View source for Book of Jasher (biblical book)

{{short description|Lost biblical book}}

The '''Book of Jasher''' (also spelled '''Jashar'''; {{langx|he|סֵפֶר הַיׇּשׇׁר}} {{Transliteration|he|Sēfer haYyāšār}}), which means the '''Book of the Upright''' or the '''Book of the Just Man''', is a [[Lost literary work|lost book]] mentioned in the [[Hebrew Bible]], often interpreted as a lost [[Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible|non-canonical book]]. Numerous [[Literary forgery|forgeries]] purporting to be rediscovered copies of this lost book have been written. A different interpretation identifies it as a reference to the [[Pentateuch]], specifically the [[Book of Genesis]], an interpretation which is notably favored by the Jewish scholar [[Rashi]] in his [[Jewish commentaries on the Bible|commentary]] on the [[Hebrew Bible]] (see below [[Book of Jasher (biblical references)#In Joshua|his commentary on Joshua]]).

The title “Book of the Just Man” is the traditional Greek and Latin translation.

== Biblical references ==
The book is mentioned twice in the [[Hebrew Bible]]. A possible third reference exists with a variant spelling.

=== In Joshua ===
According to the [[Book of Joshua]], while [[Joshua]] was winning a battle against [[Adonizedek]] (king of [[History of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]]) and his allies, Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to stand still.<ref>{{bibleverse||Joshua|10:12|HE}}</ref> Joshua 10:13 then states:
{{poem quote|
And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed,
until the people had avenged themselves on their enemies.
Is this not written in ''Sefer HaYashar''?
|{{bibleverse|Joshua|10:13|HE}}
}}

The presence of this event in a book of poetry has been interpreted as a poetic description of the prolonged battle.<ref>{{cite book |author=Harry Whittaker |title=Bible Studies |publisher=Biblia |location=Cannock |pages=72–73}} 'The sun stood still.'</ref>

According to the [[medieval]] Jewish scholar Rashi, "Sefer HaYashar" in this verse refers to the [[Pentateuch]]: [[Jacob]]'s prophecy regarding Joshua's ancestor [[Ephraim]]—"His seed will fill the nations"<ref>[[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 48:19</ref>—was fulfilled when Joshua's victory gave him renown among the various nations who heard of the victory.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yehoshua - Joshua - Chapter 10 |url=http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15794/showrashi/true |work=The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary |publisher=The [[Judaica Press]]}}</ref>

=== In Samuel ===
According to the [[Book of Samuel]], when [[David]] spoke his lament over the deaths of [[Saul]] and [[David and Jonathan|Jonathan]], he began as follows:
{{blockquote|
To teach the sons of Judah {{grey|[''the use of'']}} the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.
|{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|1:18|HE}}
}}

The [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible translations into English|English Bible]] includes the words “the use of” in italics, material which its translator(s) added in order to render the text into what they considered understandable and comfortable English. According to some other translations such as the [[English Standard Version]] “The [[Bow (weapon)|Bow]]” ({{Langx|he|קָ֑שֶׁת|qāšeṯ}}) which David taught is hypothesised as a poetic lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.<ref name="Bible Crossway">{{cite book |title=The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV): Containing the Old and New Testaments |url=https://archive.org/details/esvholybiblecont00cros_0 |url-access=registration |publisher=Crossway |location=Wheaton |date=2007}}<br />ESV 2 Samuel 1:17-18 text reads: "And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: …."<br /> ESV 2 Samuel 1:18 footnote 1, at "he said '''''it'''''," reads: "Septuagint; Hebrew ''the Bow,'' which may be the name of the lament's tune."</ref> According to this interpretation, this “Bow” refers to a lament or a tune in the Book of Jashar which that book also says was taught to the Israelites.

The [[Septuagint]] translation renders ''Sefer haYashar'' in both cases as the ”Book of the Just”. It also misses the reference to “the bow”. It reads:
{{poem quote|
{{lang|grc|καὶ εἶπεν τοῦ διδάξαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ιουδα ἰδοὺ γέγραπται ἐπὶ βιβλίου τοῦ εὐθοῦς}}<ref>Blue Letter Bible, [http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Sa&c=1&v=18&t=LXX#s=268018 LXX 2 Sam. 1:18], accessed 14 January 2014.</ref>
And he gave orders to teach it to the sons of Judah: behold, it is written in the book of the just.
|2 Samuel 1:18, Septuagint
}}

=== In Kings ===
A possible third reference appears in [[1 Kings 8]]. In the [[Septuagint]] (though not in the Hebrew text{{Which|date=August 2024}} or most translations), verse 8:53 says that the preceding prayer of [[Solomon]] is written “in the book of song” ({{lang|grc|ἐν βιβλίῳ τῆς ᾠδῆς}}). The Hebrew version of “book of song” could be {{lang|he|ספר השיר}} ({{lang|he-latn|Sefer haShir}}), which is the same as ''Sefer HaYashar'' with two letters transposed. According to Alexander Rofeh, this suggests that the name ''Sefer HaYashar'' could be related to its function as a [[hymnal]], and the second word might have originally been {{lang|he|שיר}} ({{lang|he-latn|shir}}, "song") or {{lang|he|ישיר}} ({{lang|he-latn|yashir}}, “he will sing”).<ref name="Rofeh 13688">{{cite web |last=Rofeh |first=Alexander |title=Yehoshua bin Nun beToldot Hamesoret Hamikrait: 8 |url=https://lib.cet.ac.il/pages/printitem.asp?item=13688 |archive-url=https://web-archive-org.translate.goog/web/20130722190704/https://lib.cet.ac.il/pages/printitem.asp?item=13688&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en |archive-date=2013-07-22 |access-date=2024-08-15}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=August 2024}}

== See also ==
* [[Book of Jasher (Pseudo-Jasher)|''Book of Jasher'' (Pseudo-Jasher)]] – an 18th-century [[literary forgery]] which purports to be an English translation of the lost ''Book of Jasher''
*[[Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible]]
* [[Sefer haYashar (midrash)|''Sefer haYashar'' (midrash)]] – a Hebrew ''[[midrash]]'', also known as ''The Book of Jasher'', named after the lost ''Book of Jasher''
* [[Yehimilk inscription]] – uses the same or cognate word: YŠR, upright

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lost Jewish texts]]
[[Category:Religious texts]]
[[Category:Book of Joshua]]
[[Category:Books of Samuel]]
[[Category:Books of Kings]]
[[Category:Lost books]]