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Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary
Joshua: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary
Joshua is not merely a story of conquest but also a treasure trove of theology.
David G. Firth interprets the book of Joshua with a sensitivity to its place as Christian Scripture. Joshua is marginalized in many churches, often because its message is misunderstood. Firth reveals that, rather than simply being a story of conquest, Joshua is concerned with matters of identity and faithfulness. Joshua exhorts God's people to live out their calling in light of God's promises. While Israelites like Achan fall short, others--often gentiles--show surprising faith in God. Firth also probes the book's theological themes, such as the promised land, government, rest, and promise. The book of Joshua boldly challenges the complacent in faith to be a nation committed to God.
The Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) series locates each biblical book within redemptive history and illuminates its unique theological contributions. All EBTC volumes feature informed exegetical treatment of the biblical book and thorough discussion of its most important theological themes in relation to the canon--all in a style that is useful and accessible to students of Scripture.
David G. Firth interprets the book of Joshua with a sensitivity to its place as Christian Scripture. Joshua is marginalized in many churches, often because its message is misunderstood. Firth reveals that, rather than simply being a story of conquest, Joshua is concerned with matters of identity and faithfulness. Joshua exhorts God's people to live out their calling in light of God's promises. While Israelites like Achan fall short, others--often gentiles--show surprising faith in God. Firth also probes the book's theological themes, such as the promised land, government, rest, and promise. The book of Joshua boldly challenges the complacent in faith to be a nation committed to God.
The Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) series locates each biblical book within redemptive history and illuminates its unique theological contributions. All EBTC volumes feature informed exegetical treatment of the biblical book and thorough discussion of its most important theological themes in relation to the canon--all in a style that is useful and accessible to students of Scripture.
472 pages, Hardcover
Published May 25, 2021
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15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 20, 2025
Firth's commentary on Joshua for the EBTC is excellent for what it attempts to do--provide a theologically and narratively focused commentary on the book of Joshua in light of Christian teaching. I read Firth as part of my preparation for teaching an adult auditorium Bible class this past quarter, and it did exactly what I wanted: providing a narrative structure for a book that often is difficult to teach thanks to various portions which are toponymic or genealogical.
For a different use, it would be a star or so lower--this isn't a first grab (or even a second or third!) if you're more interested in historical, archaeological, or comparative matters. That's just not Firth's strong suite and you'd be far better served in looking into something else to cover those needs.
That said, for most other areas this is a solid commentary choice and I'd recommend it for this purpose as a first or second read for anyone needing to teach or preach through Joshua.
For a different use, it would be a star or so lower--this isn't a first grab (or even a second or third!) if you're more interested in historical, archaeological, or comparative matters. That's just not Firth's strong suite and you'd be far better served in looking into something else to cover those needs.
That said, for most other areas this is a solid commentary choice and I'd recommend it for this purpose as a first or second read for anyone needing to teach or preach through Joshua.
February 27, 2022
The EBTC series has picked up speed since Lexham took it over and this latest release by David Firth is another quality commentary. The historical books of the Old Testament are clearly the forte of Mr. Firth as he has already produced a major commentary on 1 & 2 Samuel, shorter commentaries on Joshua and Esther, and a volume in the NSBT on Ruth. All were successful. In this, his second stab at Joshua, he got the chance to take a deeper dive.
The first 30 pages have a somewhat traditional introduction that you might find in any major commentary. To be honest, this was not especially the strength of this work. Sometimes he only addressed a few viewpoints and even said there wasn’t space to address them further. Perhaps that had something to do with the constraints of the series, but I am not sure. As he had done in his earlier work, he argued that the violence in Joshua is not as extensive as most think. The rest of the introductory material was somewhat pedestrian.
It was in the next section where this commentary truly flourished. Here he addressed biblical and theological themes and showed his ability to write a commentary with a theological focus. He covered faithfulness and obedience, identity of the people of God, Joshua and Jesus, land as God’s gift, leadership, power and government, rest, and the promise of God. It was in this section that you had a real introduction to what Joshua is about. I can’t imagine a better overview for the theology you’re going to encounter for the whole book.
In the commentary proper, it only got better. His skills as an exegete joined with his newly discovered trait as a theologian made for some awesome commentary. What was impressive to me was the depth of observation. In each passage he had a section entitled “context”that truly set the stage for what you were reading before he broke out into his detailed exegesis. Next, in a section entitled “bridge”, he tied all the loose ends together and brought the theology out into the brightest day. Along the way, he succeeded in delivering the goods on the stated objective of this series.
There might be a few commentaries that outdo this one in some categories, but this is the work for theology in Joshua.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The first 30 pages have a somewhat traditional introduction that you might find in any major commentary. To be honest, this was not especially the strength of this work. Sometimes he only addressed a few viewpoints and even said there wasn’t space to address them further. Perhaps that had something to do with the constraints of the series, but I am not sure. As he had done in his earlier work, he argued that the violence in Joshua is not as extensive as most think. The rest of the introductory material was somewhat pedestrian.
It was in the next section where this commentary truly flourished. Here he addressed biblical and theological themes and showed his ability to write a commentary with a theological focus. He covered faithfulness and obedience, identity of the people of God, Joshua and Jesus, land as God’s gift, leadership, power and government, rest, and the promise of God. It was in this section that you had a real introduction to what Joshua is about. I can’t imagine a better overview for the theology you’re going to encounter for the whole book.
In the commentary proper, it only got better. His skills as an exegete joined with his newly discovered trait as a theologian made for some awesome commentary. What was impressive to me was the depth of observation. In each passage he had a section entitled “context”that truly set the stage for what you were reading before he broke out into his detailed exegesis. Next, in a section entitled “bridge”, he tied all the loose ends together and brought the theology out into the brightest day. Along the way, he succeeded in delivering the goods on the stated objective of this series.
There might be a few commentaries that outdo this one in some categories, but this is the work for theology in Joshua.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
August 2, 2021
Does a story of conquest and violence have a place in the world today? David G. Firth’s Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary on Joshua says that we should study it as the Word of God -- and in it, we will find our identity in Christ and be called to a life of faithfulness to him.
Fresh Relevance to the Old Testament
The introduction taught me about the device of focalization. “Developed initially by Gerard Genette, focalization is concerned with the extent to which a narrator provides readers with information needed to interpret the events recounted.” A story with zero focalization provides an omniscient narrator who is able to give guidance to readers. A story with internal focalization means that the reader only knows what the characters know. A story with external focalization means that the reader knows less than the characters. Joshua is surprising in that it uses external focalization, already a rare mode in the Old Testament.
30 pages are dedicated to exploring the biblical and theological themes. Faithfulness and obedience are the first themes in Joshua, and Firth helps us understand that obedience does not simply mean conforming our behavior to specific acts. Jesus shows that obedience means faithfulness in new contexts, seeking always to align with God’s purposes. This helps bring fresh relevance to the Old Testament.
Faithful Obedience with a Focus on Jesus
The people of God is another prominent theme, and this does not refer to a specific ethnic, political, or national group. God’s people transcends borders – and even space and time. Rahab is given a good amount of time in the commentary, and we see that God includes people in his family that we would think to exclude. Faithful obedience is the distinguishing mark of a person of God. With our focus on Jesus, we can see, remember, and reenact his faithfulness.
The themes of land and leadership also find their center in Christ. Throughout the book, Firth is able to bridge the Old Testament text to the New Testament, with frequent mentions of Jesus, the temple, and the church. Firth is fast to speak to preachers, giving advice on how to craft their sermons and how to contextualize for the congregation.
Faithful Worship and Mission
The violence in the narrative will undoubtedly be a stumbling block for some believers. While Firth does not minimize what happened, he does point out that the text uses the language of "total destruction" to more likely refer to a comprehensive victory. Part of living in a sinful world means seeing sin and the effects of sin as horrible and violent against God. We also remember that God owns all land, people, and has the right to command and accomplish his purposes.
As churches begin to reopen and many of us remember what it means to freely worship in the United States, the book of Joshua reminds us that God’s people won’t always gather in a sanctuary. Faithful worship and mission find their culmination and ultimate reality in Jesus. God honors our worship when Jesus is our goal. And with Christ as our Captain, we can be strong and courageous indeed.
I received a media copy of Joshua (Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary) and this is my honest review.
Fresh Relevance to the Old Testament
The introduction taught me about the device of focalization. “Developed initially by Gerard Genette, focalization is concerned with the extent to which a narrator provides readers with information needed to interpret the events recounted.” A story with zero focalization provides an omniscient narrator who is able to give guidance to readers. A story with internal focalization means that the reader only knows what the characters know. A story with external focalization means that the reader knows less than the characters. Joshua is surprising in that it uses external focalization, already a rare mode in the Old Testament.
30 pages are dedicated to exploring the biblical and theological themes. Faithfulness and obedience are the first themes in Joshua, and Firth helps us understand that obedience does not simply mean conforming our behavior to specific acts. Jesus shows that obedience means faithfulness in new contexts, seeking always to align with God’s purposes. This helps bring fresh relevance to the Old Testament.
Faithful Obedience with a Focus on Jesus
The people of God is another prominent theme, and this does not refer to a specific ethnic, political, or national group. God’s people transcends borders – and even space and time. Rahab is given a good amount of time in the commentary, and we see that God includes people in his family that we would think to exclude. Faithful obedience is the distinguishing mark of a person of God. With our focus on Jesus, we can see, remember, and reenact his faithfulness.
The themes of land and leadership also find their center in Christ. Throughout the book, Firth is able to bridge the Old Testament text to the New Testament, with frequent mentions of Jesus, the temple, and the church. Firth is fast to speak to preachers, giving advice on how to craft their sermons and how to contextualize for the congregation.
Faithful Worship and Mission
The violence in the narrative will undoubtedly be a stumbling block for some believers. While Firth does not minimize what happened, he does point out that the text uses the language of "total destruction" to more likely refer to a comprehensive victory. Part of living in a sinful world means seeing sin and the effects of sin as horrible and violent against God. We also remember that God owns all land, people, and has the right to command and accomplish his purposes.
As churches begin to reopen and many of us remember what it means to freely worship in the United States, the book of Joshua reminds us that God’s people won’t always gather in a sanctuary. Faithful worship and mission find their culmination and ultimate reality in Jesus. God honors our worship when Jesus is our goal. And with Christ as our Captain, we can be strong and courageous indeed.
I received a media copy of Joshua (Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary) and this is my honest review.
January 26, 2023
Overall a helpful commentary, especially good on sensitivity to narrative details and their implications. While Firth makes some good points about the "inclusive" nature of the people of God in Joshua, at times it felt as though he was more concerned to address modern sensibilities than to deal with the text's own concerns. This sub-theme in the commentary slightly marred the overall usefulness of the work.
March 24, 2022
Pretty good resource for wading through Joshua. First time I have ever studied Joshua in depth. I was blessed by doing so and I was blessed to have this book as my companion.
August 8, 2025
Commentary gold!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews