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Is Joshua a Type of Christ in Hebrews 4.8? An Assessment of the Referent of Ἰησοῦς

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2021

J. Michael McKay Jr. Open the ORCID record for J. Michael McKay Jr. [Opens in a new window]
J. Michael McKay Jr.*
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Cedarville University, 251 N. Main Street, Cedarville, OH45314USA Email: katargethe@gmail.com
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Abstract

The referent of Ἰησοῦς in Heb 4.8 is traditionally understood to refer to Joshua son of Nun and frequently as a type referring to Jesus the Christ. I will argue against this reading and, instead, maintain that the referent of Ἰησοῦς is Jesus. Two lines of evidence are provided. First, analysis of the context demonstrates that the ‘Joshua’ option disrupts the author's argument, and that understanding the referent to be Jesus clarifies the argument. Second, the use of the nomina sacra abbreviations to refer to Jesus in the earliest manuscripts demonstrates that they interpreted Ἰησοῦς as referring to Jesus.

Keywords

Hebrews 4Joshuanomina sacraresttypology
Type
Articles
Information
New Testament Studies , Volume 68 , Issue 1 , January 2022 , pp. 105 - 118
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

1 The NA28 does not list any textual variants; however, Koester, C. (Hebrews: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (New York: Doubleday, 2001) 272)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, Ellingworth, P. (The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek Text (ed. Marshall, I. H. and Gasque, W. W.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993) 252)Google Scholar and H. Braun (An die Hebräer (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1984) 113) list manuscripts which insert ‘son of Nun’ (81, 330, 440, 823, syp h mg). These manuscripts all date from the eleventh century or later except for syp h mg, which are from the fifth or sixth century.

2 R. Ounsworth, Joshua Typology in the New Testament (WUNT ii/328, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012) 55; Laansma, J., ‘I will give you rest’: The Rest Motif in the New Testament with Special Reference to Mt 11 and Heb 3–4 (WUNT ii/98 Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1997) 292Google Scholar.

3 For example, the following scholars assume ‘Joshua’ without discussion: O'Brien, deSilva, Attridge, Cockerill, Lane, Laansma and Moore. Koester (Hebrews, 271–2) and Ellingworth (Epistle to the Hebrews, 252–3) both provide some comment of the interpretive options, but they supply little argument to validate Joshua over Jesus as the referent.

4 Ounsworth, Joshua Typology in the New Testament, 1, 173–76.

5 The most detailed discussion is on pp. 71–4, where he assumes that the referent is Joshua.

6 Whitfield, B. J., Joshua Traditions and the Argument of Hebrews 3 and 4 (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 194; Boston: de Gruyter, 2013) 246–65CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

7 See Benetreau, S., L'Epitre aux Hebreux (Vaux-sur-Seine: Edifac, 1989) 174Google Scholar; Bruce, F. F., The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990) 108–9Google Scholar; Laansma, ‘I Will Give You Rest’, 292; deSilva, D., Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle ‘to the Hebrews’ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000) 166Google Scholar; O'Brien, P., The Letter to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010) 169–70Google Scholar; Cockerill, G., The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012) 209Google Scholar; Whitfield, Joshua Traditions, 243.

8 Ellingworth, Epistle to the Hebrews, 253; Laansma, ‘I Will Give You Rest’, 292 n. 180.

9 Ellingworth, Epistle to the Hebrews, 253.

10 That the author attributes the psalm to David is due to his use of the LXX/OG, which contains the superscription mentioning David. Although the phrase, ἐν Δαυίδ, can be understood several ways, the author interprets the superscription as a statement of authorship. This is reflected in many English translations which render the phrase ἐν Δαυίδ in Heb 4.8 as ‘through David’ (ESV, NET, NIV, NRSV, NASB). Koester (Hebrews, 278) observes that the author attributes the psalm to David. See also Ellingworth, Epistle to the Hebrews, 251; Johnson, L., Hebrews: A Commentary (NTL; Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2006) 128Google Scholar.

11 Hanson, A. T., Jesus Christ in the Old Testament (London: SPCK, 1965) 61Google Scholar.

12 Ellingworth (Epistle to the Hebrews, 251) states that ‘nowhere else does Hebrews identify the author or source of his quotations’. Pace William Lane (Hebrews 1–8 (WBC 47a; Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1991) 94) who states that ‘in David’ refers to the Psalter.

13 Whitfield's conclusion concerning how the author uses Joshua in Heb 4.8 fits both the ‘redefinition of rest’ view and the ‘typological’ view. It is also significant that Whitfield (Joshua Traditions, 248–54), upon presuming a Joshua referent in Heb 4.8, then finds parallels between Jesus and Joshua under five headings: ‘Jesus as ἀρχηγός’, ‘The Word They Heard’, ‘United by Faith with Those Who Heard’, ‘For Whoever Enters God's Rest’, ‘The Use of Num 13–14 and Joshua's Faithfulness’. See also N. J. Moore, ‘Jesus as “the One Who Entered his Rest”: The Christological Reading of Hebrews 4.10,’ JSNT 36 (2014) 383–400, at 391–3, who follows Ounsworth; and D. L. Allen, Hebrews (NAC 35; Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010) 280.

14 Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary, 128.

15 See also H. W. Attridge, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1989) 130; Bruce, Epistle to the Hebrews, 109; Koester, Hebrews, 272; Cockerill, Hebrews, 209.

16 Heb 2.9; 3.1; 4.14; 6.20; 7.22; 10.10, 19; 12.2, 24; 13.8, 12, 20, 21.

17 C. Richardson, Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith: Jesus’ Faith as the Climax of Israel's History in the Epistle to the Hebrews (ed. J. Frey; WUNT ii/338; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012) 227–8. Moore (‘Jesus as “the One Who Entered his Rest”’, 385) follows Richardson.

18 Whitfield (Joshua Traditions, 255) acknowledges this; Ellingworth (Epistle to the Hebrews, 621) observes that ‘Joshua, like Moses in v. 29, fades into the background’; O'Brien (Letter to the Hebrews, 436) includes Joshua in the group of the faithful generation despite the lack of explicit comment by the author; Cockerill (Hebrews, 583–4) provides several possible reasons why Joshua is omitted: (1) the fall of Jericho was not a response of merely Joshua's faith; (2) Joshua's life was closely bound by the earthly promised land, and the author did not want to risk confusion with the heavenly City. However, one wonders why it is appropriate to introduce Joshua in Heb 4.8 if this last reason is correct. Richardson (Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith, 212) argues that the author includes Joshua in the community which was faithful against Jericho; thus, the community's faith is the focus. However, why then does the author immediately move to more individual faith such as Rahab's?

19 O'Brien (Letter to the Hebrews, 439–40) observes that the choice of Samson could be considered ‘odd’, and the choice of Jephthah is ‘surprising’. Richardson (Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith, 215) states that the inclusion of Rahab is ‘initially surprising’.

20 Allen, Hebrews, 562.

21 Both Ounsworth (Joshua Typology, 98–130) and Whitfield (Joshua Traditions, 255–7) provide a rationale for why Joshua is omitted in Hebrews 11.

22 For example, see Moore, ‘Jesus as “the One Who Entered his Rest”’, 383–400; Whitfield, Joshua Traditions, 244–5, 252–3; deSilva, Perseverance in Gratitude, 167–8; A. Vanhoye, A Different Priest: The Epistle to the Hebrews (ed. R. Meynet, trans. L. Arnold; Series Rhetorica Semitica (Miami, FL: Convivium, 2011) 142; Attridge (The Epistle to the Hebrew, 132) argues that the reference is both to believers and to Jesus because believers share solidarity with Jesus.

23 Koester (Hebrews, 272) makes a passing comment.

24 See Richardson, Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith, 58–69 for a helpful discussion of Moses and Jesus as apostles.

25 C. Westfall (A Discourse Analysis of the Letter to the Hebrews: The Relationship between Form and Meaning (JSNTSup 297; New York: T. & T. Clark, 2005) 129) notes this regularly in her comments; for example, she states, ‘In all the previous references to God speaking, Jesus is the ultimate messenger and apostle, and the repeated line “today if you hear his voice” defines what is meant by this phrase.’

26 Richardson (Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith, 67) states, ‘Hebrews has creatively aligned the voice of 3.7, 15; and 4.7 with the testimony of Jesus Christ. While the original speaker of Psalm 95 is the God of Israel, its quotation in Heb. 3.7–11 is introduced as being spoken by the Holy Spirit (cf. 10.15), and is preceded by the example of Jesus. These correlations suggest that the author regards the voice of God as a univocal and triune address to the community’ (emphasis original).

27 Some modern translations (e.g. NIV, NET, NRSV) remove the ambiguity regarding who is speaking by inserting a clear subject which is typically ‘God’. However, if we remove this translator clarification, then we can see that the author consistently refuses to specify explicitly the speaker until Heb 4.8. Consider the following:

  1. 1.

    1. Heb 3.15: ‘in which it was said’ introduces a second citation of Ps 94.1 LXX/OG.

  2. 2.

    2. Heb 3.18: ‘to whom he swore …’

  3. 3.

    3. Heb 4.2: ‘we are the ones being preached the good news just as they were’.

  4. 4.

    4. Heb 4.3: ‘just as he said’ introduces the second citation of Ps 94.11 LXX/OG.

  5. 5.

    5. Heb 4.4: ‘for somewhere he said’ introduces the citation of Gen 2.2 LXX.

  6. 6.

    6. Heb 4.5: ‘and by this again’ introduces the third citation of Ps 94.11b LXX/OG.

  7. 7.

    7. Heb 4.7: ‘someone has appointed a day, “today”, by David saying …’ and ‘just as he said beforehand’ introduce a third citation of Ps 94.1 LXX/OG.

  8. 8.

    8. Heb 4.8: ‘For if Ἰησοῦς gave them rest …’ If we accept ‘Jesus’ as the referent, then this is the only place in the author's argument (i.e. Heb 3.7b–4.13) where he clearly identifies who has been speaking.

28 Westfall, Discourse Analysis, 122.

29 Westfall (Discourse Analysis, 127–32) continually references God and Jesus as the speakers; however, her textual support for Jesus’ involvement as speaker is drawn from Heb 1.2; 2.2 and 17–18. The reference to Ἰησοῦς in Heb 4.8 provides direct evidence to support her argument that Jesus’ and God's voices are intertwined in the passage.

30 Hanson (Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, 59) states, ‘I think the only conclusion can be that the author thought of Christ as uttering most of Psalm 95 on which he lays so much emphasis in this passage.’

31 Hanson, Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, 60.

32 Hanson, Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, 61.

33 For helpful introductions to the nomina sacra, see D. Trobisch, The First Edition of the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000) 11–19; L. W. Hurtado, The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006) 95–134; and T. Bokedal, The Formation and Significance of the Christian Biblical Canon: A Study in Text, Ritual and Interpretation (New York: T. & T. Clark, 2014) 83–123.

34 The major codices of A, B, ﬡ, and the manuscript 𝔓4 (late 2nd cent.), all have the nomen sacrum. This section did not survive in the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C).

35 This and the following transcription have been taken from P. Comfort and D. Barrett, The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (2 vols.; Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2019) i.43). I have compared their transcriptions with online facsimiles to ensure accuracy. For further examination readers are directed to two online sites which offer viewing options: Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforshung (INTF) (http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/manuscript-workspace); CSTM (https://manuscripts.csntm.org). The Greek translations are the author's and are intentionally stilted to reflect word order; however, spacing and line demarcations are not intended to reflect the manuscripts in every case.

36 J. Estes (‘Reading for the Spirit of the Text: nomina sacra and πνɛῦμα Language in P46’, NTS 61 (2015) 566–94) comments that the scribe of 𝔓46 was very consistent in his use of the nomina sacra for Ἰησοῦς in contrast to his use of nomina sacra for πνɛῦμα. Hurtado (Earliest Christian Artifacts, 129) mistakenly observes that 𝔓46 has the name fully written out.

37 Houghton, H. A. G., The Latin New Testament: A Guide to its Early History, Texts, and Manuscripts (New York: Oxford University Press, 2016) 170, 243CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

38 Comfort and Barrett, Greek Manuscripts, i.208.

39 Contra Hurtado, Earliest Christian Artifacts, 129, who mistakenly claims that 𝔓46 renders the name Ἰησοῦς in Heb 4.8 as fully written out and not as a nomen sacrum. According to Estes (‘Reading for the Spirit of the Text’, 578), the scribe of 𝔓46 renders all 114 occurrences of Ἰησοῦς as nomen sacrum. He notes that this includes three texts where this designation seems inappropriate: Col 4.11; 2 Cor 11.4; and Heb 4.8; thus, it appears that the scribe is referring to Jesus – however, this is not conclusive.

40 Comfort and Barrett, Greek Manuscripts, i.73.

41 Transcription taken from INTF: http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/manuscript-workspace; accessed 12/5/2021.

42 Transcription taken from INTF: http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/manuscript-workspace; accessed 12/5/2021.

43 Transcription taken from INTF: http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/manuscript-workspace; accessed 12/5/2021; however, the image of the folio is locked. See British Library Codex Alexandrinus: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=royal_ms_1_d_viii_fs001r; accessed 12/5/2021.

44 Transcription taken from INTF: http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/manuscript-workspace; accessed 12/5/2021.

45 Transcriptions of both Greek and Latin are the author's and made from manuscript images found at INTF: http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/manuscript-workspace; accessed 12/5/2021.

46 For example, note the use of the nomen sacrum in the twelfth-century Latin text Codex Colbertinus in Jesus’ genealogy of Luke 3.23 (https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8426051s/f102.item.zoom; accessed 12/5/2021, folio 49v). However, the name Joshua is spelled out as ‘Jesu’ in Luke 3.29 (https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8426051s/f102.item.zoom; accessed 12/5/2021, folio 49v).