INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 7 For the trespass of Achan the children of Israel were smitten and put to flight by the men of Ai, Joshua 7:1; which gave him and the elders of the people great concern, both for Israel and for the name of the Lord, which was expressed by Joshua in prayer to God, Joshua 7:6;... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COMMITTED A TRESPASS IN THE ACCURSED THING,.... Or concerning it, with respect to it, by taking part of what was devoted to another use, and forbidden theirs: this was done, not by the whole body of the people, only by one of them; but it not being discovered who it was, i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA SENT MEN FROM JERICHO TO AI,.... Which was the next city of importance, though not so large as Jericho, and was, as the Jews say l, three miles distant from it; Abarbinel says m four miles, and so Bunting n; Jerom o says, that in his times very few ruins of it appeared, only the place was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY RETURNED UNTO JOSHUA, AND SAID UNTO HIM, LET NOT ALL THE PEOPLE GO UP,.... After they had reconnoitred the place, they came back to their general, and gave it as their opinion, that there was no need for the whole army to go up against the city: BUT LET ABOUT TWO OR THREE THOUSAND MEN GO U... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THERE WENT UP THITHER OF THE PEOPLE ABOUT THREE THOUSAND MEN,.... Joshua detached from the army the largest number proposed, that there might be strength enough to take the place; and those he sent under proper officers to Ai, who went up to the very gate of the city, as appears from Joshua 7:5:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN OF AI SMOTE OF THEM ABOUT THIRTY AND SIX MEN,.... In the pursuit of them, which were but few, but a sufficient rebuke of Providence; their loss was but small, but their shame and disgrace great: FOR THEY CHASED THEM [FROM] BEFORE THE GATE; the gate of the city of Ai: [EVEN] UNTO SHEBAR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA RENT HIS CLOTHES,.... As was usual in those ancient times, on hearing bad news, and as expressive of grief and trouble r; see Genesis 37:29; AND FELL TO THE EARTH UPON HIS FACE BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD, UNTIL THE EVENTIDE; in a posture of adoration and prayer, in which he continued til... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA SAID, ALAS! O LORD GOD,.... What a miserable and distressed condition are we in! have pity and compassion on us; who could have thought it, that this would have been our case? WHEREFORE HAST THOU AT ALL BROUGHT THIS PEOPLE OVER JORDAN, TO DELIVER US INTO THE HAND OF THE AMORITES, TO DEST... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD, WHAT SHALL I SAY,.... For the comfort and encouragement of the people of Israel, in vindication of thy power and faithfulness, and against the charge of weakness in thyself, unfaithfulness to thy promises, and unkindness to thy people, brought by our enemies: WHEN ISRAEL HATH TURNED THEIR B... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE CANAANITES,.... Those that dwell on the east and on the west of the land, see Joshua 11:3; who were one of the seven nations: AND ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND SHALL HEAR [OF IT]; of this defeat; not only the Amorites, among whom they now were, and the Canaanites before mentioned, but the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA, GET THEE UP,.... From the ground where he lay prostrate, with his face to it: this he said, not as refusing his supplication to him, but rather as encouraging and strengthening him; though chiefly he said this in order to instruct him, and that he might prepare for wha... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL HATH SINNED,.... For though one only had committed the sin, others might have known of it, and connived at it; however, there was sin committed among them, and it must be discovered, the guilt charged, and punishment inflicted: AND THEY HAVE ALSO TRANSGRESSED MY COVENANT WHICH I COMMANDED TH... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COULD NOT STAND BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES,.... Being forsaken of God for the sin committed among them: [BUT] TURNED [THEIR] BACKS BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES: had not courage to face them, but fled as soon as they appeared: BECAUSE THEY WERE ACCURSED; of God for the accursed t... [ Continue Reading ]
UP, SANCTIFY THE PEOPLE,.... The word "up" not only signifies getting up from the ground on which he lay, but to bestir himself, and to be active in what he would now be enjoined and directed to do, and in the first place to "sanctify the people", that is, by giving them orders to do it themselves:... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE MORNING THEREFORE YE SHALL BE BROUGHT ACCORDING TO YOUR TRIBES,.... One or more of every tribe, according to the number of them, were to be brought the next morning before Joshua and the elders of Israel, the sanhedrim and council of the nation, and very probably the tabernacle, where they as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE, [THAT] HE THAT IS TAKEN WITH THE ACCURSED THING SHALL BE BURNT WITH FIRE,.... He that is taken by lot, and the accursed thing found with him, this should be the death, burning, one of the four capital punishments with the Jews: this was ordered in this case, because the city of Jeri... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JOSHUA ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING,.... Which showed his readiness and diligence to obey the command of God; and as there was much work to do, it required that he should rise early: AND BROUGHT ISRAEL BY THEIR TRIBES: before the Lord, at the tabernacle, where he and the high priest and elders a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT THE FAMILY OF JUDAH,.... That is, the tribe of Judah, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, z; or rather, the several families in that tribe, even the heads of them: AND HE TOOK THE FAMILY OF THE ZARHITES: which descended from Zerah the son of Judah; that was taken by lot: AND HE B... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT HIS HOUSEHOLD MAN BY MAN,.... The household of Zabdi, the heads of each house therein: AND ACHAN, THE SON OF CARMI, THE SON OF ZABDI, THE SON OF ZERAH, OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, WAS TAKEN; the lot fell upon him, and he was laid hold on, and detained.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO ACHAN, MY SON,.... Treating him in a very humane, affectionate, and respectable manner, though so great a criminal, being a subject of his, and of the same religion and nation: GIVE, I PRAY THEE, GLORY TO THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, by acknowledging his omniscience, justice, power,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ACHAN ANSWERED JOSHUA, AND SAID,.... He made a free and open confession of his sin: INDEED I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL; against him who had been so good to Israel in many instances, and particularly in delivering Jericho into their hands in so extraordinary a manner; against a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I SAW AMONG THE SPOILS A GOODLY BABYLONISH GARMENT,.... One, as the Targum adds, for no more was taken; a garment made of Babylonish wool, as Jarchi; or a valuable garment made in Babylon, called "Shinar", for that is the word in the text, so Kimchi and Abarbinel; and Babylonian garments were i... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JOSHUA SENT MESSENGERS,.... Directly to Achan's tent, to see if it was as he had said, and to bring the things with them: AND THEY RAN UNTO THE TENT; either for joy that the iniquity was discovered, as Kimchi; or that none of the tribe of Judah or of Achan's family or relations should get there... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TOOK THEM OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE TENT,.... Out of the place, hole, or pit in which they were hid: AND BROUGHT THEM TO JOSHUA AND TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; to Joshua as the chief ruler, and to the elders and heads of the tribes assembled together: AND LAID THEM OUT BEFORE THE LORD; or "p... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM, TOOK ACHAN THE SON OF ZERAH,.... Joshua and all Israel are mentioned, to show the perfect agreement between Joshua and the heads of the people in this affair of Achan, and in the nature and manner of his punishment: AND THE SILVER, AND THE GARMENT, AND THE WEDGE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA SAID, WHY HAST THOU TROUBLED US?.... Been the occasion of so much trouble to us, by committing this sin: THE LORD SHALL TROUBLE THEE THIS DAY; by the destruction of him and all that belonged to him: this is said to show that his punishment was of God, and according to his will: in the Mi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY RAISED OVER HIM A GREAT HEAP OF STONES UNTO THIS DAY,.... That is, at the place where he suffered, or where they laid his ashes, they heaped up a pile of stones over him, as a monument whereby it might be known hereafter where he was executed and was buried; and which pile continued to the... [ Continue Reading ]