_A.M. 2560. B.C. 1444._
Joshua's dismission of the two tribes and a half, and their return to
their own country, Joshua 22:1. The altar they built on that side of
Jordan, which offended the other tribes, Joshua 22:10. Their apology,
with which the rest were satisfied, Joshua 22:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gadites_, &c. The war being
ended, and ended gloriously, Joshua, as a prudent general, disbands
his army, and sends them home to enjoy what they had conquered; and
particularly the forces of those separate tribes, which had received
their inheritance on the othe... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have kept all that Moses commanded_, &c. Thus he dismisses them
with a very honourable character. When Moses was gone, they remembered
and observed the charge he had given them; and all the orders which
Joshua, as general of the forces, had issued out, they had carefully
obeyed. _Ye have not lef... [ Continue Reading ]
_Return ye to your tents_ That is, to your settled habitations. Though
their affections to their families could not but make them very
desirous to return, yet, like good soldiers, they would not move till
they had orders from their general. So, though we desire to be at home
with Christ ever so much... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take diligent heed_ Watch over yourselves and all your actions.
_Commandment and law_ Two words expressing the same thing, the law of
commandments delivered by Moses. _All your heart and soul_ With the
whole strength of your minds, and wills, and affections.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then he blessed them_ Not only prayed for them as a friend, but
blessed them as a father, in the name of the Lord, recommending them,
their families, and affairs to the grace of God. It seems probable,
from the manner in which this is stated, that this his blessing was
peculiarly and separately giv... [ Continue Reading ]
_Divide the spoil with your brethren_ That is, with them who stayed
beyond Jordan for the defence of their land, and wives, and children,
who therefore were to have a share, though not an equal share with
these. “Nothing could be more just,” says Dr. Dodd, “than this
command; for, notwithstanding th... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they came_ Or, _They came_ (for the word _when_ is not in the
Hebrew) _to the borders of Jordan_ It is thought by many that
גלילות, _Geliloth_, here rendered _borders_, was the name of a
place. _The children of Reuben built there an altar_ This seems, at
first sight, to import, that they built... [ Continue Reading ]
_The whole congregation of the children of Israel_ Not in their own
persons, but by their elders, who were used to transact all affairs of
this kind in the name of all the people. _Gathered themselves together
against them_ As apostates from God, and the true religion, according
to God's command in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thus saith the whole congregation_ Who do, and are resolved to cleave
unto that God from whom you have revolted. _What trespass is this that
you have committed?_ How heinous a crime! _To turn away this day_ That
is, so soon after God hath obliged you by such wonderful favours, and
when he is now co... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is the iniquity of Peor_ That is, of worshipping Baal-peor; _too
little for us?_ Is it not enough that we provoked God to wrath then,
but we must provoke him again now? Probably this is mentioned the
rather, because Phinehas, the first commissioner in this treaty, had
signalized himself in that mat... [ Continue Reading ]
_But ye must turn away this day_ Commit more sins of that nature. For
whether they intended to worship other gods, or to worship the God of
Israel in a manner he did not allow, it was idolatry, in the judgment
of Phinehas. _Ye rebel to-day, to-morrow he will be wroth_ That is,
soon and suddenly, as... [ Continue Reading ]
_If the land of your possession be unclean_ If you apprehend it to be
so, and that it is not regarded by God for want of the tabernacle and
altar there, but is like heathen lands; if you now repent of your
former choice in preferring the worldly commodities of that country
before the advantage of Go... [ Continue Reading ]
_Achan the son of Zerah_ That is, one of Zerah's posterity. _That man
perished not alone_ But brought destruction on his whole family, and
on part of our forces sent against Ai.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord God of gods_ In the Hebrew it is, _The God of gods, Jehovah;
the God of gods, Jehovah;_ or, rather, there are three names of God,
_El, Elohim_, and _Jehovah_, signifying that they owned no other God
but him whom their forefathers worshipped, by what name soever he was
called, as if he had... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let the Lord himself require it_ That is, call us to an account and
punish us for it. _What have you to do with the Lord_ You have no
relation to him, nor interest in him, or his worship. _The Lord hath
made Jordan a border_ To shut you out of the land of promise, and
consequently from the covenant... [ Continue Reading ]
_But that it may be a witness_ It was an ancient way of preserving the
remembrance of things to raise such structures. _That we might do the
service of the Lord before him_ That we and ours may have and retain
the privilege of serving and worshipping God, not upon this altar, but
in the place of God... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold the pattern of the altar_ An exact representation and
resemblance of it; but which they could not have imitated, if they had
not been acquainted with it, and worshipped God there with their
brethren. _But it is a witness between us and you_ That we both serve
one God, and approve and make us... [ Continue Reading ]
_It pleased them_ They were fully satisfied with this answer. _We
perceive that the Lord is among us_ By his gracious presence and
preventing goodness, in keeping you from so great an offence, and all
of us from those calamities that would have followed it. _Out of the
hand of the Lord_ That is, fro... [ Continue Reading ]
_The children of Israel blessed God_ As Phinehas had done, that their
brethren had not offended the Divine Majesty as they suspected. _And
did not intend to go up against them_ Laid aside the intention which
had been in their minds. _To destroy the land_ As, by the law of God,
they would have been o... [ Continue Reading ]
_They called the altar Ed_ That is, a witness; a witness of the
relation they stood in to God and Israel, and of their concurrence
with the other tribes in the common faith, that Jehovah he is God. It
was a witness to posterity of their care to transmit their religion
pure and entire; and it would b... [ Continue Reading ]