THE BOOK OF JOSHUA -Year before the common Year of Christ, 1451. -Julian Period, 3263. -Cycle of the Sun, 10. -Dominical Letter, B. -Cycle of the Moon, 10. -Indiction, 15. -Creation from Tisri or September, 2553. CHAPTER I _Moses being dead, God commissions Joshua to bring the people_ _int... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:2. _MOSES MY SERVANT_] The word, servant, as applied both to Moses and Joshua, is to be understood in a very peculiar sense. It signifies God's _prime minister_, the person by whom he issued his orders, and by whom he accomplished all his purposes and designs. No person ever bore this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:3. _THE SOLE OF YOUR FOOT SHALT TREAD UPON_] That is, the whole land occupied by the seven Canaanitish nations, and as far as the Euphrates on the _east_; for this was certainly the utmost of the grant now made to them; and all that was included in what is termed the _promised land_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:4. _FROM THE WILDERNESS AND THIS LEBANON_] Joshua appears to be standing with his face towards the promised land, and pointing out the different places, or their situation, with his hand, THIS _Lebanon_, c. The utmost of their limits should be from the desert of _Arabia Petraea_ on th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:5. _BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THEE_] Because God shall be _with_ thee, therefore thou shalt be irresistible. This promise was most punctually literally fulfilled.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:7. _ONLY BE THOU STRONG, AND VERY COURAGEOUS_] Ισχυε ουν, και ανδριζου σφοδρα. - Sept. _Be strong therefore, and play the man_ _to the uttermost_. Though God had promised him that no man should be able to stand before him, yet it was on condition that he should use all his military sk... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:8. _THIS BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH_] The law which had already been written by Moses, and from which he and the people were to take all those precepts by which their lives were to be governed. Though there was a copy of the law laid up in the sanctuary, yet thi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:10. _COMMANDED THE OFFICERS_] שטרים _shoterim_. These were different from the שפטים _shophetim_, who were judges among the people, and whose business it was to determine in all civil cases. The _shoterim_ have been supposed to be subordinate officers, whose business it was to see the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:11. _PREPARE YOU VICTUALS_] צדה _tsedah_, such _prey_ or _provisions_ as they had _taken_ from the _conquered countries_, such as corn, oxen, sheep, c. for the word signifies _prey_, or what is taken by _hunting_, c. This was necessary, as they were about to undergo considerable fatig... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:13. _REMEMBER THE WORD_] He puts the Reubenites, c., in remembrance of the engagements they had made with Moses (See Numbers 32:20) when he granted them their portion on the east side of Jordan.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:14. _YOUR WIVES, YOUR LITTLE ONES_] And with these it appears, from Numbers 32:17, were left behind 70,580 effective men to guard them and their property; only 40,000 having passed over Jordan to assist the _nine_ tribes and half to conquer the land. See Joshua 4:13. _ARMED_] חמשים _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:15. _TOWARD THE SUN-RISING._] This is the EAST, as _toward_ _the going down of the sun_ signifies the WEST.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:16. _ALL THAT THOU COMMANDEST US WE WILL DO_] Here they acknowledge the Divine mission of Joshua, as they had done that of Moses, and consequently promise to follow his directions in all things.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:17. _ONLY THE LORD THY GOD BE WITH THEE_] Provided God be with _thee_, as he was with Moses, we will implicitly obey thee. The words however may mean no more than an earnest prayer for Joshua's prosperity: May God be with _thee_, as he was with Moses!... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 1:18. _HE SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH_] This was _martial_ law; he who disobeyed the command of his general should be put to death. To this the people agreed, and it was essentially necessary in order that proper discipline should be kept up in this great army. By insubordination their father... [ Continue Reading ]