_JOSHUA AND THE PEOPLE COME TO JORDAN: THE PRIESTS GO BEFORE, BEARING THE ARK; WHICH STANDING ON THE BANK OF JORDAN, THE WATERS ARE DIVIDED, AND ALL THE PEOPLE PASS THROUGH THE RIVER AS ON DRY GROUND._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _AND JOSHUA ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING,_ &C.— Early the next morning, after he had ordered the army to make all necessary provision for speedily entering the enemy's country, (chap. Joshua 1:10.) he raised the camp; and the Israelites, who were at Shittim from the fifth day of the eleventh... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 2. _AND—AFTER THREE DAYS—THE OFFICERS WENT THROUGH THE HOST_— Not that they passed through it after the people had continued three days on the banks of the Jordan, but at the end of the three days mentioned chap. Judges 1:10 in which we follow Usher's calculation. Immediately on Joshua's taki... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 3. _WHEN YE SEE THE ARK—AND THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES BEARING IT_— See Numbers 4:15. The Levites of the family of Kohath were appointed to the office of carrying the ark of the covenant; but, in extraordinary cases, this care was committed to the priests, who are here called the Levites, for a... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 4. _THERE SHALL BE A SPACE,_ &C.— The ark here supplying, in some measure, the place of the miraculous cloud which had guided the Israelites in their several encampments, and which, for that purpose, had always marched before them; it was necessary that it should be carried at the head of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 5. _AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE_— He also spake to the people the night before their passage over the Jordan; and as the matter was important, it is very evident that he went himself from tribe to tribe to give the orders in question. _SANCTIFY YOURSELVES_— Though the sacred historian doe... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 7. _AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA_— It was not merely of himself, that Joshua gave to the priests the orders mentioned in the foregoing verse. Immediately on the priests' approaching the sanctuary, a voice issued from it, and spake to Joshua as in this and the subsequent verse. _This day,_ vi... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 8. _WHEN YE ARE COME TO THE BRINK,_ &C.— The Hebrew is, _so soon as ye are come to the_ extremity _of the water:_ by which we are certainly to understand the eastern limit of the river, whose waters were now out beyond the banks; just as if Joshua had said to the priests, "Without waiting til... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 9, 10. _AND JOSHUA SAID TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,_ &C.— After giving God's orders to the priests, Joshua communicated them to the Israelites at the door of the tabernacle, making them sensible of their felicity in a dependance upon a Deity who was the _living God,_ in opposition to the idols... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 12. _NOW, THEREFORE, TAKE YE TWELVE MEN,_ &C.— Whenever the Scripture speaks of the twelve tribes, that of Levi is comprised in them, except in those places which respect the division of the territories of the land of Canaan; in which last case the tribe of Levi is excluded, but that of Josep... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 13. _THE WATERS OF JORDAN SHALL BE CUT OFF,_ &C.— "The moment that the priests, bearing the ark, shall set foot in the waters of Jordan, that river shall open a wide passage over against the place where they enter on your right, towards the head or springs of the flood: the course of the wate... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 14-16. _AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE PEOPLE REMOVED FROM THEIR TENTS,_ &C.— This was on Friday the 10th of the first month of _Abib,_ or _Nisan,_ which answers to our 30th of April. On this great day we see the people of Israel, preceded by the priests bearing the ark, begin their march towa... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 15. (_JORDAN OVERFLOWETH ALL HIS BANKS ALL THE TIME OF HARVEST_)— The Jordan overflows at the time of barley harvest, (1 Chronicles 12:15.) at the beginning of the summer, contrary to other rivers, which are never higher than in winter, those rivers in Europe excepted, whose source being in h... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 16. _THE WATERS WHICH CAME DOWN FROM ABOVE, STOOD,_ &C.— Instead of continuing their course, being arrested by the divine hand, they accumulated, and formed _as it were a mountain,_ which is the rendering of the Vulgate. Or else, as we may plainly conceive, being obliged to go back towards th... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 17. _AND THE PRIESTS—STOOD FIRM ON DRY GROUND IN THE MIDST OF JORDAN,_ &C.— Being come to the middle of the channel, they remained there till the whole of the people were gone over, and waited the orders of Joshua to rejoin the army. We apprehend that the passage was effected thus: The priest... [ Continue Reading ]