_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ALL THE KINGS WHICH WERE ON THIS SIDE JORDAN, IN THE HILLS, AND IN THE VALLEYS, AND IN ALL THE COASTS OF THE GREAT SEA OVER AGAINST LEBANON, THE HITTITE, AND THE AMORITE, THE CANAANITE, THE PERIZZITE, THE HIVITE, AND THE JEBUSITE, HEARD THEREOF;_ All the kings which were... [ Continue Reading ]
_THAT THEY GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER, TO FIGHT WITH JOSHUA AND WITH ISRAEL, WITH ONE ACCORD._ They gathered themselves together to fight ... with one accord. Although divided by separate interests, and often at war with each other, a sense of common danger prompted them to suspend their mutual a... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN THE INHABITANTS OF GIBEON HEARD WHAT JOSHUA HAD DONE UNTO JERICHO AND TO AI,_ When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard. This town, as its name imports, was situated on a rocky eminence about six miles northwest from Jerusalem, where the modern village of El-Jib now stands. It was the capital... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEY DID WORK WILILY, AND WENT AND MADE AS IF THEY HAD BEEN AMBASSADORS, AND TOOK OLD SACKS UPON THEIR ASSES, AND WINE BOTTLES, OLD, AND RENT, AND BOUND UP;_ They did work wilily - They acted with dexterous policy, seeking the means of self-preservation, not by force, which, they were convinced, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND OLD SHOES AND CLOUTED UPON THEIR FEET, AND OLD GARMENTS UPON THEM; AND ALL THE BREAD OF THEIR PROVISION WAS DRY AND MOULDY._ Old shoes and clouted. Those who have only one donkey or mule for themselves and baggage frequently dismount and walk-a circumstance which may account for the worn shoes... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY WENT TO JOSHUA UNTO THE CAMP AT GILGAL, AND SAID UNTO HIM, AND TO THE MEN OF ISRAEL, WE BE COME FROM A FAR COUNTRY: NOW THEREFORE MAKE YE A LEAGUE WITH US._ They went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal. Arrived at the Israelite headquarters, the strangers obtained an interview with Joshua... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL SAID UNTO THE HIVITES, PERADVENTURE YE DWELL AMONG US; AND HOW SHALL WE MAKE A_ _ LEAGUE WITH YOU?_ Peradventure ye dwell among us. The answer of the Israelites implied that they had no discretion, that their orders were imperative, and that if the strangers belonged to any o... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY SAID UNTO JOSHUA, WE ARE THY SERVANTS. AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO THEM, WHO ARE YE? AND FROM WHENCE COME YE?_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, FROM A VERY FAR COUNTRY THY SERVANTS ARE COME BECAUSE OF THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD: FOR WE HAVE HEARD THE FAME OF HIM, AND ALL THAT HE DID IN EGYPT,_ From a very far country ... because of the name of the Lord thy God. They pretended to be actuated by religious motives i... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ALL THAT HE DID TO THE TWO KINGS OF THE AMORITES, THAT WERE BEYOND JORDAN, TO SIHON KING OF HESHBON, AND TO OG KING OF BASHAN, WHICH WAS AT ASHTAROTH._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE MEN TOOK OF THEIR VICTUALS, AND ASKED NOT COUNSEL AT THE MOUTH OF THE LORD._ The men took of their victuals. The mouldy appearance of their bread was, after examination, accepted as guaranteeing the truth of the story; and in this precipitate conclusion the Israelites were guilty of excess... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND JOSHUA MADE PEACE WITH THEM, AND MADE A LEAGUE WITH THEM, TO LET THEM LIVE: AND THE PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION SWARE UNTO THEM._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THE END OF THREE DAYS AFTER THEY HAD MADE A LEAGUE WITH THEM, THAT THEY HEARD THAT THEY WERE THEIR NEIGHBOURS, AND THAT THEY DWELT AMONG THEM._ At the end of three days ... they heard that they were their neighbours. This information was obtained in their further progress th... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED, AND CAME UNTO THEIR CITIES ON THE THIRD DAY. NOW THEIR CITIES WERE GIBEON, AND CHEPHIRAH, AND BEEROTH, AND KIRJATH-JE'ARIM._ Chephirah, х_ KªPIYRAAH_ (H3716)] - the village, perhaps because it was the smallest in the tetrapolis (cf. Joshua 18:26; Ezra 2:25; Ne... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SMOTE THEM NOT, BECAUSE THE PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION HAD SWORN UNTO THEM BY THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL. AND ALL THE CONGREGATION MURMURED AGAINST THE PRINCES._ The children of Israel smote them not. The moral character of the Gibeonites' stratagem was bad. The princes of... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT ALL THE PRINCES SAID UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION, WE HAVE SWORN UNTO THEM BY THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL: NOW THEREFORE WE MAY NOT TOUCH THEM._ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE PRINCES SAID UNTO THEM, LET THEM LIVE; BUT LET THEM BE HEWERS OF WOOD AND DRAWERS OF WATER UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION; AS THE PRINCES HAD PROMISED THEM._ Hewers of wood and drawers of water (see the note at Deuteronomy 29:11) - the menials who performed the lowest offices and drudgery in th... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND JOSHUA CALLED FOR THEM, AND HE SPAKE UNTO THEM, SAYING, WHEREFORE HAVE YE BEGUILED US, SAYING, WE ARE VERY FAR FROM YOU; WHEN YE DWELL AMONG US?_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOW THEREFORE YE ARE CURSED, AND THERE SHALL NONE OF YOU BE FREED FROM BEING BONDMEN, AND HEWERS OF WOOD AND DRAWERS OF WATER FOR THE HOUSE OF MY GOD._ Now therefore ye are cursed. The sentence pronounced on Canaan was literally fulfilled on this Canaanite tribe (see the note at Genesis 9:25). [Th... [ Continue Reading ]