Nun was an Israelite from the tribe of Ephraim, best known as the father of Joshua (Exo.33.11). His son Joshua was Moses' assistant from his youth (Num.11.28) and was chosen by God to succeed Moses as the leader of Israel (Num.27.18; Deu.31.23). Nun's name is often mentioned in connection with Joshua, emphasizing the importance of family lineage and the faithfulness passed down through generations. Joshua is referred to as "Joshua the son of Nun" throughout the Bible (e.g., Num.14.6, 30; Jos.1.1; 2.1). As the father of a prominent leader, Nun's legacy was remembered long after his lifetime (1Ki.16.34; Neh.8.17).
Joshua son of Nun was Moses' attendant, led Israel's first battle against Amalek, accompanied Moses up Sinai, and after the spy episode was commissioned by laying on of hands as Moses' successor. The book of Joshua opens with him as "Moses' assistant".
(fish, or posterity), the father of the Jewish captain Joshua. (Exodus 33:11) etc. His genealogical descent from Ephraim is recorded in (1 Chronicles 7:1) ... (B.C. before 1530.)
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
Where Nun appears
30 verses in 8 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5126
Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.
Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.”
Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
Then the two men started back, came down from the hill country, and crossed the river. So they came to Joshua son of Nun and reported all that had happened to them.
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven ramsʼ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”
Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.
They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their fatherʼs brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.
These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.
In Ahabʼs days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.
The whole assembly that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.