Joshua 24:26

 Joshua 24:26 

And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

a. NASB 2020: And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. [NASB20] New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved]

b. YLT: And Joshua writeth these words in the Book of the Law of God, and taketh a great stone, and raiseth it up there under the oak which is in the sanctuary of Jehovah.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was in [the court of] the sanctuary of the Lord.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Rubin Edition: The Early Prophets: Joshua & Judges: Joshua wrote these words [and placed them] with the Book of God’s Totah. He took a large stone and stood it there beneath the doorpost that was in the Sanctuary of HASHEM.  [THE ARTSCROLL SERIES ®️ /RUBIN EDITION THE PROPHETS: JOSHUA/ JUDGES ⓒ Copyright 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

e. ESV: And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

1. “And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God…”

a. [And] Joshua [Strong: 3091 Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ, yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Yᵉhôwshuʻa; from H3068 and H3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:—Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua.]

b. wrote [Strong: 3739 kâthab, kaw-thab'; a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):—describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).]

c. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

d. these [Strong: 428 ʼêl-leh, ale'-leh; prolonged from H411; these or those:—an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).]

e. words [Strong: 1697 dâbâr, daw-baw'; from H1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:—act, advice, affair, answer, × any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, chronicles, commandment, × commune(-ication), concern(-ing), confer, counsel, dearth, decree, deed, × disease, due, duty, effect, eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, glory, harm, hurt, iniquity, judgment, language, lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, × ought, × parts, pertaining, please, portion, power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, × (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, sign, so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, song, speech, × spoken, talk, task, that, × there done, thing (concerning), thought, thus, tidings, what(-soever), wherewith, which, word, work.]

f. [in the] book [Strong: 5612 çêpher, say'-fer; or (feminine) סִפְרָה çiphrâh; (Psalm 56:8 (H9)), from H5608; properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book:—bill, book, evidence, × learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll.]

g. [of the] law [Strong: 8451 tôwrâh, to-raw'; or תֹּרָה tôrâh; from H3384; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:—law.]

h. [of] God [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]

2. “...and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.”

a. [and] took [Strong: 3947 lâqach, law-kakh'; a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):—accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

b. [a] great [Strong: 1419 gâdôwl, gaw-dole'; or גָּדֹל gâdôl; (shortened) from H1431; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent:— aloud, elder(-est), exceeding(-ly), far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, × sore, (×) very.]

c. stone [Storng: 68 ʼeben, eh'-ben; from the root of H1129 through the meaning to build; a stone:— carbuncle, mason, plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).]

d. [and] set it up [Strong: 6965 qûwm, koom; a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative):—abide, accomplish, × be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, × be dim, endure, × enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, × but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-) stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -rising).]

e. there [Strong: 8033 shâm, shawm; a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, H834); there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence:—in it, thence, there (-in, of, out), thither, whither.]

f. under [Strong: 8478 tachath, takh'-ath; from the same as H8430; the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.:—as, beneath, × flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, × unto, × when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.]

g. [an] oak [Strong: 427 ʼallâh, al-law'; A variation of H424:—oak.]

h. that [was] [Strong: 834 ʼăsher, ash-er'; a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:—× after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

i. [by the] sanctuary [Strong: 4720 miqdâsh, mik-dawsh'; or מִקְּדָשׁ miqqᵉdâsh; (Exodus 15:17), from H6942; a consecrated thing or place, especially, a palace, sanctuary (whether of Jehovah or of idols) or asylum:—chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary.]

j. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

1). Have archaeologists discovered Joshua’s Massabah or standing stone?

written by Dean Smith 9/20/2023 Joshua’s massabah which was set up at Shechem.

Credit: Daniel Ventura, Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Archaeologists working at the site of the ancient city of Shechem believe they have discovered the large stone or Massabah that Joshua ordered to be set up as part of Israel’s covenant to Jehovah: Joshua 24:25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.” (Joshua 24:25-26 NASV). As noted in this passage, the stone was set up under an oak, near the “sanctuary of the Lord.” During their work at Shechem, archaeologists found a large limestone rock located in the courtyard of an ancient temple, the Temple of Baal-berith, which is mentioned in Judges 9:4, 46.

The temple was 86 feet (ca. 26 m) long and 70 feet (ca. 21 m) wide and its foundation wall was 17 feet (ca. 5 m) thick. It also had two large towers at its entrance. The massive stone, which is now broken, was thought to have stood nearly 6.6 feet (ca. 2 m) tall and was discovered in the courtyard in front of the entrance to the temple. It is believed that this temple was probably taken over by Israel when they conquered the Promised Land and turned it into a “Sanctuary of the Lord.” This is probably the very stone that Joshua ordered to be set up at the site. It would have been the same stone or pillar where Abimelech was crowned king mentioned in Judges 9:6. We are also told that Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, went to Shechem to be anointed king on his father’s death (1 Kings 12:1). Though not specifically mentioned, it may have been done by this stone.