As we turn to this chapter, this is what we find Joshua doing. He is giving his parting words. However, where someone’s final words might be given to his or her immediate family, that is not what Joshua is doing here. Rather, he addresses the people of Israel. Like Moses, Joshua is a national figure and his parting words are addressed to the nation as a whole, though here  he is particularly focused on its leaders, those who have authority at different social levels.