What about the Book of Jashar?

 

There are 66 Books of the Bible and 9 of them have “J” names – Joshua, Judges, Job, Jeremiah, Joel and Jonah in the Old Testament and in the New, John, James and Jude. Jashar is not one of those books yet reference to the Book of Jashar, pronounced “Jay’shuh”, can be found in two verses in the Old Testament.

And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. – Joshua 10:13 (ESV)

and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” – 2 Samuel 1:18-19 (ESV)

So, what was this book and what was written in it? This called for some digging to find out about the Book of Jashar.

The writers of the books of Joshua and second Samuel thought it significant enough to quote from the Book of Jashar and today, without knowing it, we too have quoted from this book when we say, How the mighty have fallen.

The mere fact that the Book of Jashar was employed as a reference, not once but twice, is enough for us to presume that it was a well-known and respected narrative in the ancient world.

This book may no longer extant but on the basis of what was written in Joshua and second Samuel, it appears as though it may have been somewhat poetic while at the same time of a historical nature. Some scholars believe that its compilation began in the early stages of Israel’s history.

Though not mentioned, it makes one wonder if other writers of the Old Testament might have sourced material from the Book of Jashar.

Beloved, before you label me blasphemous or accuse me of peddling false doctrine, this is far from that. The Bible is indeed God’s Word, however there is evidence that other ancient Holy Spirit inspired texts existed, the Book of Jashar mentioned in these two passages attest to that.

Case in point, in 1947 shepherds discovered a collection of about 950 scrolls in caves in Qumran on the shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea scrolls, as they are called, consist of ancient Hebrew biblical manuscripts, sectarian documents and apocryphal texts, which most Christians hardly know anything about.

All this to say that it’s okay to refer to other Spirit inspired books, texts and documents to enhance your understanding of the bible.

Beloved, nothing can replace the Scriptures, but secondary resources can be quite useful in providing comprehensive context and deeper study of the Word. It is obvious that the Book of Jashar did just that.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about the Book of Jashar?” ©2026 February 5, 2026