

So Joshua blessed them and sent them away…and when Joshua had sent them away to their tents and blessed them…

Background

The last three prayers in the book of Joshua are minor references to prayer-blessings. They are similar to other blessings in the Bible (unlike many other prayers we have encountered in Joshua). All three address the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes and others.

Following the previous prayer passage (10.12), the author recounts some battles and the conquest of Canaan (Chapters 11–12). Chapter 13 describes the geography and boundaries of conquered land.

The following chapters recount the official division of the land to each tribe of Israel and to people who helped the Israelites. Before the actual divisions are announced, Caleb requests special treatment. He is described as the only faithful Israelite who acted as a spy in the conquering of the land. He was faithful to God and the people of Israel. Caleb reminds Joshua of this and asks Joshua to give land to his family before the rest of the apportionment. He has a good reason: forty-five years earlier, Moses had promised Caleb that he would have the hill country in Hebron. Joshua pronounces it so, followed by the phrase “Then Joshua blessed him…” and gave his family Hebron. The writer does not tell us the content of the prayer, only that Joshua offered it.

Joshua then distributes the rest of the land. The distribution contains gifts of land to many tribes, families, and people, but there are no blessings mentioned with them. After finishing, Joshua establishes “cities of refuge.” These are six cities that will serve as places of asylum for anyone who might be a target of criminal violence or vengeance. Chapter 20 records some special residential and grazing rights to the priests and their families in each of the twelve territories. Even here, there are no blessings or prayers of any kind.

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