Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

JASHAR

(Heb. yāšār),

BOOK OF

A Hebrew document, most likely a collection of songs or poetry (Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18). Jashar means “one who is upright or honest,” and thus this collection possibly served to honor the societal ideal of an upright person. The writer(s) of the book of Joshua refer to this source in telling how Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. The Samuel reference recites a song of lament entitled “Behold a Bow” and attributes it to David in his sorrow over the death of Saul and Jonathan. Some LXX manuscripts cite a “Book of Songs” for Solomon’s poetic dedication of the temple (1 Kgs. 8:12-13). This may refer to the same collection attested in Joshua and Samuel, since the letters in the Hebrew word for “song” (šyr) transpose two of the letters in “Jashar.”

Some scholars speculate that other biblical songs like the Song of Moses (Deut. 32), Song of Miriam (Exod. 15:21), Song of the Sea (15:1-18), Song of Deborah (Judg. 5), and Song of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1-10) might have been found in this collection, which, along with several other sources in the OT (e.g., the Book of the Wars of the Lord and the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel/Judah) is no longer extant. Other scholars question whether these sources ever existed in written form.

Alice H. Hudiburg

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

JASHAR

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)