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Literary structure (chiasmus, chiasm) of Book of Joshua

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of divided by 2


2-1

1 God's commission to Joshua(1:1-18)
  2 Spies sent to Jericho(2:1-24)
    3 Israel crosses the Jordan(3:1-17)
      4 Twelve stones set up at Gilgal(4:1-24_5:1)
        5 The new generation circumcised(5:2-12)
          6 The Passover(5:10-12)
            7 Joshua's vision(5:13-15)
              8 Jerico taken and destroyed(6:1-25)
              9 Curse of Joshua(6:26-27)
            10 The sin of Achan and its punishment(7:1-26)
          11 Ai captured by a stratagem and destroyed(8:1-29)
        12 Joshua renews the covenant(8:30-35)
      13 The Gibeonites save themselves by trickery(9:1-27)
    14 Five kings defeated(10:1-43)
  15 The united kings of northern Canaan defeated(11:1-15)
16 Summary of Joshua's conquests(11:16-23)
LocationRelationFormer halfLatter half
1-16Just as the LORD had foretold to Moses1:3 As I promised Moses, I will deliver to you every place where you set foot.11:23 Thus Joshua captured the whole country, just as the LORD had foretold to Moses.
1-16Regions of the promised land1:4 Your domain is to be all the land of the Hittites, from the desert and from Lebanon east to the great river Euphrates and west to the Great Sea.11:16 So Joshua captured all this land: the mountain regions, the entire Negeb, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the Arabah, as well as the mountain regions and foothills of Israel, 11:17 from Mount Halak that rises toward Seir as far as Baal-gad in the Lebanon valley at the foot of Mount Hermon.
2-15Foreign king sends a person2:2 But a report was brought to the king of Jericho that some Israelites had come there that night to spy out the land. 2:3 So the king of Jericho sent Rahab the order, "Put out the visitors who have entered your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land."11:1 When Jabin, king of Hazor, learned of this, he sent a message to Jobab, king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 11:2 and to the northern kings in the mountain regions and in the Arabah near Chinneroth, in the foothills, and in Naphath-dor to the west.
3-14The LORD expels foreigners3:10"This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.10:14 Never before or since was there a day like this, when the LORD obeyed the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.(10:14)
4-13Foreigners fear the LORD4:24 in order that all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD, your God, forever."(4:24)9:24 They answered Joshua, "Your servants were fully informed of how the LORD, your God, commanded his servant Moses that you be given the entire land and that all its inhabitants be destroyed before you. Since, therefore, at your advance, we were in great fear for our lives, we acted as we did.(9:24)
5-12Circumcision / Torah 5:3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth,(5:3)8:34 Then were read aloud all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, exactly as written in the book of the law.(8:34)
6-11Gaining from the land of Canaan5:12 after the Passover on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.(5:12)8:27 However, the Israelites took for themselves as booty the livestock and the spoil of that city, according to the command of the LORD issued to Joshua.(8:27)
7-10Consecration5:15 Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy.(5:15)7:13 Rise, sanctify the people. Tell them to sanctify themselves before tomorrow(7:13)
8-9Destruction of Jericho6:17 and everything in it. It is under the LORD'S ban.(6:17)6:26 Cursed before the LORD be the man who attempts to rebuild this city, Jericho. (6:26)

2-2

16 Summary of Joshua's conquests(11:16-23)
  17 The kings conquered by Moses and Joshua(12:1-24)
    18 The parts of Canaan still unconquered(13:1-7)
      19 The territory east of the Jordan(13:8-14)
        20 The territory of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh(13:15-33)
          21 The distribution of territory west of the Jordan(14:1-5)
            22 The territory of Judah(14:6-15:63)
              23 The territory of Ephraim and Manasseh(16:1-17:18)
              24 The territories ofn the remaining tribes(18:1-19:51)
            25 The cities of refuge(20:1-9)
          26 Cities allotted to Levities(21:1-45)
        27 The eastern tribes return to their terittory(22:1-8)
      28 The Altar of the Eastern tribes(22:9-34)
    29 Joshua exhorts the people(23:1-16)
  30 The tribes renew the covenant(24:1-28)
31 Death of Joshua and Eleazar(24:29-33)
LocationRelationFormer halfLatter half
16-31End of Joshuas war11:23 Thus Joshua captured the whole country, just as the LORD had foretold to Moses. Joshua gave it to Israel as their heritage, apportioning it among the tribes. And the land enjoyed peace.24:29 After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 24:30 He was buried within the limits of his heritage at Timnath-serah in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.
17-30Death of two Amorites kings 12:6 After Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites conquered them, he assigned their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, as their property.24:12 And I sent the hornets ahead of you which drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.
18-29Old Joshua13:1 When Joshua was old and advanced in years, the LORD said to him: 23:1 Many years later, after the LORD had given the Israelites rest from all their enemies round about them, and when Joshua was old and advanced in years,
18-29Distributing land which is not occupied13:6 At the advance of the Israelites I will drive out all the Sidonian inhabitants of the mountain regions between Lebanon and Misrephoth-maim; at least include these areas in the division of the Israelite heritage, just as I have commanded you.23:4 Bear in mind that I have apportioned among your tribes as their heritage the nations that survive (as well as those I destroyed) between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west.
19-28Distribution of east bank of Jordan13:8 Now the other half of the tribe of Manasseh as well as the Reubenites and Gadites, had received their heritage which Moses, the servant of the LORD, had given them east of the Jordan:22:10 When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built there at the Jordan a conspicuously large altar.(22:10)
20-27The lands which Moses gave13:32 These are the portions which Moses gave when he was in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho.(13:32)22:4 the country belonging to you which Moses, servant of Yahweh, gave you on the other side of the Jordan (22:4)
21-26Tha lands of Levi14:3 For to two and a half tribes Moses had already given a heritage beyond the Jordan; and though the Levites were given no heritage among the tribes,(14:3)21:3 Out of their own heritage, in obedience to this command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites the following cities with their pasture lands.(21:3)
22-25Hebron14:15 Hebron was formerly called Kiriath-arba, for Arba, the greatest among the Anakim. And the land enjoyed peace.(14:15)20:7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the mountain region of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountain region of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the mountain region of Judah.(20:7)
23-24The lands of heritageLands of JosephLands of 7 tribes

Citations of the Bible are from New American Bible and New Revised Standard Version