After. Hebrew, "And after," as if this consultation had taken place immediately after the decease of their late victorious general, who had not pointed out his successor. But it is probable that the ancients who governed in their respective tribes, (Calmet) were only roused to this act of vigour som... [ Continue Reading ]
_Said, by the mouth of Phinees, (Josephus, [Antiquities?] v. 2,) who had succeeded Eleazar in the pontificate. The latter survived Josue some time, so that this must have happened some time later. Le Clerc offers violence to the text, when he asserts that the war against Adonibezec took place under... [ Continue Reading ]
_Brother. They had the same mother, Lia, and were intermixed in the same country. The two tribes unite both for the public and their own private advantage. The king whom they attacked first, did not dwell in the territory of Juda, as the others did, whom they defeated in this chapter._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pherezite. This name denotes "a countryman," as the former does "a merchant." None of the children of Chanaan were of this appellation, Genesis x. 15. The people of the country assembled therefore at Bezec, where Saul called a rendezvous when he was going to attack Jabes, and which seems to have be... [ Continue Reading ]
Adonibezec, "Lord of Bezec." The cruelty of this tyrant, and the oppression which he probably made some of the Israelites suffer, roused their attention, and they treated him as he had treated others. He had perhaps recourse to such a cruel expedient, to disable his enemies from ever entering the li... [ Continue Reading ]
_Table, at different times. (Haydock) --- These were probably princes of some cities of Chanaan, who had been conquered by the tyrant. He obliged them to feed, like dogs, of what he threw down from his splendid table. Thus Sesostris made the kings whom he had overcome, drag his chariot. Sapor forced... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jerusalem. This city was divided into two; one part was called Jebus, the other Salem; the one was in the tribe of Juda, the other in the tribe of Benjamin. After it was taken and burnt by the men of Juda, it was quickly rebuilt again by the Jebusites, as we may gather from ver. 21, and continued i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Plains, towards the west, which were very fruitful. They did not expel all the inhabitants from this part, as they had done from the mountains, which lay on the south of the promised land, ver. 19. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hebron. This expedition against Hebron, &c., is the same as is related [in] Josue xv. 24. It is here repeated, to give the reader at once a short sketch of all the achievements of the tribe of Juda against the Chanaanites. (Challoner) --- Josue had taken Hebron before; (Josue x. 37,) and Caleb reta... [ Continue Reading ]
_The city of letters. Perhaps so called, from some famous school or library kept there. (Challoner) --- The explanation, that is, &c., is added by the Vulgate. (Haydock) --- Madrid, in Arabic, means "the mother of sciences." (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Brother, or near relation, but much younger. See Josue xv. 17. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Cinite. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, was called Cinæus, or the Cinite: and his children, who came along with the children of Israel, settled themselves among them in the land of Chanaan, embracing their worship and religion. From these the Rechabites sprang, of whom see Jeremias xxxv. --... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sephaath, near Maresa, where Asa defeated the king of Arabia, 2 Paralipomenon xiv. 9. It was also called Sephata, and afterwards Horma. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "they anathematized it, and utterly destroyed it, and they called the city Exolethreusis, "utter ruin." (Haydock) --- Whether they had eng... [ Continue Reading ]
Gaza, &c. These were three of the principal cities of the Philistines, famous both in sacred and profane history. They were taken at this time by the Israelites; but as they took no care to put garrisons in them, the Philistines soon recovered them again, (Challoner) or perhaps the villages and terr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Was not able, &c. Through a cowardly fear of their chariots armed with hooks and scythes, and for want of confidence in God. (Challoner) --- Hebrew does not sy expressly that Juda could not: quia non ad expellendum, &c. He had not the courage or the will. With God's assistance, what had he to fear?... [ Continue Reading ]
_Enac, mentioned [in] ver. 10. Septuagint add, that "he took the three cities....and destroyed, " &c. See Josue xv. 14. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Day, before the reign of David. See Josue xv. 63. The Jebusites occupied the citadel, &c. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of Joseph, on the west side of the Jordan, attacked Bethel, which it does not appear that Josue molested. (Haydock) --- Instead of house, some Hebrew manuscripts and the Arabic and Septuagint read, "the sons," which seems to be the better reading. (Kennicott)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Besieging. Hebrew, "sent to descry," or they came upon it like spies._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mercy. The city belonged of right to them, so that they might use this means, as they were not bound to enquire by what motives the man was actuated thus to betray his country. He might be convinced, like Rahab, that God had granted it to the Israelites, and these might justly requite his good disp... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hetthim. The Hethite lived towards the south of Chanaan. The man probably retired into the stony Arabia, where we find the city of Lusa or Elysa. (Ptolemy v. 16.) --- He gave it this name in memory of his native city, (Calmet) which was called Luza, or "of nuts." (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethsan, &c. See Josue xvii. 11. --- Began. Hebrew, "would dwell." (Haydock) ---The Israelites sinfully acquiesced, partly through slothfulness and the dislike of war, and partly that they might receive tribute from the Chanaanites. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Them. We shall see the punishment of their prevarication during the greatest part of this book. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Accho. Hebrew haco. The Greeks not knowing the derivation of this word, supposed that the city was so called from ake, "a remedy," as they pretend that Hercules was cured in this place. It was also called Ptolemais, after the king of Egypt. The little river Belus, and the famous bed of sand so prop... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER I.... [ Continue Reading ]
_He dwelt. That is, the Amorrhite. (Challoner) --- Hebrew, "But the Amorrhites would dwell in Mount Hares, in Aialon, and in Salebim." Some copies of the Septuagint seem to give the meaning of these proper names, though inaccurately. (Haydock) --- Solomon had one of his twelve officers at Salebim, i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rock, Petra, the capital of Arabia, which Josephus ([Antiquities?] iii. 2,) assigns to Amalec. The Amorrhites dwelt in many parts of the land of promise, (Calmet) particularly in the higher places about the Dead Sea. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]