Texts in Conversation
Joshua 10 dramatizes victory by having commanders press their feet on the necks of captured kings, a gesture that reappears in Psalm 110 where enemies become a footstool. Both texts echo an ancient Near Eastern literary pattern, found in Ugaritic and Egyptian texts, that equated conquest with standing upon the bodies of the defeated.
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Joshua 10:24
Hebrew Bible
22 Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me.” 23 They did as ordered; they brought the five kings out of the cave to him—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight.” 26 Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening.
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Psalm 110:1
Hebrew Bible
1 A psalm of David. Here is the Lord’s proclamation to my lord: “Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord extends your dominion from Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. 3 Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you. 4 The Lord makes this promise on oath and will not revoke it: “You are an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.” 5 O Lord, at your right hand he strikes down kings in the day he unleashes his anger.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... A lost meaning is sometimes recovered for a well-known word. Bama is the common Hebrew word for a high place. In Ugaritic, it also means ‘back’, and this rendering would also fit very well in Deuteronomy 33:29, in the ancient Blessing of Moses: ‘Thine enemies shall submit to thee, And thou shalt tread upon their backs’ (rather than: ‘on their high places’). The idea expressed is then similar to that in Joshua 10:24 or in Psalm 110:1, and finds plastic expression in Egyptian reliefs and statuary ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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