And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. Ver. 1. _And an angel of the Lord._] Or, A messenger, as Hag 1:13 Ecclesiastes... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Ver. 2. _Why have ye done this?_] Can you give any good reason? Nothing is more irrational than irreligion: and yet lust will so blear a man's eye... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. Ver. 3. _As thorns in your sides._] See Joshua 23:13 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. Ver. 4. _The people lifted up their voice, and wept._] Thus they were wrought upon by the word preached, even unto tears; as were likewise David, Josia... [ Continue Reading ]
And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. Ver. 5. _And they called the name of that place Bochim,_] _i.e., _ Weepers. As they had formerly filled God's bag with their sins; so now they help as fast to fill God's bottle with their tears. Their hearts wer... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. Ver. 6. _And when Joshua had let the people go._] See Joshua 2:1; but Vatablus's note here is, that these things are here spoken by way of recapitulation; that the sum and argument... [ Continue Reading ]
And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. Ver. 7. _And the people served the Lord._] So did the primitive Christians, Acts 2:41,47 _; _ Act 26:7 with great intenti... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, [being] an hundred and ten years old. Ver. 8. _Being a hundred and ten years old._] Which was also good Joseph's age when he died.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. Ver. 9. _And they buried him._] Burial is a mercy, whatever the Cynics held to the contrary: and places of burial are to be kept decent, in token that we expect a resu... [ Continue Reading ]
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. Ver. 10. _And there arose another generation._] Things grow worse for most part, every age than other: - “ _Aeras p... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: Ver. 11. _And served Baalim,_] _i.e., _ Lords. Hence Hannibal, Asdrubal, &c., of old; as now among the Turks, Beglerbeg, Scanderbeg, that is, Lord Alexander. Their idols they called their lords or protectors; and so th... [ Continue Reading ]
And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. Ver. 12. _And they forsook._] By a detestable apostasy: such... [ Continue Reading ]
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. Ver. 13. _And served Baal and Ashtaroth,_] _i.e., _ He-gods and she-gods of all sorts, closing up their orisons with, _Diique, deaque, omnes,_ as Servius telleth us. _a_ From this word Ashtaroth seemeth to come the Greek word αστηρ, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Ver. 14. _And he delivered them._] The next effect of wra... [ Continue Reading ]
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed. Ver. 15. _As the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn._] But they would never believe till they felt, as holding all to be sp... [ Continue Reading ]
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. Ver. 16. _Nevertheless the Lord._] Here we have an epitome of the whole book, showing the circle that God goeth in with his. See Psalms 30:5; Psalms 30:7, &c., _See Trapp on "_ Psa 30:5 _"_ _See... [ Continue Reading ]
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so. Ver. 17. _But they went a whoring._] Carried on... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. Ver. 18. _For it repented the Lord._] T... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that] they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way._ Ver. 19. _More than their fathers._] See on... [ Continue Reading ]
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; Ver. 20. _And the anger of the Lord was hot._] He is not made all of mercy, as some dream, but can be angry: a... [ Continue Reading ]
I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: Ver. 21. _I also will not,_] _sc., _ Unless they repent: for, _Ideo minatur Deus ut non puniat; _ Repentance disarmeth God's indignation. Let him but see that rainbow appearing in our hearts, an... [ Continue Reading ]
That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep [it], or not. Ver. 22. _That through them I may prove Israel._] But whenas upon trial he found them to be no better than "reprobate silver," Jer 6:30 those nations served no l... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. Ver. 23. _Therefore the Lord left those nations._] Those mentioned in the beginning of the next chapter.... [ Continue Reading ]