... Evidence that an ancient tradition spoke of only the sun’s stopping in its tracks can be detected in later accounts of the story. Ben Sira, for example, glorifies Joshua’s heroism: "Was it not by his hand that the sun stood, so that one day became like two?" (46:4). According to Ben Sira, Joshua stopped the sun with his own hand—similar to what happened, according to the same author, when Joshua performed another wondrous act: "How glorious he was when he lifted his hand and brandished his javelin against the cities!" (46:2). The tradition about Joshua’s stopping the sun with his hand is shared by Ben Sira and the midrash, which considers Joshua’s holding out his hand a gesture accompanying invocation. The language of the addition in Habakkuk 3 is particularly similar to that of the tradition about Joshua that is found in Ben Sira. ...

... The reception history of the book of Joshua is evident in a limited number of texts from the Hellenistic period on. The historical writings of 1 and 2 Maccabees in the first century BCE idealize Joshua as a faithful warrior who fulfilled the divine command entrusted to him. Earlier, in the second century BCE, Sirach eulogizes Joshua as one of the heroes of faith, again emphasizing his role as a warrior, who took "vengeance on the enemies that rose against them, so that he might give Israel its inheritance" (46:1). Sirach underscores further the miraculous power of Joshua in making the sun stand still and his function in tradition as "the successor of Moses in the prophetic office" (46:1). The Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudo-Philo, and Josephus also illustrate the flexibility of the story of Joshua among authors of the Second Temple period by the way in which they interpret the character of Joshua with a range of images, from prophet to warrior. ...

... "Wreaking vengeance on the enemy" (46:1e) is a reference to Joshua 10:13: "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, while the nation took vengeance on its foes," that is, the Amorites. The raising of Joshua’s hand "to brandish his sword" (46:2a) was a signal for his troops to attack the city of Ai (Joshua 8:18-19, 26). Because Yahweh was with Joshua, no one "could withstand him" (46:3a)—a clear reference to Joshua 1:5. As regards Joshua’s "hand" (46:4a) stopping the sun (cf. Joshua 10:12-13): his same hand: compare 2a; Ben Sira is presumably thinking of a parallel with the stance of Moses at the battle with Amalek (Exodus 17:8-16) in which Joshua was the field commander. In Joshua 10, it is the voice of Joshua that commands the sun; compare here verses 5, 6. ...