_A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451._
Directions given to Joshua concerning Jericho, Joshua 6:1. The people
compass the city seven days, Joshua 6:6. The taking it, with the
charge to destroy it utterly, Joshua 6:15. The preservation of Rahab
and her relations, Joshua 6:22. A curse pronounced on any that should
r... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jericho was straitly shut up_ They had shut up all their gates, and
kept a very strict guard at them, for fear of the children of Israel.
_And the Lord said unto Joshua_ There is great reason to believe, and
indeed most commentators agree, that this was spoken by the divine
person who is said in th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Round about the city once_ At a convenient distance, out of the reach
of their arrows. _Six days_ Every day once. This and the following
course might seem ridiculous and absurd, and is therefore prescribed
by God, that they might learn to take new measures of things, and to
expect success, not from... [ Continue Reading ]
_The wall_ Not all of it; which was unnecessary, and might have given
the people better opportunity of escaping; but only a considerable
part of it, where the Israelites might fitly enter: for Rahab's house
was not overthrown, Joshua 6:22. _Flat_ Hebrew, _under it._ It was not
battered down with eng... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of rams' horns_ Of the basest matter and the dullest sound, that the
excellence of the power might be of God. The original words, however,
here and Joshua 6:4, שׁופרות יובלום, _shoperoth jobelim_,
may be properly rendered, _trumpets of jubilee;_ that is, such
trumpets as were to be blown in the yea... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let him that is armed pass on_ God would have them armed, both for
the defence of themselves and the ark, in case the enemies should make
a sally upon them, and for the execution of the Lord's vengeance upon
that city. _The rereward_ Which, being opposed to the armed men, may
seem to denote the una... [ Continue Reading ]
_At the seventh time Joshua said, Shout_ To testify your faith in
God's promise, and thankfulness for this glorious mercy; to encourage
yourselves and brethren, and to strike a terror into your enemies.
_The Lord hath given you the city_ It is given to you to be devoted to
God, as the first (and per... [ Continue Reading ]
_The city shall be accursed to the Lord_ That is, devoted to
destruction, by the right which God has to punish such as offend
against him. This he speaks by direction from God, (see 1 Kings
16:34,) whose will it was that every thing in Jericho should be
utterly destroyed, as well inanimate things by... [ Continue Reading ]
_Keep yourselves from the accursed thing_ It should rather be
rendered, _the devoted thing_, meaning the spoils _devoted to the
Lord._ These they were not to touch, on pain of being themselves
devoted to death. _Lest ye make yourselves accursed_ Lest you draw
upon yourselves the immediate curse of G... [ Continue Reading ]
_Vessels of brass and iron_ Except that of which images were made,
which were utterly to be destroyed. _Unto the Lord_ Being first made
to pass through the fire, Numbers 31:22. _Treasury of the Lord_ To be
employed wholly for the uses of the tabernacle, not to be applied to
the use of any private pe... [ Continue Reading ]
_Young and old_ Being commanded to do so by the sovereign Lord of
every man's life; and being informed by God before that the Canaanites
were abominably wicked, and deserved the severest punishments. As for
the infants, they were at the disposal of their Creator; and it was a
great favour to them to... [ Continue Reading ]
_The harlot's house_ Which, together with the wall upon which it
leaned, was left standing, by a special favour of God to her. _Left
them without the camp of Israel_ Till they were cleansed from the
impurities of their Gentile state, and instructed in the Jewish
religion, and solemnly admitted into... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua adjured them at that time_ Hebrew, ישׁבע, _jashbang, he
made them to swear._ As soon as the city was destroyed, it seems, he
convened the heads of the tribes, to signify to them that it was the
will of God this idolatrous city should never be rebuilt, and then
engaged them to take an oath th... [ Continue Reading ]
So _the Lord was with Joshua_ The Chaldee interprets it, _The Word of
the Lord_ was with him, even Christ, the eternal Word, the same that
was with Moses. Nothing makes a man more truly great than to have
evidences that God is with him.... [ Continue Reading ]