_A.M. 2577. B.C. 1427._
Joshua, assembling the people, recounts what great things God had done
for them, Joshua 24:1. Exhorts them to serve God, which they engage to
do, Joshua 24:14. His age, death, and burial, Joshua 24:29. The
burying of Joseph's bones, Joshua 24:32. The death and burial of
Elea... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua gathered_ It is likely that Joshua, living longer than he
expected when he delivered the foregoing discourse to the Israelites,
called the people together once more, that he might give them still
further advice before he died; as Moses addressed them in several
pathetic speeches before his d... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua said unto all the people_ To the elders, by whom it was to be
imparted to all the rest, and to as many of the people as came
thither. He spake to them in God's name, and as from him, in the
language of a prophet. _Thus saith the Lord_ Jehovah, the great God,
and the God of Israel, whom you a... [ Continue Reading ]
_I took_ I snatched him out of that idolatrous place, and took him
into acquaintance and covenant with myself, which was the highest
honour and happiness he was capable of. _And led_ That is, I brought
him after his father's death into Canaan, (Genesis 12:1,) and I
conducted and preserved him in all... [ Continue Reading ]
_I gave unto Esau mount Seir_ That he might leave Canaan entire to his
brother Jacob and his posterity, Genesis 36:7. _But Jacob went down
into Egypt_ Compelled by a grievous famine, and because the time was
not come when God intended to plant him and his posterity in Canaan.
In Egypt they suffered... [ Continue Reading ]
_Your eyes hare seen what I have done in Egypt_ He speaks this to the
elders, (Joshua 24:1,) who were such not only in power and dignity,
but many of them by age; and as there were not sixty years past since
the plagues were inflicted on Egypt, it is probable that a
considerable number of those pres... [ Continue Reading ]
_Balak warred against Israel_ Not indeed by open force, but by crafty
counsels, warlike stratagems, and wicked devices. _I would not hearken
unto Balaam_ It appears by this that Balaam had a great inclination to
do what Balak desired, and that he asked leave of God to curse Israel;
and therefore it... [ Continue Reading ]
_I delivered them into your hand_ Namely, successively; for in these
few words he seems to comprise all their wars, which, being fresh in
their memories, he thought it needless particularly to mention. _I
sent the hornet before you_ This may signify, either that before the
Israelites came into those... [ Continue Reading ]
_Put away the gods_ By this it appears, that although Joshua had
doubtless prevented and purged out all public idolatry, yet there were
some of them who practised it in their private houses and retirements.
_Your fathers_ Terah, and Nahor, and Abraham, as Joshua 24:2, and
others of your ancestors. _... [ Continue Reading ]
_Seem evil_ Unjust, unreasonable, or inconvenient. _Choose ye _ Not
that he leaves them to their liberty, whether they would serve God or
idols; for Joshua had no such power himself, nor could give it to any
other; and both he and they were obliged by the law of Moses to give
their worship to God on... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye cannot_ He speaks not of an absolute impossibility, (for then both
his resolution to serve God himself, and his exhortation to them, had
been vain,) but of a moral impossibility, or a very great difficulty,
which he alleges not to discourage them from God's service, but to
make them more conside... [ Continue Reading ]
_He will turn and do you hurt_ That is, he will alter his course, and
the manner of his dealing with you, and will be as severe as ever he
was kind and gracious. He will repent of his former kindnesses, and
his goodness abused will be turned into fury.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nay, but we will serve the Lord_ Namely, him only, and not strange
gods. _Ye are witnesses against yourselves_ This solemn profession
will be a swift witness against you, if hereafter ye apostatize from
God. _They said, We are witnesses_ Here they renew their choice of
Jehovah for their God and kin... [ Continue Reading ]
_Put away the strange gods which are among you_ Meaning those idols
which they had either brought out of Egypt, or had taken in Canaan,
and which some of them kept, contrary to God's command, whether for
the preciousness of the matter, or rather from some secret inclination
to superstition and idola... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day_ Engaged them to
make good this solemn profession, by renewing the covenant they had
formerly entered into, both in the days of Moses and in his time,
wherein they promised to worship God alone, and be obedient to him.
Some think this covenant was... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua wrote these words_ Namely, this covenant, or agreement of the
people with the Lord. _In the book of the law of God_ That is, in the
volume which was kept in the ark, (Deuteronomy 31:9; Deuteronomy
31:26,) whence it was taken and put into this book of Joshua; this he
did for the perpetual rem... [ Continue Reading ]
_It hath heard_ It shall be as sure a witness against you as if it had
heard. This is a common figure, whereby the sense of hearing is often
ascribed to the heavens and the earth, and other senseless creatures.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The bones of Joseph_ Joseph died two hundred years before in Egypt,
but _gave commandment concerning his bones_, that they should not rest
in a grave till Israel rested in the land of promise. Now, therefore,
they were deposited in that piece of ground which his father gave him
near Shechem. One re... [ Continue Reading ]
_They buried him in a hill which was given him_ By special favour, and
for his better conveniency in attending upon the ark, which then was,
and for a long time was to be, in Shiloh, near this place: whereas the
cities which were given to the priests were in Judah, Benjamin, and
Simeon, which were r... [ Continue Reading ]