Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 57:4 (Dec 2014)
Article: “A Day Like No Other” In The Context Of Yahweh War: Joshua 10:14 And The Characterization Of Joshua
Author: Gordon Oeste

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“A Day Like No Other” In The Context Of Yahweh War: Joshua 10:14 And The Characterization Of Joshua

Gordon Oeste*

* Gordon Oeste is professor of OT Studies at Heritage Seminary, 175 Holiday Inn Drive, Cambridge, ON N3C 3T2.

Joshua 10:12–14 describes a request that the sun and moon stand still over Gibeon and the Valley of Aijalon, along with their compliance, before noting that there has never been a day before or since when Yahweh listened to the voice of a human.1 This passage has long served as an interpretive crux in the interpretation of the OT,2 in large part because of its phenomenological description of the halting of the sun and moon. In this study, I intend to focus on just one facet of this passage, the locution indicating that there has not been a day like that day before or since when Yahweh listened to the voice of a human (10:14). This statement, when understood within the context of ancient Near Eastern (ANE) warfare and Yahweh war, has some important implications for understanding the literary structure of this passage.

The narrator in Josh 10:14 asserts that the events described in the preceding verses are in some way unique.3 However, interpreters have differed on exactly what it is that made the events of Joshua 10 so unique.4 Some understand the singularity referred to in Josh 10:14 as the unusual progression of time on that day5 or at least the perception of the progression of time.6 Others connect the uniqueness of that day to the boldness or faith inherent in a request with such cosmic implications.7 The oldest and most common understanding connects the distinctiveness of

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that day with the fact that Yahweh answered Joshua’s prayer.8 However, the Hebrew Bible contains many examples of God answering prayer (e.g. Num 14:20; 21:3; Deut 9:19; 10:10; cf.