_THE ISRAELITES ARE PUT TO FLIGHT NEAR AI: THE LORD RAISES UP THE PROSTRATE JOSHUA, AND TELLS HIM, THAT SOME OF THE ACCURSED THING HAD BEEN TAKEN; COMMANDS HIM TO INQUIRE FOR THE GUILTY PERSON, AND TO CONDEMN HIM WHEN FOUND; ACHAN IS FOUND GUILTY, IS STONED, AND ALL BELONGING TO HIM BURNT IN THE FIR... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _BUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL_— Though there was but one guilty, the historian attributes to the whole society, whereof Achan was a member, the criminal action which he had committed. This is the style of Scripture, and it is the language of reason. See Calmet. A people, properly speaking, i... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 2. _JOSHUA SENT MEN FROM JERICHO TO AI._— To forward the conquest of the land of Canaan, Joshua made the fertile plain of Jericho the centre of his camp, whence he sent detachments to seize upon the neighbouring towns, till the Israelites should see themselves masters of an extent of country... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 3. _LET ABOUT TWO OR THREE THOUSAND MEN GO UP AND SMITE AI_— There was a little presumption in this counsel; Ai was well situated, strong, and guarded by twelve thousand men; so that there was no probability (humanly speaking) of carrying it with two or three thousand men. God, nevertheless,... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 4, 5. _AND THEY FLED,_ &C.— The garrison of Ai, observing the Israelites to be so few in number, made a sally. The latter, left by God, immediately lost courage, took flight, and left thirty-six of their comrades on the spot. The enemy pursued and beat them as far as to _Shebarim._ Some think... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 6. _AND JOSHUA RENT HIS CLOTHES_— All the outward marks of sorrow exhibited by Joshua and the elders on this occasion are well known; they were customary, and have been so in much later times. The history of the Patriarchs supplies frequent instances of the custom of rending the clothes on th... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 7. _AND JOSHUA SAID, ALAS! O LORD GOD, WHEREFORE,_ &C.— The heart-felt emotion and humiliation in which Joshua appears, thus prostrate on the ground, with his face directed towards the sanctuary, and addressing God in the following prayer, are no way unbecoming of his high character. The grea... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 10. _AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA_— This answer, full of gentleness, justifies what we have just been observing, that there was no asperity or murmuring in Joshua's remonstrance; "Arise," saith the Lord, "cease to afflict thyself: I am about to discover to thee this mystery of the flight of... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 14. _IN THE MORNING, THEREFORE, YE SHALL BE BROUGHT,_ &C.— "Persons deputed from each tribe to represent it, shall successively come, to appear before me, and to receive my orders." _AND—THE TRIBE WHICH THE LORD TAKETH, SHALL COME,_ &C.— We see clearly from these things what was to happen; fi... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 16. _SO JOSHUA ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND BROUGHT,_ &C.— Interpreters here ask, How was it possible that Achan should dare to extend his audacity so far as not to confess his crime as soon as he knew the orders which God had given to Joshua?—And they answer, that sin had blinded him, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 19. _AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO ACHAN, MY SON,_ &C.— Compassion and clemency are the portion of great souls. As soon as the criminal was known, and brought before Joshua, that merciful and generous leader exhorted him, before all things, and with all the moderation beseeming a judge, whose decrees... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 21. _WHEN I SAW AMONG THE SPOILS_— The Samaritan Chronicle makes Achan here say, that it was in a temple of Jericho that he saw the things which tempted him; among which was a _goodly Babylonish garment._ Bochart with his usual erudition observes, that clothes of divers colours were made at B... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 24. _AND JOSHUA, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM, TOOK ACHAN,_ &C.— With the consent of the whole assembly, and followed by all the people, Joshua caused the criminal to be brought to the neighbouring valley, called from that time _the valley of Achor,_ or _of trouble,_ because of the trouble which t... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 25. _AND ALL ISRAEL STONED HIM WITH STONES,_ &C.— There are three things to be considered from these words: I. It is asked, what was the punishment inflicted upon Achan? All the interpreters agree that he was stoned; but they are not equally agreed that he was burned. It is certain, that the... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 26. _WHEREFORE THE NAME OF THAT PLACE,_ &C.— From the day of the punishment of _Achan,_ or _Achor,_ the disturber of the public repose, the Israelites called the place where he was stoned _Achar._ What confirms this etymology is, that Achan is always called _Achar_ in the Syriac version, and... [ Continue Reading ]