Joshua 3:10

the living God Comp. Deuteronomy 5:26, "For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the livingGod?" This title is applied to God to indicate that He is not dead, like the "lying vanities" of heathenism (Leviticus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:21; Jonah 2:8), but the source of all life.

the Canaanites Seven nations are here enumerated, as also, though in varying order, in Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 9:1; Joshua 11:3; Joshua 24:11.

(i) The Canaanites(Deuteronomy 1:7), or "Lowlanders" properly so called, occupied (a) the sea-coast as far north as Dan; (b) a considerable portion of the plain of Esdraelon; and (c) of the Valley of the Jordan (Numbers 13:29).

(ii) The Hittites, descended from Heth, the second son of Canaan, and settled in the time of Abraham in and round Hebron (Genesis 23:19; Genesis 25:9), then called Kirjath-Arba. At that time the tribe was as yet but small and not important enough to be noticed beside the "Canaanite" and the "Perizzite." Afterwards they acquired greater strength, and took their place as equal allies with the other nations.

(iii) The Hivitesare omitted (a) in the first enumeration of the nations, who, at the time of the call of Abraham, occupied the Promised Land (Genesis 15:19-21); (b) in the report of the spies (Numbers 13:29). We first hear of them when Jacob returned to Canaan (Genesis 34:2). A peaceful and commercial people (Genesis 34:10; Genesis 34:23; Genesis 34:28-29), they were mainly located "under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh" (Joshua 11:3), in "mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath" (Judges 3:3; 2 Samuel 24:7).

(iv) The Perizzites, which word is thought to denote "rustics," "dwellers in the open, unwalled towns," were located partly in the south (Judges 1:4-5), partly in the forest country "on the western flanks of mount Carmel."

(v) The Girgashitesare conjectured to have been a large family of the Hivites, as they are omitted in nine out of the ten places in which the nations or families of Canaan are mentioned, while in the tenth they are mentioned and the Hivites omitted. They are supposed to have been settled in that part of the country which lay to the east of the Lake of Gennesareth.

(vi) The Amorites, or "Mountaineers," occupied (Genesis 14:7) the barren heights west of the Dead Sea, and stretched west to Hebron (Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:13); thence, tempted probably by the high tablelands on the east, they crossed the Jordan, and occupied the country from the Arnon to the Jabbok (Numbers 21:13; Numbers 21:26). In the genealogical table of Genesis 10 "the Amorite" is given as the fourth son of Canaan.

(vii) The Jebusitesare uniformly placed last in the formula, by which the Promised Land is often designated. They were a mountain tribe, and occupied the strong fortress of Jebus (Jerusalem).