Joshua ch. 5
quote:
13 [4] While Joshua was near Jericho, he raised his eyes and saw one who stood facing him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you one of us or of our enemies?"
14 He replied, "Neither. I am the captain of the host of the LORD and I have just arrived." Then Joshua fell prostrate to the ground in worship, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?"
15 The captain of the host of the LORD replied to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy." And Joshua obeyed.
NAB
This little passage has long intrigued me.
Why is it here? It seems to have little to do with the events that follow. The captain does not appear anywhere else in Joshua.
Who is the "captain" of the Lord's army? Is it Jesus (keeping in mind that Jesus is the Hellenized form of Joshua, and that Joshua falls prostrate on the ground, something inappropriate to do for an angel or anyone else but God)?
The NAB includes this footnote: "The account of the siege of Jericho embraces: (1) The command of the Lord, through his angel, to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-6, 5)." Is the angel Jesus?
As you can guess, my main focus here is on who this captain or angel is supposed to be. Is it to be understood as Jesus? If so, should it be seen as an Old Testament Messianic prophecy?
Whom do Jews understand it to be (Gabriel? Michael? another angel [though presumably not Lucifer!]?)