Commentary on the Holy Bible

sinking or running over. This origin of the Jordan was not known till the time of Philip, Tetrarcli of Trachonitis, who, having ordered some chaff to he thrown in at Phiala, it was | found at Pcinhim. Jordan's visible stream arises from this j cavern (Phiala) and divides the marshes and fens of the lake j Saiieclton: and when it has run another liundrcd and fu;eniy \ furlongs, it first pas^ses hy the city Julias, and then passes j through the middle of the lake Gennesareth, after which, running a long way over the desart, it empties itself in the lake A'iplialiitcs." 'War. B. III. c. x. s. 1. See the note on Num. xxxiv. 12. and see the il/wp.

Verse 3. Tlie sole of your foot shall tread upori] That is, of the whole land occupied hy the seven Cahaanitish 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 uhat is ttrmed the Pronlised Lund, the boundaries of which have already been defined; see Deut. chap, xxxiv. 1 — 4. and.see ver. 4. below. It has been supposed, that the words every place that the sole of your foot shall tread on, were intended to express the case with which they were to conquer the whole land, an instance of which occurs in the taking of.lericho. It was only their unfaithfulness to God, that render! d the conquest, in any case, diflicidt.

A'crse 4. Frmii the ivildenicss and this Lclirinoi)] Joshua appears to be standing \\\\h his face towards tlie promised land, and pointing out the dill'ercnt places, or their situation, with his hand, 'J^IIIS Lebanon, &.c. The titmOEt of their limits should he from the Desart of Arabia Petrirti on the SOUTH, to [jcbanon on the NOU III: and from the Euphrates on the FAST, to the ^Teditcrraiuan Sen on the WPST. The Israel tis did not possess the full extent of this grant, till the days of David. Ste 2 Sam. viii. 3, &c. and 2 C'liion. ix. •2(i.

Land of the lliititet] These arc generally reputed to have been the most hardy and warlike of all the Canaanitish nations; and as they occupied the mountainous countries on the south of the land of Canaan, it is natural to suppose that they would be the most difficult to subdue: and on this ac-, count, it is supposed, God particularly specifies these — ye shall subdue and possess even all the land of the Hittites: but it is probable, that under this one term, all the other nations are included; as it is certain they are in other places, under the term Amorites.

Great Sea] The 3Iedilerranean called great, in respect oF the lakes in the land of Judea, such as the sea of Gennesareth, or sfea of Tiberias, and the Dead Sea, which were but 'comparatively small lakes; but the Hebrews gave the name of sea, CD' ya7n, to every large collection of waters.

V^erse 5. Be able to stand btfore thee"] Because God shall be ivith thee, therefore thou shalt be irresistible. Tliis promise was most punctually and literally fulfilled.

Verse". Only be thou strong and very courageous^ ifx"' ouv. Hat avJpi^ou a<po^^a, Sept. Be strong therefore, and play the man to the uttermost. Though CJod had promised him that no man should be able to stand before him; yet it was on condition that he.Oiould use all his military skill; and avail himself to the uttermost of all the means, natural and providential, which God should place within his reach. God Will not help them, who refuse to help themselves.

Verse 8. This book of the laxv shalt not depart out of thy inouth] The Law which had already been written by IMoses, 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 I. aw laid up in the Sanctuary, yet this was not..ufticicnt..loshua must have a copy for himself, and he was to consult it incessantly, that his way might bfe made jmisperous, and that lie might have good success. If he kejit God's word, God would keep him in body and soul, —

II Pass tliioii^rli tlic ho.st, and! comiiiaiul tlic j)t'o|)lf,.s:iyiii<j, PrcvicUials; lor 'within three clays ye. shall j)a33 over this Jurdan, to go into possess] ihe hiiul, which the Loiiu your (iod j^iveth yon' 1o possess it. \

12 ^ And to tlie Rcnbenitcs, and to the Caditcs, and to hall" the tribe of Manassch, sj)aUe Joshua, saying,

1;J llememher " the word whicli Moses the servant of the Loud commanded you, saying.

\r, Until the Lord hath given your brethren rest, as he hath f;ivcn you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lono your God giveth them: " then ye shall return unlo the laud of your ])osse.ssion, and enjoy it, which Moses, the Lokd's servant, gave you on tliis side.Ionian, toward the siuirising.

16 % And they answered.Jo.shua, saying. All that thou commandest us we will do, and wliitliensoever thou.sende.st us, we will go.

17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things,.so will we hearken unto thee: oidy

fhe Loiu) your (ioil hath given you rest,' and; the Lokd thy God ' be with thee, as he wa.s

18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

hath given you this land.

14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, siiall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass belbre your brethren "armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

if he should observe to do according to that word, then Ciod voiild cause all his way to he iirDspcrous. Tiiose who are obedient to God, lack no manner of tiling; that is good.

Verse 10. Commanded the ojYicers] nnai:? sholerim, these were diflerent from tlie CD'OBtt' shophctim, who were judges among the people, and whose business it was to determine in all civil cases. The shotcrim have been suppo.sed to be suhnrdinate officers, whose business it was to see the ilecisions of the sliophelim carried intoellect. Calmet conjectures, that llie shotcrim here, may ha'e been the heralds of ihe army, like those so often met with in Homer, who were called the • fiicsKciigers both of the i^ods and men; who bore sceptres, and whose [lorsons were ever held sacred. See on Deut. i. lit, 15.

Verse 11. Prepare yon ricliirili] rm t.iedah, such prey or [ provisions as they had titkcn from the conquered countries, such; as corn, oxen, sheep, &.c. for the word signifies prey, or what i is taken by hunting, &c. This was necessary, as they were j about to undergo cousidcralile faligue in marching, and in I making preparations for llie passage of the Jordan; for although the manna had not yet ceased to fall, yet such other provisions as are mentioned above, were necessary on this occasion.

For 'jiitliin three days ye shiill pas'/'] Calmet contends, with great appearance of trulh, that these three days should be i reckoned from the fu >t day of their encamping at Jordan, ' three days after the return of the spies, i. e. on the eighth! day of the first month, on the tenth of whicli they passed over Jordan. The Te.\t ihcrelbre is suppo.'ed to mean prepare victuals for three days march, for " on the third day af\cr vour decampment from Sliittim, ye shall pass over the Jordaii."

Verse \?j. Remember the viord] He puts the Reubciiitcs, &c. in rcmemlirance of the engagements they had made with Moses, see Num. xxxii. 20. when he granted them their portion on tlie east side of Jordan.

Ver.^e 14. Your wives, your little ones] And with these it appears from Num. xxxii. 17. were left behind 70,580 effective men to guardthem and their property; only 4-0,000 having passed over Jordtin to assist the nine tribci and half to conquer the land..See chap. iv. 13.

Armed] □'U'cn c/iaw;H.s/;/Hi, hy fives; in several lines,.lire in front; probably the usual method of marching, but it seems to signify, arrayed, equipped, accoutred, veil armed, and ready for battle. See the note on Exod. xiii. 18.

Verse 15. Toivard the sunrising.] That is, the E.VST; as toivard llie going donn nf the tun, signifies the WF^T.

Verse 1 G. All that thou cemmandcst us, ue u-ill do] Here they acknowledge the divine mission of Joshua, as they had done that of.Moses; and consequently promise to follow bis directions in all tilings.

Verse 1 7. Only the Lord thy God be tt'i<A tltee] Provided God be with thee, as he was with Moses, we will implicitly obey tiiee. The words however may mean no more than an earnest prayer for Joshua's prosperity. May God be with thee, as he was w ilh Moses!

Verse 18. He shall be put to death] This was martial law; he who disobeyed the command of his general, shoid J he put to death. To this the people agreed; and it was csseniially necessary, in order that pro|>er discipline should be kept up in this great army. By insubordination their fathers had suflt red much in ihe wilderness: they rejected the authot rity of Moses, mutinied and made themvlves a loader to con- ' 5 T duct them back to Egypt; see Num. xiv. 4.

to exam'me the stale of Jericho.

himself, for attempting to encourage tliem against their fears, was near being stoned to death. It was necessary therefore, that they should give him the most positive assurance, that they would not act as their fathers had done.

1. Notwithstanding the great honour God put on his servants Moses, Aaron, Phinehas, and Joshua; yet we find him using every means to induce the people to trust in himself alone. Hence he is ever shewing them, that even those great men had nothing but what they had received, and that they were as fully dependant upon himself, as the meanest of the people. What was even Moses, without his GOD?

2. Is it not strange that at the death of Woses, utter despair had not overwhelmed the whole camp; as he whom they expected to give them rest, had died before any conquest was made in Canaan. We find however, that they are not discouraged: He who gave them Moses, has now given them Joshua in his place; and they had now fully learned, that if God be for them, none could be successful!}' against them.

• 3. From all this we may learn, that when God has a great work to accomplish, he will provide himself suitable instruments; and though one, which he has greatly honoured, appear to fail, we should know that he is not confined to work by that one alone. He has way every where, and all things serve the purposes of his will. He will as surely support his Church on earth, as he will su|)p(]rl the earth itself; and while the sun and moon endure, the Church shall flourish: this is for his own honour; and he certainly is more concerned for his own glory in the administration of justice, judgment, and salvation in the earth, than any of the children of men can possibly be.

4. Though God had so implicitly ])romised them his help, yet he strongly insists on their own co-opcraiion. He requires the use of every power and talent he has given: even Joshua himself must be strong and very courageous, and the people must obey him in all things, in order that they may go over the Jordan to possess the good land: and without this, they had never got into the promised rest. Shall we suppose then, that if ite be not workers togetlier with God, that we shall be saved? Vain expectation! He works in us to 11:111 and to do; i.e. he gives the principle of volition in things that are holy, an<l the principle of poiuer to brmg the acts of will into good practical effect — therefore, says the Apostle, work- out your oiun salvation luilh fear and trembling. Will, therefore, under the influence of the gracious principle of volition: act, under the influence of the principle oi' power. Without the power you can neither viill nor do: but having the power it is your duty to xuill and do. It is enough that God gives the power. It is our duty, when we receive these talents, to improve them. In a million of cases, a man may be both able to will and to do, and yet do neither to the salvation of his soul.

Joshua sends out two spies to examine the state of the inhabitants of the land, i^articuhirh/ those of Jericho, rchn are entertained at the house of Rah ah, 1. The king of Jericho is i> formed of their being in the town, and sends to Rahab, commanding her to deliver them up, 2, 3. She hides the spies, and tells the messengers that the men were departed and gone tozcards the mountain, 4, 5. When the ojp.cers of the king of Jericho zcerc departed, she took the spies to the house top, and covered them icith fax, (i, 7. She relates to them that the fear of the Israelites had fallen on all the inhabitants of the conntrij, on hearing of their lictories over the Ainorites; that she hierc none could resist the God of Israel, and therefore desired them to give her an oath that zi'hen they took Jericho,. thei) zcould preserve the lives of her and her family, 8— 1.j. The spies swear to her, 14. She lets them dozen hi/ a cord from the house top, and give^them directions hozc to proceed, in order to avoid the pursuers, 15, \G. She is to tie a scarlet line to the zeindozi^, through which she hud let them down, which should be the sign to the Israelites to spare that house and its inhabitants, 17 — 19- Having bound her to secrecy, they depart, 20, 21. Jfter three days stay in the mountain, they return to Joshua, and make a favourable report, 22 — 24.

AND Josliua the son of Nun " sent '' out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went,

NOTES ON CHAP. H. Yerse 1. Joshua — sent — two men to spy secretly] It is very

2 And * it was told the king of Jericho, saying. Behold, there came

likely that these spies had been sent out soon after the death of Moses; and thcrcl'orc our margit>al reading, had sent, is

They are etHertalncd CI I A I'. 11. at the house of Jtahab.

moil in liitlicr lo niiclit, ol' tlic cliilil-|: iiieii dial ai-c conic to tliec, which rcn of Israel, 'to search out ihc conn- arc t-ntcrcd into thine house: /or

3 And tlic king oCJoricho sent unto Jlahah, saving", Ihing forth the

to l)c prifciivd. Secretly — II is very probalilc also, tlial these Averc cniifulciitial pcr.-ions: and that the transaction was between tiicin and him alone. As llicy were to pass over tlie Jordan opposite to.lericho, it \va.s necetisary that they should liave |ii)ssession of tliis city, that in case of any rtverscs, they Miiyiil iiave no enemies in their rear. He sent the men therelbro, to see the slate of the city, avennes of approach, fortifications, &c. that he niigiit the beller concert Ins mode of attack.

A harlot's house] JIarlols and inn-keepers seem to have been called by the same name: as, no doubt, many who followed this mode of life, from tlieir exposed.-ituation, were not tiie most correct in their morals. Among the ancients, -.enmen fjenerally kept houses of entertaiinnent; and among the l',|4yptian> and Greeks this was comuion — I.sjiall subjoin a few |)roots. IlKRODiiTUS, speaking concerning the many difll'runce.s between Egypt and other countries, and the peculiarity of tlieir laws and customs, expressly says, Ev toisti ai n(v yyvaiKif ayo^a(ov3-i >cai HCfjrtiXevoutTi' ot $e avJftf, xar oiKOug foiTEf, upaivDutrt. " Among the Egyptians the women carry on all commercial concerns, and keep iazcms; while the men continue at home and weave." Herod, in Kuterp. c. XXXV. DkiDokus Sicl I.US, lib. i. s. S. and c. xxvii. asserts, that " llie men were the slaves of the women in Egypt, and that it is stipulated in the marriage contract, that the woman s-hall be the ruler of her husband; and that he shall obey her in all things." The same historian supposes, that women had these high privileges among the Egyptians, to perpetuate the memory of the beneficent ' administration of his, who was afterwards deified among them. I

NYMPIIonORUS, quoted by the ancient scholiast on the; (Edipus Colonus of.'><ipliocles, accounts for these customs: he says, that " Sesostns finding the pi-pnlation of Egypt rapidly increasing; fearing that he should not be able to govern the i)cople, or keep them united under one head, obliged llie men to assume the occupations of women, in order that ihey might be rendered etllminate."

Sophocles contlrms the account given by Herodotus; speak- | ing of Egypt, he says,

" There, ihe men stay in their houses weaving cloth; while.: the '.\omen transact all business out of doors, provitle food for the family, &c." It is on this passage, that the scholiast cites Ni/niphodonts for the information given above, and Hliich, ■

lliey be come to.search out all the ^ country.

4 '' And the woman took tlie two

lie says, is found in the 13tli chap, of his work " On ibc- Ciistoms of Jlarbarous Nations."

That the name custom prevailed among the Greeks, we have the following proof from Al'ULEn;s; Ego zero quod primum iiigressui slubulum conspiculus swn, accent, ct de QUA-

Edit. Hip. " Having entered into the first inn I met with,

1 1 and there seeing a certain OLD WOMA.V, die INN-KEEPER, I

It is very likely, that women kept the places of public entertainment among the Philistines; and that it was with such an one, and not with a harlot, that.Samjjson lodged; see Judges xvi. 1, &c. for, as this custom certainly did prevail amon"- the Kirypiians, of which we have the fullest proof above; we may naturally expect it to have prevailed also among the Canamiites and Philistines, as we find from Aputeius, that it did j afterwards among the Greeks. Besides, there is more than presumptive proof, that this custom obtained amon<» the Israelites themselves, even in the most poliMicd period of their history: for, it is much more reasonable to suppose that the /uo xeomen, who came to Solomon for judgment, relative to the dead child, 1 Kings iii. 1 6, &c. were inn-keepers, than that they were harlots. It is well known, that common prov titutes, from their abandoned course of life, scarcely ever have children: and the laws were so strict against such in I Israel, see DeuL xxiii. 18. that if these had°been of that j class, it is not at all likely, they would have dared to appear before.Solomon. All these circumstances considered, I am fully satisfied, that the term,-jn zonah in the text, which v»c translate harlot, should be rendered tiirern or iun-keeper, or hostess. 1 he spies, w ho «ere sent out on this occasion, were ' undoubtedly the most confidential persons that Joshua had in ^ his host: they went on an errand of the most weighty importance, and which involved the greatest constqu'ences. The risk they ran of losing their lives in this cnterprize, was '■ extreme. Is it therefore likely, that persons who could not escape apprehension and death, without the miraculous interference of God, should in despite of that law, which at thin time must have l>cen so well known unto them, go info a place, where they might expect, not the blessing, but the curse of God? Is it not therefore more likely.'that they went rather to an inrt to lodge, than lo a brothel r But what completes, in my judgment, the cridcnce on this point, is, tiiat this very Hahab, whom we call a harlot, was actually married to Sitlmon, a Jewi.sh prince, see Malt, i 5. And is it probable, that a prince of J„dah would have taken to wife, such a person as our text represents Rahab lo be?

men, and hid them, and said thus. There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they xcere: 5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went, I wot not: pursue after tliem quickly j for ye shall overtake them.

6 But ^ she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

7 And the men pursued after them, the way

JOSHUA. on the top of the house.

to Jordan, unto the fords: and as nah, by Tropvn, wliich generally signifies a proslilule; but it i< not absolutely evident that the Septuagint used the word in this sense. Every scholar knows, that the Greek word wofvtj comes from Tt^vaa, to sell, as this does from •Ao^a, to pass from one to another: — Iransire facio a vie ad aUerum: DAMM. But may not this be spoken as well of the woman's goods, as of her pason? In this sense the Chaldee Targum understood the term, and has therefore translated it Nn>p"IJ12 Nn.nX itetha pundakitha, a woman, a TAVERN-KEEPEU. That this is the true sense, many eminent men are of opinion. ^ and the preceding arguments render it at least very probable. To all this may be added, that as our blessed Lord came through the line of this woman, it cannot be a matter of little consequence, to know what moral character she sustained: as an inn-keeper, she might be respectable, if not honourable: as a public prostitute, she could be neither: and it is not very likely, that the providence of God would have suffered a per.ton of such a notoriously bad character to enter into the sacred line of bis genealogy. It is true tliat the cases of Tamar and Bathsheba may be thought sufficient to destroy this argument; but whoever considers these two cases maturely, will see that they dilTer totally from that of Rcihab, if we allow the word harlot to be legitimate. As to the objection, that her husband is no where mentioned in the account here given; it appears to me to have little \yeight She miwht have been either a single ivoman, or a widow; and in either of these cases, there could have been no mention of a husband: or if she even had a husband, it is not likely he would have been mentioned on this occasion, as the secret seems to have been kept religiously between her and the spies. If she were a married woman, lier husband might be included in the general terms, Alt that she had; and, All her kindred, chap. vi. 23. But it is most likely, that she was a single woman, or a widow, who got her bread honestly, by keeping a house of entei-tainmcnt for strangers. See below.

Verse 3. The king of Jericho sent unto RahabJ This appears to be a proof of the preceding opinion: had she been a prostitute, or a person nf ill-fame, he could at once have sent officers to have seized the persons lodged with her, as ■vagabonds: but if she kept a house of entertainment, the

soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the

8 ^ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that *" your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land " faint because of you.

10 For we have heard how the Lord ^ dried up the water of the Red sea for you, Avhen ye came out of Egypt j and ^ what ye did unto

persons under her roof were sacred, according to the universal custom of tiie Asiatics; and could not be molested on any trifling grounds. A guest, or a friend, is sacred in whatever house he may be received, in every part of the East, to the present day.

Verse 4. And hid tlieni] Probably she secreted them for the time being, in some private corner; till she had the opportunity of concealing them on the house top, in the manner mentioned ver. 6.

Verse 5. When it was dark"] So it appears, that it was after night that the king of Jericho sent to llahab, ordering her to produce the persons who lodged with I'.er. The season itself was friendly to the whole plot: had these transactions taken place in day-light, it is scarcely possible that tiie spies could have escaped. But this is no excuse for the woman's prevarication: for God could have saved bis mes.sengers independanlly of her falsity. God never says to any. Do evil that good may come of it. See at the end of the chapter.

Verse 6. Hid them with the stalks of Jlax] It is a matter of little consequence, whether we translate JTH »nB?S pistey haets, stalks of fla.v, or stalks of hemp: the word yV its, wliich signifies w'ood, serves to shew, that whelher it was hemp or Jlax, it was in its rough unmanulactured state; and as this wns about the season, viz. the end of March or the beginning of April, in which the flax is ripe in that country, consequently Rahab's Jlax might have been recently pulled, and was now drying on the roof of her house. The Header may find some useful remarks upon this subject in Mr. Hanner's Observations, vol. iv. p. ST, &:c.

Upon the roof] We have already seen, that all the houses in the East were made flat-roofed: for which a law is given Deut. xxii. 8. On these flat roofs, the Asiatics to this day, walk, converse, and oftentimes even sleep and ])ass tiie nigiit. It is probable, that tins hiding was after that referred to iit the fourth verse.

Verse 9. / know that the Lord hath given you the land] It is likely, she had this only from conjecture, having heard of their successes against the Amorites, their prodigious numbers, and seeing tiie state of terror and dismay, to which the inhabitants of her own land were reduced.

Tfun; make a covenant xclth Rdhah the two kiii^s of tlic Amorilcs, thai •were on tlie otlicr side Jordan, Silion Oj,^, wlioiii yc ullcrly clcstroyt-d. And as soon as wc liad ' licaiil these Ihini^s, "' our licarls did melt, nt-itlier ' did tliori; remain any more coiiiaifc in any man, Ijecause of you: for '' the Loud your (Jod, lie is (lod in heaven above, and in earth beneatli.

J '2 Now tlieref()re, I pray you, 'swear unto me by the Loud, since 1 have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto ' my fathers' house, and "^give me a true token:

13 And t/iat ye will sa\e alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

It And the men answered her. Our lile " for your's, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Loiu) hath given us the land, that ' we will deal kindly and truly with

15 Then she " let them down by a cord tlirough the window: for her house tvas upon

CHAP. IL to preserve her and her fam'thj,

the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Vtrsc 11. Ilch (lod in heaven iibove, and in earth beneath.'] This conff.'isicMi of tlic true God is ain-azin";!}' full, and argues cousideralile li;;'lit and information. As if slic had said, " I know your God lo be omnipotent and omnipresent:" and in consequence of this faith, she liid the spies, and risked her own life in doinj; it. But bow had sbe this clear knowledge of the Divine natme? 1. Possibly the knowledge of the true God was general in the earth at tiiis time, tliough connected with much sii;>erslition and idohilry: tlie people believing that there was a god for cveri/ district, and (ijr ererj/ ])eoplc: for the munntains anil for the viillics. See 1 Kings x.\. 23. U. Or slie received this instruction from the spies, with whom she appears to have had a good deal of conversation: or, 3. She had had it from a supernatural influence of God upon lier own soul. She)>rol);ibIy made a better use of the ligiit she bad received, than the rest of her countrymen; and God inerca.sed tliat liglU.

Verse 12. Siicur unto mc by the Lord] This is a fartlier proof that this wotuun had received considerable instruction in the Jewish faith: she acknowledged the true God by his essential character Jcliovuh: and knew that an oath in liis name, was the deepest and most solemn obligation under ^vllieh a Jew could possibly eonie. Does not this also refer to the command of God, Thou shalt fear the Lord, and shall su'ciir hi/ /lis name f See the note on Deut. vi. 13.

\'erse 13. Deliver our lives from de^lh.] She had Icamt either from tlie spies, or otherwise, llut all the inhabitants of

10 And she said unto them, Get Aimouie you to the mountain, lest the pur- '•"'j'|"Pf^- suers meet you; and hide yourselves tJicrc three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterwanl may ye go your way.

17 And the men said unto her. We -ui/l he ' blameless of this thine oath wkich thou lia-st made us swear;

IS '"Behold, xvhen wc come into the land, thou slialt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: " and thou shalt "bring thy iiither, and thy mother, and tliy liiethreu, and all thy lather's houshold, home luito thee.

19 And it shall be, that whosoever.shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we avV/ be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, " his blood shall be on our head, if atii/ hand be upon him.

20 And if thou utter this our business, then

tbe land were doomed to destruction; and therefore she ol>- liges them to enter into a covenant with ber, for tbe preservation of berself and her household.

Verse 14. Our life for your's'] " May our life bedcslroj-cd, if we su(U r your's to be injured!" I'bis is what was anciently called, in our country, pledging — staking a man's Lie for that of his neighbour or friend.

Ver.se 15. Then she let them rfouvi by a cord, &r.] The natural place of this verse, is after the first clause of the 21sl verse; for it is certain, that she did not let thctn down in the basket, till all those circumstances, marked from the i6th to tbe 20tb verse inclusive, bad taken place.

She dxielt upon the u.all.'] That is, either the wall of tJie city made a part of her bouse, or her house was builded close to the wall, so that the top or battlements of it were above the wall, with a window that looked out to tbe country. As tbe city gates were now shut, there was no way for Ibe spies lo cw cape but through ibis window; and in order lo this, she let them dow n through tbe window, in a basket, suspended by a cord, till they reached the ground on the outside of tbe wall.

Verse 16. Hide yourselves there three days] They wire to travel by h/c'", and bide ibcmsclves in tlic day-li^ne; otherwise they might have been discovered by the pursuers, who were in search of them.

Verse 13. This line of scarlet thread] 'Jm BH npn Til:, kevath chut hashnni. Probably this may mean, this piece of scarlet cloth — or, this clolh (made) of scarlet thread, ^\'hen

After hiding three days in the JOSHUA

we will be quit of thine oath which

thou hast made u.s to swear. 21 And she said. According unto your words, so he it. And she sent; them away, and they departed: and she boiuid • tlie scarlet hue in the window. \

22 And they went, and came unto the moun-; tain, and abode there three days, until the pur- j suers were returned: '' and the piu-suers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

tlie Israelites took the city, tins piece of red cloth seems to have been hung out of the window, by way o^ flag: and this was the siijn on which she and ihe spies had agreed.

Verse 20. If thou uitcr this our business] It was prudent to make her life depend on her secrecy: had it been otherwise, she might have been tempted to have given information not only concerning- the spies, but concerning the designs of the Israehtes. But her life being at stake, added to every other motive, she kept the secret for the sake of her own personal safety, and that of all her relatives.

Verse 23. So the two men returned] Having concealed themselves in the mountain that niglit, all the next day, and the niglit ensuing: and on the third day, they returned to Joshua.

Verse 24. Ti-uli/ the Lord halh delivered into our hands all the land] How different was this rejiort from that brought by the spies on a former occasion! They found that all the inhabitants of the land were panic struck. The people had heard of the great exploits of the Israelites on the other side of Jordan; and as they had destroyed tlie potent kings of the Amorites, they took it for granted, that nothing could stand before tliem. This information was necessary to Joshua, to guide him in forming the plan of his campaign.

1. It may be asked. Did not Rahab Ij/e in the account she gave to the officers of the king of Jericho, ver. 4, 5. There came men unto me, &c. I answer. She certainly did: and the inspired writer sets down the fact merely as it.stood, without making the Spirit of God responsible for Ihe dissimulation of the woman. I'ut was she not rewarded, &r..? Yes: for lier hospitality and faith; not for her Ij/e. Ijut could she have saved the spies witliout telMng a lye? Ves, slie certain!)' miglit. Uut what notion could a woman of her occupation, though nothing uojic than an inn-kccpcr, have of tl)e n/ctr distinctions between truth and falsehood, living among a most profligate and depraved |M»|)le, where trudi could scarcely be known.

2. There is a lax morality in the world, that recommends a lye rather than the truth, when the purposes of religion and humanity can be served by it! But when can this be? The religion of Christ is one eternal system of truth, and can neither be served by a lye, nor admit of one. On this vile subject, fine words have been spoken. Tasso, in his elegant episode of Soplironia and Otindo, in the Gerusalcmme Liberata, IJ. II. V. 22. represents the former as telling a lye to Saladdin, relative to the stealing of an image; lor which, as he mountain, they return to Joshua.

23 ^ So the two men returned, and descended from the moiuitain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him

all things that befel them:

24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly ^ the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do ■^ faint because of us.

could not discover the culprit, he doomed all the Christians in his power to death. Sophronia, a pious Christian virgin, getting into the presence of the tyrant, in order to save her people, accuses herself, though perfectly innocent, of the theft. Her conduct on this occasion, the poet embellishes in the following manner, for which, the religion of that time, which dealt in holy frauds, would no doubt applaud him.

Ed ella: il reo si trova al luo cospetto; Opra e il furto, Signor, di questa mano: In I' immagins tolsi; lo son colei Che tu ricerchi, e me punir tu dei.

Cosi al pubblico fato il capo altera OJfersc, e 'I voile in se sol racorre. MaGNANIMA xMENZOGNA! or quando e il VERO Si BELLO, che si possa a te preporre?

Then she: " Before thy sight the guilty stands; The theft, O King! committed by these hands. In me the thief, who stole the image, view; To me the punishment decreed, is due."

Thus fiU'd with public zeal, the generous dame A victim for her people's ransom came. O great deceit! O lie, divinely fair! AV'hat truth with such & falsehood can compare! HOOLE.

Thus a lye is ornamented with splendid decorations, both by the Italian and English poet, and the whole formed into an antiapostolic maxim; Let us do EVIL, that GOOD may come of it.

A purer morality was taught by one of the most ancient heathen writers, than is here preached by these dcmi-christiuns: E^SfCf ya^ HOI xtivof, Of/^ug aiiao 7ru\ii<riv, Of x' ETEfOv /MV xeuB£i ivt (p^ia-iv, a?\>,o S'e iSaffi.

Iliad, ix. V. 312. ]\Iy Soul detests him as the gates of hell, ^\ ho knows the truth, and dares a falsehood tell.

The following is the advice of a genuine Christian and one of the holiest men of his time.

Lye not: but let thy heart be true to God; Thy tongue to it, thy actions to them both. Cowards tell lies; and those who fear the rod: The stormy workuig soul,.spits lies and froth. D.\RE TO HE TKUh! nothingc&n NEED a lie. The /(«(/< that needs it most, grows TWO thereby.

J ushua prepares tu bring CHAT. III.

For otiicr oLhi rvutioiih on lliin sulycci, vc the iiolcu on Gcii. xii. rnd, uiid xx. I '2.

3 'riiiMij;li till- li. 111(1 uf God Mas cvidi'iilly in fiery tiling tliat coiK.cniid llic L-ruilito.-'; and llii'y were luiiglil lo cmi Bider, that l>y Ids might alinir, tlicy wtri- to lie put in |)Os. session of llie prouiised land; yet tliiry were an fully convinced, iLal ir tluy did not u»e I lie eoiMi~el, prudence, nn(\ strcnglli, wlucli tlicy had received from imu, they slioidd ii«i l/ie Israelites over Jordan.

KU((<(d. Hence, nliilc they defHiided on the liivinc direction and power, they exercised their own prudence, and put forth their own strength: and thus ihey were worker* toi^cllii r with him, and djd not receive the ((race of God iii vain. 'I he application of ihiH rnaxiin io caoy; and we cannot ex|>ecl any »ucccii*, either in thi(i(j» hpiritual or temporal, unlcM U'c walk by the name rule, and mind the tame tiling;.

'J'/ir liific/itis/i camp rtiiiovcs J'luin S/iitliui to Jviiliin, 1. The officers injur rn tlicin how tluy arc to pass the riicr, and the distance thci/ arc to keep from the uri;, C— 4. Joshua directs the people, 5, G. And the Lord give* directions to Joshua, 7, 8. Jfc delivers the Lord's tnessage to the people, and foretells the miraculom puisuge and division of Jordan, <J — IJ. The priests, licariug the ark, enter the river, and immediately the tcaters are rut oU', and the pricsh stand on dri/ ground, in the bed of the river, till all the ramp passes over, 14 — 17.

Anno'aiitc ' IVoui Shittim, and camc to Jordan, sand cubits by measure: come not AmM,«i,tc i.oiym,,.^5. |j^,.^j^jI,^]| ^iij, (-iiiijii-cn of Israel, and; near unto it, that ye may know the '•"'^"''' ''"^- lodged tliere before they passed over. |i way by which ye must go: for ye have not

3 And they connnandeti tiie people, saying, ' tify yoiuselves: for to morrow the Lokd will do " When ye see the ark of the covenant of the J wonders among you.

I.,oiii) your God, '' and the priests the Levites! 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, '" Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass and go after it.

Verse 1. Joshua rose cnrlj/] vXrchlMslioji U.<her supposes, that this was upon Wednesday, the 2Sili of April, A.M. 'l.io'.i. (lie fortieth year after the Exodus from E^ypl. From Shittim, where they had lately been encamped, to Jorchui, was about sixty stadia, according to Josepluis; that is, about eight Knglish miles.

Verse 2. After three days] These three days are probably to be thus understood. As soon as Joshua took the command of the army, ho sent tlie spies to ascertain the state of.lerielio, as we have seen chap. i. 12. They returned at the end of three days, or rallier on the third day, and made tlu'ir report. It was at this time, immediately on the return of the spies, that he made the proclamation mentioned here; in consequence of which, the people immediately struck their tents, and marched forward to Jordan.

Verse 4. Ahoiit tvio thousand cubits'] This distance they were to keep, 1. For the ^n-eater respect, because the presence of tlie ark was the symbol and pledijje of the Divine presence. 2. "^flial the ark, which was to be their pilot over these waters, might be the more conspicuous, which it could not have been, had the people croudcd upon it.

over before the people. And they took up the

Verse 5. Sanctify yourselves] \\'i)at was implied in this command, we are not informed: but it is likely, that it was the same as that given by Mo~es, Kxud. xix. \0 — 1 f. They were to wash themselves and their garmcnLs, and abstain from every thing that might indispose their minds from a profiuble attention to the miracle about to be wrought in their behalf.

Verse 6. Spake unto the priests, saying. Take up the ark] It is remarkable, that the priests, not llie Laites, w hose ordinary business it was, were employed to carry the ark on this occasion. Calniet conjectures, that this vras, because it was probably carried uilhout being iiruppeU up in its curtains, as it always was, when the Levites carried it. Thouiih it was the business of the Levites, the sons of Kohath, to carry the ark; yet on certain occasions, the priests alone performed this office. 1. In the present case. 2. A\'hcn they encompassed Jericho, chap. vi. 6. 3. When it was carried to the war against the Philistines by llie priests, the sons of Eli, 2 Sam..\v. 25. 4. ^\'hen David sent it back to Jerusalem, at the time be was obhged to fly from it, through the rebellion of his son Absalom, 2 Sam. xv. 25. An<l 5. At the time that it was taken out of the tabernacle, to he deposited in the temple, see I Kings viii. 6 — 11. These were the moft

Joshua gives them directions relative to JOSHUA.

ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

7 ^ And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to ^ magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, ^ as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

8 And thou shalt command ' the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, Wlien ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, " ye shall stand still in Jordan.

9 % And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.

10 And Joshua said. Hereby ye shall know that " the living God is among you, and that he will, without fail, ' drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites,

and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

solemn occasions, and on sucii alone, ■ne xmy presume, the priests performed this office, instead of the Levites.

In all their former marches, the ark was carried in the centre of this immense camp: see the scheme at the end of, chap. ii. of the book of Numbers, hut now it was to proceed at the liead of the arm}', and to go before them, and at such a distance, about three quarters of a mile, as the whole camp niig:ht see it as their guide.

Verse 7. T/tis day will I begin to magnify thee'] By making him the instrument in this miraculous passage, he did him honour, and gave him high credit in the sight of tlie people: hence his authority was established, and obedience to him as their leader fully secured. What must have confirmed this authority, was his circumstantially foretelhng how the waters should be cut off, as soon as the feet of the priests had touched tliem, ver. 14. This demonstrated, that the secret of the Lord was with liim.

Verse 8. Ye shall stand still in Jordan.] The priests proceeded first with the ark, and entered into tlie bed of the river, the course of wliich was immediately arrested, the waters collecting above the place where the priests stood, while the stream fell "(T, towards the Dead Sea; so that the whole chaimtl below where the priests were.standing, became dry. The whole camp, therefore, passed over below where the priests were standing, keeping at the distance of 2000 cubits from the ark; this they could readily do, as the whole bed of the river was dry, for many milts below the place where the priests entered.

Verse 10. Hereby ye shall know that the LIVING GOD is among you] The Israelites were apt to be discouraged, and to faint at even the appearance of danger; it was necessary.

the order in ivhich they are to pass,

1 1 Behold, the ark of the covenant of ^the Lord of all the earth, passeth over before you, into Jordan.

1 2 Now therefore " ^ake you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man;

1 3 And it shall come to pass, ' as soon as the soles of the feet of the j)riests that bear the ark of the Lord, *" the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they '.shall stand upon a heap.

14 ^ And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the "' ark of the covenant before the people;

15 And as tliey that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and " the feet of the priests that bare the ark, were dipped in the brim of the

therefore, that they should have tiie fullest assurance of the presence and assistance of God in the important enterprize on which they were now entering. They are to combat idolaters, who have nothing to trust in and help them, but gods of wood, stone, and inetal; whereas they are to have the living God in the midst of them — HE who is the author of life and of being — who can give, or take it away, at his pleasure; and who by this miracle pmvrd that he had undertaken to guide and defend them: and Jo.shua makes this manifestation of God, the proof that he will drive out the Hittites, Hivites, &c. before them.

With regard to the situation of each of these nations in the land of Canaan, Calmet remai-ks, that those called CA- NA.VNITES, chiefly inhabited what is called Phanicia, the environs of Tyre and Sidon: the HiTTITKS occupied the mountains, southward of the promised land. The HIVITES dwelt by FMal and Gerizim, Sichetii and Gihcon, towards the mountains of Herinun. The PERIZ'ZiTES were probably not a distinct nation or tribe, but rather villagers, scattered throutrh the country in general. The GIKGASHrPES possessed the country beyond the Jordan, towards the lake of Genesareth: the JEBUSl PES possessed.lerusalcm: and the AMORITES occupied the mountainous country in the vicinity of the western part of the Dead Sea; and also that part of the land of Moab, which the Israelites conquered liom Silioii and Og.

Verse 1 5. yind the feet of the priests — were dipped in the brim of the water] Thus we find, that every thing occurred exactly in the way in which.Joshua had foretold it. This must liave greatly increased his credit among the people.

If) 'i'liat the waters wliicli came ilovvn ii'om alxno, stooil (i/n/ rose ii)) upon:i heap, very tar tiom the city Ailam, that is beside ■" Zaretaii: and those that came down over ri^lit against Jc- 17 And the j)riest» that bare the toward the sea oi" the plain, acii. "the salt seiV, iiiiied, and were cut oil': and the peo- ovr.finhin.

of the covenant of the Loiiu, stood firm on dry gronnd in the midst of Jordan, ' and all th<; Israelites pas.scd over on dry gronnd, until all llie people were p:us.scd clean

Tor Jiirilan overfloweih all hit banh, &c.] It lias ofton boon triiisrkid, tliai there was no need of a miracle in crossiii;.j Jordan, as it is but an iiicon^idcriMe stream, tasily fordable; bciii){ bill about twciily yards in bnadili. I'ut tlic circuni- •lancc luarknl litre by die.tacreti lii.'itoriaii jiroves tlial liierr was a time in tlie year, viz. in tile Imnrsi, tliat this saiti iiv(r ovcr/ldivcd /lis Ldiil.s: and this i.s eoiillniRd l)y another))hicc in Seripturc, 1 Ciiion. xii. I j. A> llic miracle rejturl- «d here, took place about thi' beginninij of Ajiril, a time in which rivers in "jencral are less than in winter, it may be aUced, how there could be such an increase of waters at this tjnic } 'the simple fact is, tliat the Jordan, as we have already seen, has its ori'^nn at the foot of Momit Leljanon; whuli mountain is always covered ivil/i.••iio-x, during the winter months: in thoiic montlis, thcrcfltre, the river is low; but wiieii the summer's sun has milted these snows, there is coiiseiiuently a prodigious increase of waters, so that the old channel is not capable of contaiuiu^ llicm; and this accounts for the statement in the te\t, that the Jordan oitr/linicih his Imiiks (ill ilic lime of ItaiTCsi: and this was the time which (jod chose (hey should pass over it; that a miraculous interposition niiijht be nteessaiT; and that by the viiracle they should be convinced of Ins oinnipolente, who was not oidy their guide, but had jiromised to jnit them in possession of this good land.

Verse J 0. Roac up upon a licup] That is, they continued to accumulate, filling u]i the vhole of the channel towards the source, and the adjacent ground over which they were.l>ow spread, to n much greater d<-|ith; the power of God -giving a contrary direction to the current. \Ve need not suppose them to be gathered up like a vumntuin, instiir nionlis, as the l'ul:;alc expresses it; but that they continued to flow back 111 the course of the channel; and ere tUey could have reached the lake of Genesarcth, where they might have been easily aceumulated, the whole Israelitisli army would have all got safely to the op])osite siilc.

I'eiy far from the eili/ Adam — btside Zaretaii] AVliere these places were, it is difficult to.say. The city Adam is wholly unknown. I'roni 1 Kings iv. 12. we learn, that Zariaii'ih was below Jezreel, near lieih-shean, or Siyllmpolis; and not far from Siwcoth, 1 Kings vii. 46. And it appears from (Jen. xxxiii. IT. Josh. xiii. 27. that Succoth lay on the east side of Jordan, not far from the lake of Genesarcth; and probably Adam was on the same side, to the north of Succoth. It is probable, that the Israelites crossed the Jordsn near Betluilura, wliere John baptized, John i. 'JS. and which jirobably had its name, the house of passitt^e, from this very tircunistauce. Sec Calnict's Couiiutiitary, aiid Um Mup.;U'ter llK>e places; as in the lapue of upward.s of J'JOO years, tiie face of the eoimlry umsi have bten t(y,->Ily rhMngrd. Sea".

asccTtaiii the spot, it ia sulTieiciiily CTJdenI tbal w» ran comr

;if«r to the piticc. it has been considered a lame ohjcctio/v against the truth of the Ili>ii, that tJie siluition of Troi/ c-in- iiot now be exactly a»ci rtained. There arc even many aii-

] cient cities and coiisideralile lowns in Kurojje, tlial tl:oiigh they still bear their f.nner iiiiiies do not occupy ibc same spot: there are not a t'vw of lh..sc even in f'ingland, araon^

P Right O'^aitisl Jcrich'j.] It would be impossible for the zihole camp to pass over in the space opposite lo Jcncho, as they n.^M

I have taken up some miles in breadth, besides the 200</ciibin

; which were left on the right, between them and the ark; but

, the river was divided opposite to Jericho; and t>>crf, the camj> began to pa»s over.,; Verse H. The priests — i.'wJ //r/j- on dry zrouiid'] Tiiev j stood in the mid channel, and shifted not their [xisilion, till the camp, consisting of nearly uOO.OOO eflcctive men, Ijcsides I women, children, &.c. had parsed over.

i, 1. Is it not surprising, that the Canaanllw did not dt-pule ]| tills passage with the Israelites! If is likely they woidd, had.j they had any expectation, that such a passage would har,^ been attempted. They mu,t hire known, lli;:i the I-rdehiisb <amp was on the other bide of the Jordan; but could iher '! have supjMised, that a pa.-aMf for such a host «as passible, when the banks of the Jordan were quite overflowed.' It was not merely beeavise they were panii: ftni.k, tliat they did not. dispute tins passage; but because lliey must ha\e supposed il \\ impossible; and when they found the attempt was made, tl.c; passage was efleeted, before they could prejwre to prevent iL ] 2. God now appears in such a way, and works in.such a [ manner, as to leave no doubt concerning his presence or his ^ poxeer, nor of his /o;e to I.srael. After this, was it |x>ssiblc for this people erer to doubt his being or his txHintv.' TAiV, with the miraeuloius passage of the Red Sat, were well calculated to have established their faith (uv ever: and those «ho ' did not yield to the evidence affirded by these two miracles, i were incapable of rational conviction.

y 3. In some respect.s, the passage o( the Jordan was more strikingly miraculous, than that even of the litd Sea. In this latter, God was pleased to employ an a:;ent: the sea nenl lack by a strong east-uind all that iii.;ht, and made the sea dry land, Kxod..xiv. 21. Nothing of this kind appeared in the pa-'a^'c, of the Jordan: a very rapid river, for fo all traveller!* &\]6v

Twelve stones taketi out of Jordan, are set up as a memorial. ' it to be, went back to its source, without any kind of agency, l)Ut the invisible hand of the invisible God.

4. Through the whole period of the Jewish history, these miracles, so circumstantially related, were never denied by any; but on the contrary, conscientiously believed by all. Nor did any of them in their revolts from God, which were both foul and frequent, ever call these threat facts in question; when even so full of enmity ai;ainiit God, as to blaspheme his name, and give his glory to c/»;/i/^ idols! Is not this a manifest proof that these facts were incontestible? and that Jehovah had so di)ne his marvellous works, that they should be had in everlastin;f remembrance? Header, the same Gud who is over all, is rich in mercy to all that call upon -him. He cliun^es not, neither is he weary: trust in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strenq;th; and HE ever saves his followers out of the hands of all llicu- enemies, and having- guided them by his counsel, will receive them into his glorv.

When ihe people zcere passed over, Joshua commands twelve men, one taken out of each tribe, to take up a stone on /lis shoulder, out of the midst of the river, and earn/ it to the other side, to be set up as a memorial of this iniracidous passage, 1 — 7. Thei/ do so, and set up the stones in the place zchere thcij encamp the first night, 9- The priests stand in the river, till all the people are passed over, 10, 11. Of the tribes oj^ Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, AO, 000 lighting men pass over zeith the other tribes, 12, 13. Joshua is magni- Jied ill the sight of I lie people, and they fear him as they did Moses, 14. The priests are commanded to come np out of the river, uliieh, on their leaving it, immediately retains, and oveiforcs its banks as before, 15 — 18. I'his iniraculons passage takes place the tenth clay of the first moutli, 19. The stones are set up in Gilgal; ami Joshua teaches the people what use they are to make of them, 20 — 24-.

ND it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over.Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

3 And command ye them, saying. Take' you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where " the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with yovi, and leave them in " the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

5 And Joshua said unto them. Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, accordiiig unto the number of the tribes of the children of feirael:

6 That this

Verse 2. Take i/ou tivelte wen] From chap. iii. 12. it appears, that these twelve men had been before api)ointed, one taken out of each of the twelve tribes: and now they are empioyeil for that purpose for which they had been before selecied.

Verse?j. Witt re yc shcdl lodge this niglit.] This was in the place that was afterwards called Gilgal. See ver, 1 9.

you, that ^ when your children ask their Jalhers ' in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

7 Then ye shall answer them. That ^ the waters of Jordan were cut oif before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for " a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

8 And the children of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto. Joshua, accoi'ding to tlie number of the tribes of the children of Israel, a<id carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

9 ^ And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the i'eet of the priests which bare tha ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

Verse 4. Tsielve men, idiom he had prepared] This must refer to their appointment, chap. iii. 12.

Verse 6. Tliis may be a sign] Stand as a continual memorial of this miraculous passage; and consequently a proul of tlieir hitting obligation to God.

Verse y. And Joshua set up ttvelre stones in the midst of Jordan] It seems Iroiu this chaptei', that there were two sets

H.r. 'm;!i': "' ir I'or the jjiicsts which hare An.!;xi.<i.1m. tin. iiik stood ill (hc! midst of.Ionian,

Ann.. niMr uiilil cvxTy thiiif^ was tiiiishcd that i.uiym|Ki7.^ the LoRD coimnaiidcil Joshua to spoalv unto the jn'oplc, acconhii^r to all that Mosc's conHiiaudc'd Joshua: and tlic puoplo hasted, and |)asscd over.

1 1 And it came to pass, wliou all tin- people [ were clean passed o\er, that the ark ol' the Loiii)))assed over, anil the priests, in the pre- 1 sciice oi'the ])eople.

I'i And Mhe children of Reuhon, and the children of (iad, and half the trihe of Manassch, I passed over armed helbre the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: I

13 About l(:)rty thousand " ])re])arc(l for war, passed over before the Louu unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14 ^ On that day the Lord "magnified Jo- shna in the sifjht of all Israel; and j^;;' tiiey Ibared him, as they feared >Mo- ^" ' ses, all the (lavs of his life.. a.,:, "

I (J C'oinmaiid the priests that hare " the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

17 Joshua therefore commanded the piiests, saying, Come ye uj) out of Jordan.

18 And it came to pass, when the ])riests that bare the ark of the covenant f)f the Louu were come up out of the midst of.Ionian, and the soles of the priests' icct were " lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of.lorihui returned unto their ])lace, ' and ^ flowed over all his banks, as thejj did before.

19 And the jjcople came up out of Jordan on the tenth dajj of the first month, and oncamptJ ''in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

oT stones, erected as a memorial of this great evnit: twilvc at Giljial, ver. 20. and twelve in the bed of Jonlan, ver. t). Tile twelve stones in the hcil of.lordan mijjht have been so plaeed, on a base of strong.stone work, so hi)ji) as always to be visible, and serve to mark the very spot where the priests stood with the ark. The twelve stones set up at 677- •^ul, would stand as a monument of the plaec of the first encampmcn:, after this miraculous pas.sai;c. Thoupfh this ap- 1 pears to me to be the meaning; of this place, yet Dr. Kenni- \ eolt's critiei>m here,.should not be jiassed by. " It is well known," says ho, " that when.Io>hua led the Israelites over ' Jordan, be \\as eonimanded to take iM-clx-e stones out of the ' tnidsl of Jordini, to be a memorial that the ground in the. very midst of that river, had been made dry. But u:herc j was this memorial to be set up? The ninth verse says — 1 Joshnn set tip these stones IN the midst nf Jordan. But is it likely, that the stones.should be placed, or set down, •.vhere: they were taken up: and that the memorial should be erected | there, \ihcre, when the river was again united, it would be ' concealed, and of course could be no iiicniori/tl at all? This, liowcver, flatly contradicts the rest of l!ie chapter; which | says these stones were pitched in Cil^a', where Israel lodjjed in Canaan for the first lime. The solution of this: difficulty is, that "ji,">3 bcioc, IN the midst, should be here "pn^ mitoc, FROM the midst, as in ver. 3, 8, 20. and as the word is here also in the Syritic version. The true rendering therefore is, And Joshua set vp the Ixiehe stones (taken^ ritOM the I tnidst of Jordan, &c." I confess 1 sec no need for this cri-; ticism, which is not supported by a single IMS. either in liis ' own or De Hos.»i's collection, though tbey amount \.o four \ hundred and ninety-four in n\miber. Twelve stones miglit be | gathered in ditVerent parts of ihe bed of the.Jordan, and l>€ I sM up as a pillar in another, and be a continual visible memorial of this grand event. And if twelve were set uj) in

Gilgal, as a memorial of their first encampment in Canaan; it is still more likely, thot twelve would lie gel up in the bed of the river, to shew where it had been div.ded, and the place wlure the whole Uraelilisli lio>t had pa>scd over dry shod. The Ueader may follow the opinion he judges inoi^t likely.

Vcr.-e 10. And the people hasted, and p,issed oier.l lIo*r very natural is this circumstance! The people seeing the waters divided, and Jordan running back, might be apprehensive that it would soon resume its wonted course; and this wo'dd naliirally lead them to hasten to get over, with as much speed as possilile. Tiie circumstance itself, thus marked, is a proof that the relator was an eye-witness of this miraculous pa.s.-iage.

Verse 12. The dtilJrrn nf Reuben, and — Gad] Concerning the numbers of these tribes that staid l)eh;nd, to take care of the women, children, and cattle, and which amounted to 70,J80'nTen, see the note on Numb. chap, xxxii. I".

Passed over armed].See the note on cliap. i. ver. 14.

\'erse IS. 77/c ii-aters nf Jordan returned unto their pface] It is particularly remarked by the sacred historian, that.as soon as the solts of the priests' feet touched the water, thp ~lream of the Jordan was cut off, chap. iii. 15. and Ihe course of the river continued to be inverted all the lime they continued in its channel: and that, as soon as the soles of their I'cet had touched tin.- dry land, on llicir rttuni from the lied of the river, the waters immediately resumed their natural course. All this was done by the sovereign inlluence of that God, whom presence was n j.n -t iiu c'^.v ihe ark of llie covenant.

Vti-se 19. On the tenth day of in i>-i m(M//i] As (lie Israelites lefl Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first nmntli, A. ^1. 2515, see Exod. xiv. and thev cntercJ' iiito Canaun.5 U 2

The end for xdikh the ticelve slones icere set up in Gilgah twelve stones, vliic.li tliey took out of Jordan, did Josliiui pitch in GilgaL _. 21 And he spake unto the chikh'en of Israel, saving, ^ When your chikh'en shall ask their fothers ' in time to come, saying. What mean tliese stones?

22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, "^ Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

23 For the Lord your God dried' uc;i4Ar up the waters of Jordan from before An.Exod.isr.

you, until ye were passed over, as Anno m,\^ the Lord your God did to the Red i^iy^P""- sea, " which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

24 ' That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Loud, that it is ^ mighty: that ye might "fear the Lord your God 'lor ever.

the teiiili of the first month, A. M. 2.S53, it is evident tkit forlu years, wantiriEr five days, had elapsed, from the time of tiieir exodus from Egypt, to their entrance into the promised inheritance.

Encamped in Gilgal] That is, in the place that was afterwards called Gilgal, see chap. v. 9. for here the name is given it by anlici]i(ii;m. In Hebrew, h: gid signifies to roll; and the doubling of the root VjSj i;(dgul, or gi!gul, signifies roUin" round and round, or rolling of, or aiL-ai/, because, in circumcising the children that had been born in the wilderness, Joshu*;! rolled away, rolled off completely, the reproach of the people. From this time Gilgal became a place of lonsiderable emiuejice in the sacred history. 1. It was the place where the Israelitij-h camp rested the first night of their enterino- into that land, v.hich had been promised to their feillicrs from the days of Abraham. 2. It was the place in ■which Joshua circumcised all the people who had been born in the v,itdernes=, during the forty years of llieir wajidermg, after thev left Egypt. 3. It was the place m which Joshua bad what we might term his fortified camp; and to which Le and his army coastantly returned, after each of their expeditions against the inhabitants of the land. 4. It appears to have been the place where all the women, children, cattle, and "ood-i, &c. were lodged, jirobably, «hiring the whole of the Canaaniti-h war. J. It was the place wiiere they celebrated the fir.<^t I'ass-over liiey kept in the promised land. 6. It was the jilace where l»aul, Uie first kiiifr of Israel, was proclaimed. 7. There the manna ceased to fall. Arwi, 8. there the ark was fixed, till after the conciucst of the country it was removed to Shiloh.

Gilgal was about ten furlongs from Jericho, nndfifly from Jordan: Jericho being on the west, and Jordan on the cast, Gilgal being between lioth. Sec Josephm, l)c Bello, &c lib. V. c. 4. and Odniet on this place. Cahnet supposes there was neither city nor town here before the arrival of the Israelites.

Verse 20. Those fjcclve stonesi It is very likely that a base of mason-work was erected of some considerable height, and th'.n the twelve slones placed on the top of it; and that this was the case both in Jordan and In Gilgal: for twelve mkIi stones as a man could carry a considerable way on hi shoulder, »ee ver. 5. could scarcely have made any observable altar.

or pillar of memorial: but erected on a high base of masonwork, they would be very conspicuous, and thus properly answer the end for which God ordered them to be set up.

Verse 22. Then ye shall let your children know] The necessity of an early religious education is inculcated through the whole oracles of God. The parents who neglect it, have an awful account to give to the Judge of quick and dead.

Verse 24. That all the people of the earth might knoiv']- It. Is very likely that j'txn '^31? 73 col ihuiticy ha-arel^, meanssimply, all the people of this land — all the Cauaanilish nations, to whom, by the miracles wrought In behalf of his people, he intended to.«liew his eternal power and Godlicad, the excellence of his protection, and the unavailableness of human might against his omnipotence; and the miracles he wrouoht for this people in the sight of the heathen, were well calculated to make these things knoxin.

1. God intends that his religion should be niaintainetf' and propagated in the earth: therefore he has given a revelation of himself to men, that it may be taught In the world; and he particularly requires that parents should be ililigent and fervent in teadiing their children the knowledgeof his name. 2. This is one great use of the ordinances of the Gospel, and the riles of religion. They are all significators of sacred things, and point out matters of Infinite lm)>ortance beyond themselves. 3. A spirit of enquiry is common to every ( hild: the human heart is ever panting after knowledge; and if not rightly directed when young, will, like that of our firsi mother, go astray after forbidden science. 4. If wc wish our children to he happy, we shoukl.-hew them where happiness is to be found. If we wish them to be xiHsc, we should lead them unto God, by means of his word and ordinances. It is natural for a child to enquire, " What do you mean by this baptism } — -By this, sacrament 1 — By praying? — By singing psalms and hymns?" &c. And what fine opportunities do such questions give pious and intelligent parents to instruct their children in every article of the Christian faith, and in every fact ow wlilcli these article.— are established! Oh why Is this neglected, while the command of God is before our eyes, and the iiBr portance of the measure so strikingly obvious!

The Ca/iannitcs arc struck xctth terror on hearing oj the passage over Jordan,

Nl) it c:imo Id pass, wlion all kiiiji;s of tlie iAnKiritcs, wliuli xccrc on tlic side of.Jonlaii woslwaitl, and all tlie kin^s of tliu ("anaanili's, ■'whicli tavr hy tljc sea, "lieanl tiiat tlic Loiii) liad dried np tlie waters of Jordan from l)eft)ri' tlu- cliildien of Israel, until we were

Verse 1. The Amnrilcn, xiliic/i were on llie side of Jordan iv(sni:ard] It lias alre.i<ly l)cen remarked, that the term Amoritc is applied sometimes to sirjnify all the nations or tribes of Canaan. It appears from this verse, that there were people thus denoiniti.it'-'d that dwelt on both.sides of the.Ionian. Those on tlie Ma'l -tide had already been destroyed III the war which ihp Isra( htes hail witli SJiun and Oq^: with those on tlie West sidi-, Joshua had not yet waited war. It IS [wssible, liowever, that the Aiiiorites, of whom we read in this verse, were the remains of those wlirt dwelt on the Kasl side of the Jordan, and who had taken rel'nge here on the defeat of Og and.Sihon.

Verse '2. Miikc thee sharp knixc.i] ons.inin charbolh tsiiritiij hiircs of rock, slone, or ^flinl. Before the use of iron was common, all the nations of the earth had their ed:i;etools made of stones, Jliiiis, &c. In the lately discovered islands this is (ound to he a roiiimon case. Our ancestors in these countries, made their arroiu and spcar-heads of Jtint: these I have often seen turned up by the plough. But we cannot suppose, that at the time here referred to, the Israelites were destitute of iron, and were therefore obliged to »i<e knives made of slone or Jiint: their dilVerent manufactures in the Wilderness, prove that they must have harl both iron and steel. V\"hy then use Avi/rc-s made of stone? Probably it was unlawful to use metal of any kind in this religious rite; atid, indeed, this seem* likely from the circumstance of Zipporah, Exod. iv. 25. taking a sharp stone, and circumcising her son: and we find, from the most ancient and authentic accounts, that the Egyptians considered it unlawful or profane to use any kind of metal to make incisions in the human body, wuen preparing it for embalming: see the note on Geo. 1. 2. and on Exod. iv. 25. That it was deemed improper to use any other kind of instrument in cirtuaicis:on, we have a proof in the tribe Ahuijat', in /Ethiopia, who follow the Mosaic inslitut on, and perfonn the rile of circumcision, according to Ludolfj culiris lapidibus, passed over, that tlieir lieart melted, ' neither was there spirit in tlieni anv more, because of the children of Israel.

2 ^ At that time the Loan said unto Joshua, Make thee ^ sharp " knives, and circumcise again, the children of Israel, the second time.

\s'\\\\ knives made of stone. Hist i^tliiop. lib. iii. c I. And as God commanded the peojjlc to make him an altar of unhewn stone, on which no tool of iron had been lifted up, because this would pollute it, see Exod. xx. 25. and Dent, xxvii. 5. \k might require that no in.-itrument of iron should be used in a rite by which ibc body and soul of the [Kr->n were in the most solemn and sacred manni r dedicated to him, to be his house and temple; the heart itself being the altar on which continual sacrifices to God must he oflereiL A piiVMcal reason has l)cen given for [irefirring knivts of stone in this operation: " llie wound siiflers less through inflammalion, and is sooner healed." For this a reason may lie given. It is almost imiwssible to get an edge made so ev(i» and firm as not to leave particles of the metal in the incisions made even in the most delicate fle«h: these particles would soon become oxidized by the action of the air, and extra inllammation in the part would Ix; the consequence. The great aptitude of iron to be oxidized, i. e. to be converted to rust, is well known; but liow far this reasoning, thus applied, may be supported by fact, I cannot pretend to determine: but it is sudifiently evident, that it was a common custom to use knives of stone in circumcision, and in all operations on those parts of tlie human iKjdv. I shall give a few examples. I'liny says, when they amputate certain parts, they do it with a iharp stone, because nothings else could be employed without danger. Samut testa tirilitatem ampulabant: nee aliler cilra pcrniciem.

Ovid, Fast lib. iv. ver. 237. relates a circumstance where the samm acutitui, or sharp stone, was used about these parts:

Ille etinm s.\XO corpus laniax-it ACtJTO, Longaque in inonundo pulrere tracta coma est. Vox full; Merui nierilas dem sanguine poenas. All! percant partes, qux iiocucre mihi All, pereant! diceba: ad'iu:, onus in^uinit auferii yuliaque sunt subito signa relicta virU

3 And Joshua made liim sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at " the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: *■ All the people that came out of JEg}-pt, that were males, even all the men of

JOSHUA. children of Israel at Gilgal.

men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Loud: unto whom the Lord sware that " he would not shew them the land. Loud sware unto their fiithers that »jive us; 'a land that floweth with

Avhich the he would milk and

died in the wilderness by the way, after honey.

5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that xvere born in the wilderness, by the v.ay as they came forth out of Egypt, ihcm they had not circumcised.

6 For the children of Israel walked " forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were

This quotation is produced in order to prove, that a knife iiia(]e of a sharp slone, was used in making incisions and am- ])Utations of certain parts of the bod_v, even when the use of iron was well known: but a translation of the verses is not necesfsary, and would he improper. The

Mollia qui RAFIA secavit GENITALIA TESTA of Jinaial (Sat. vi. ver. oli5.) is a further proof of this. Many other proofs might be produced; but those who wish for more, may consult Cahiict and Scheuchzei:

Circiit/icisc ajrain the children of Israel ihe second time.'^ This certainly does not mean, that they should repeat circumcision on those who had aheady received it. Tliis would have been as absurd as impracticable: but the command imphfs, that they were to rcims the observance of a rite which had been neglected in their travels in the desart; which is sufficiently evident from the following verses.

YcrfC 4. This is the cause tvhy Joshua did circumcise] The text here explains itself. Before the Israelites left Egypt all the males were circunici.sed; and some learned men Uiiuk, lliat all those who were born during their encampment at Sinai were circumcised also, because there they celebrated the Pass-over: but after that time, during the whole of their stay in the wildernes.s, there were none circumcised till they entered into the))romised land. Owing to their uasettled slate, God appears to have dispensed, for the time being, with this rile: but a» they are about to celebrate anolher Pdss-over, it was neces.^ary that all the males should be tircumcisfd; for, witlioul this, they could not be considered within the covenant, and could not keep the Pass over, which was a seal of that covenant. As bajitism is generally understood to have succeeded to circumcision, and the holy eucharist to the Pass-over; hence, in the Church of England, and probably in most others, no person is jiermitted to leceive the sacrament of the Lord's supper, till he has been haptized.

'? And "^ their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they i were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

8 And it came to pass, ^ when they had done [ circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, " till they were whole.

This required several days: see the notes on Gen. xxxiv. Sir J. Chardin informs us, that when adults were circumciseiil, they were obliged to keep their beds for about three weeks; or, at least, during that time they are not able lo walk about but with great difficulty. The account he had from several rencgadoes, wlio had received circumcision among the Mohammedans. Is it not strange, that during this time they were not attacked by the inhabitants of the land, and utterly destroyed, which might have been easily effected! See the case of the jioor Shechemites, as related in Gen. xxxiv. with the notes there. Joshua, as an able general, would at once perceive, that this very measure must expose his whole host to the danger of being totally anniliilated; but he knew that GOD could not err, and that it was his duty to obej/: therefore, in the very teeth of his enemies, he reduced the major part of his.army to a state of total helplessness, simply trusting for protection in the arm of.lehovah! The sequel shfM.s, that his coufidt-nee was not inisjilacfcd: during the whole time, (jod did not permit any of their enemies to disturb them. The path of duty is the path of safety; and it is impossible for any soul to be injured while walking in the path of obedience. But why did not God order them to lie circumcised while they were on the East side of the Jordan, in a state of great securiij'.' Because he chose to bring thein into straits and difficulties, where no counsel or might, but his own, could infallibly direct and save them; and this he did, that tluy might see that, the excellence of the power was of God, and not of man. Eor the same rea.son, he caused tliem to pass the Jordan, at tlie time that it overflowed its banks, and not at the tirac.wlien.it.was low aiideasily fordable, that he might have the belier opportunity to shew thcrn, (hat they were under his imniedialc care and protection; and convince them of hi» almighty power, that they might trust in him for ever, and not iear the force of any adversaric^j. In both cases, heiv apparent are the wisdom, power, and ggodness of God!

lO % And t!ie eiiildreu of jsrael encamped in Ciili^al, and kept thePa>is-ovcr '' on the fourteenth (lav ol" the moDth at even, in (he piain.'^ of" Jivrii-hi).

1 1 And they did cat of the old corn j^,'' f>f th(! laud on the morrow after Au. Ki,,!.!.!. flic Pass-over, unleavened cakc^, and \.,.',,.. parched corn in the selfsame day. '

I'J *f And 'the manna cea.sed on the nioiiow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anV more; but flii-y did eat f)fthc li-uit of the lanll of Canaan, that year.

Verse 9. The repronch nf T.yipl^ Tlioir bfintj iincirciimeisal, made llietn like llie iinrircimieiseil Kgyptiin.s; anil the Ilthrcw.'; ever confiiilered all those which were uncircumcised ', as bein;; in a stale of the (grossest iniptirity. Bein^ now cir-, ciinuiseil, the reproach of uncirciimci.sion was rolled away. This is another proof lliat the Israelites did not receive cir- | cmnci^ion from the Ki^yptians; for liny could not have considered those in a state of abomination, from whom they re- [ eeived that rile by which they conceived themselves to be | made pure. The Israelites had this rile from Abraham; and; Abraham had it from the express order of God himself. ' See Gen. xvii. 10. and the note there.

Tlie place is called Gil^iil] A loltiin; muny, or rolling off. '■ See the note ou thap. iv. li). where the word is largely ex- ] plained.

Verse 10. Kept the Pass-over on the fourteenth day of the ', month] If tlie ceremony of circumcision was performed on I the eleventh day of the month, as many think; that the sore | was at the worst on the thirteenth, and that the Pass-over was [ celebrated on the foiirleenlh, the people beincj then quite; recov.i'ed; it must have been rallier a miraculous than a natural healing. We have already.•;een, from the account of i Sir,1. Chardin, that it required about three weeks to restore ' to soundneiis adults, who had submitted to circumcision: if any thing- like this took place in the case of the Israelites at, Gil^al, they could not have celebrated the Pass-over on the | third or fourth day after their circumcision. The apparent ] impossibility of thi.s, led Mr. Harmer to suppose, that they kept the Pass-over on the fourteenth day of the second [ nioiitb, the preceding time having been employed in the, business of the circumcision. See his Observations, Vol. iv., p. ■1-27. &c. j

Verse 1 1. They did cat of the old coz-n of the land] The [ Hebrew word "Mar abur, which we translate old corn, occurs i only in this place in such a sense, if that sense be lei^itiinate.; 7'he noun, though of doubtful signiSeatioii, is evidently de-, rivfd from 'la;? dbnr, lo pass over, lo!;o beyond: and here it may be tran.^lated simply, the produce, that whiek p/iws; from the land into the hands o{ the cullii-alor; or, accord in»[ to Cocceins, what pa.sscs from person to person, in the way ' o( traffick-: hence bought corn — what they. purchased f.-om; the inhabitants of the land.

On the morroiv after the P tss-nivr] That is, on the fif-.i lef nth ihy; lor then the feasl of unleavened bread begau. i But they could neither eat bread, nor parched corn, nor i green ears till the first-fruits of the harvest had been u:aied at the tabtrnacle, see Levil. xxiii. 9, &c And therefore, in thia case, we may snp|)ose, that the Israelilcs had ofl'tred a sheaf of the barlry-harvcst, the only grain that wan then ripe, before they ale of the unleavened cakas and parche<l com.

Verse 12. And the manna ceased — <fter they had eaten of the old corn] This miraculous su|)ply continued with them as lonnr as they needed it. M'hile they were in the wildcrnes.s, they required such a provision; nor could such a multitude, in such a place, be supported without a miracle. Now they are got into the promised land, the anathematized inhabitants of which either fall or flee lM.n>re them, they find an old slock, and they are brought in just at the eouinitncemcnt of the har\est: hence, as there is an ample provision made in (he ordinary way of Providence, there is no lon"e.' any need of a miraculous supply; therefore ih^ manna ceased, which they had enjoyed for forty years. The circumstances in which it. was fir^t given, its continuance with them, through all their peregrinations in the wilderness; its accompanying them over Jordan, and ceasing as soon a'* they got a supply in the ordinary w.\y of Providence, all prove that it was a preternatural. gift.

" On the fourteenth of Nisan they.sacrificed the Pasrhal Lamb: on the fdlecnlh, i.e. according to our calculation, the same day after sun-set, they dispo.sed themselves for eating it, and actually did eat it..On the morrow, the sixteenth, after having oflered to God the homer, they be^an eating the corn of the country; and the scvenlrenlh the manna ceased to fall from heaven. What supports this calculation is, that the homer, or sheaf, was ollered the si.\- teenlh of Ni.saii, in broad day-h;,dit, though prettv late. Now the manna did not fall till night, or very early in the morning; so thai it cannot be said to have ceased (ailing the same day that the Israelites began to eat of the produce of the country." — Dodd.

\ erse 13. When Joshua -jins by Jericho] The sixlh chapter should have commenced here, as this is an entirclv new relation; or the.'e two chapters should have made but one, as the iTesent division has most unnaturally divided the comuiuniratiim which Joshua had from the angel' of the Lord, and wiiich is continued to verse olli of chap. vj. It b very likely that.Toshua had gone out privately to reconnoitre the city of Jericho, when he had this vision; and while cont> mplating the strength of the place, and probably reflecting oa the extreme difficulty of reducing it, God, to encourage

The captain of the Lord's

Ar.. ij(i.<i. i^r. Joshua was by Jcnclio, tliat he Hfted

Anno anil- up his cyGS aiid lookcil, and, beliold,

'' with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went inito liim, and said unto him. Art thou for 11:^, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said. Nay, but as ' captain ol'the

JOSHUA* host appears toJoshim> host of the Loud, am I now come. And Joshtia ^ fell on his fiice to the earth.

Jiim, sr.-jnted him this vision, and instructed him in the means hj- which the city should be taken.

Tlicre.stood a man orer against hi»i\ It h'ds been a very (jeneral opinion, both among the ancients at)d moderns, that the person mentioned here, was no other than £lie Lord Jesus in that form, whicii, in the fulness of time, he was aetually to a>~ume, for the redemption of man. Tiiat the appearance «as supernatural, is agreed on all hands; and as the name Jehovah is given him, (chap. vi. 2.) and he received from Joshua divine adoration, we may presome that no created angel is intended.

And Joshua uxnl unto hini] This is a very natural relation, and carries with it all the appearances and characteristics of a simple relation of fact. The whole history of Joshua shews him to have been a man of the most undaunted mind, and intrepid courage — a genuine HERO. An ordinary person, seeing this man armed with a drawn sword in his hand, ^vould have endeavoured to have regained the camp, and.sought safety in (light: but Joshua, undismayed, though probably slightly armed, walks up to this terrible person, and inunediately questions him. Art thou for ns, or for our adversaries f Probably, at first, supposing that he might be the Canaanitish genei-al, coming to reconnoitre the Israelitish ' camp, as himself was come out to examine the city of Jericho. |

Verse 14. But as captain of the host of the Lord, am I noiu j.come.] By this saying, Joshua was both encouraged and instructftl. As if lie had said, " Fear not: Jehovah hath sent from heaven to save thee and thy people from the rejiroach of tiiem that would swallow thee up. Israel is the Lord's host; and the Lord of hosts is Israel's Captam. Thou thyself shall only be captain under me; and I am now about to instruct thee relative to thy conduct in this war."

And Joshua — did icorship] Nor was he reprehended for ollering divine worship to this person, which he would not have received, had he been a created angel. —.See Rev. xxii. a, 9.

and did worship, and said Unto him, Am'oantc What saith my lord unto his.servant? ^ "'.v»>p-6T5 15 And the captain of the Louie's host said unto Joshua, ' Loose thy slioe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou.standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Ver.=e 15. Loose tlij/ shoe from off thy foot f &c.] These were the same words which the angel, on mount Sinai, spake to Moses, see Exod. iii. 5 — 8. and from this, it seems likely that it was the same person tliat aj)])earcd in both places: in \\\efirst, to encourage Moses to deliver the oppressed Israelites, and bring them to the promised land: in the second, to encourage Joshua in his arduous labour in expelling the ancieuc. inhabitants, and establishing the ptople in the inheritance promised to their lathers.

Tiiere is scarcely a more unfortunate division of chapters in the whole Bible than that here. — Through this very circiunstance, many persons have been puzzled to know what was intended by this extraordinary appearance, l)ecause tliey supposed that the \vhole business ends w ilh the chapter, whereas, it is continued in the succeeding one, the fir.st verse of which is a mere parenthesis, simply relating the state of Jericho at the time that.Joshua was favoured by this encouraging vi.-ion. ^^'e may draw two aseful reflexions from the subjects of this chapter:

1. As the manna had now failed, the people, always greatly addicted to incredulity, might iiave been led to imagine that God had now given them uj), and would be no longer in their armies, had He not given them this strong assurance, that the angel of his presence.should be w ilh them as the guide and protector of the whole camp: for Joshua undoubtedly informed them of the encouragement he had received horn the captain of the Lord's host.

2. By this vision he shewed them that their help came frorrj himself, and that it was not by human might or power, but by ihc Lord of hd.sts ihey were to have the victory over all their adversaries; and he gave them the most convincing proof of this in the miraculous destruction of Jericho. By this means he continued to keep them dependant on his arm alone, without which dependance the spirit of religion could not have lieen preserved among them.

Tlie iiiliahltants of Jericho close their gates, 1. Contiiiiialiori of the discourse hctuceii the caplain of the Lord's host and Jofhita: lie commands tite people to march round the city six days, the seven priests likwing with their tnim' ■pets; and to give a general shouf, zohilc marching round it on the seventh, and promises, that then the zvalh of the M&i/y shall fall dozen, 1 — 5. Joshua del vers these diieriions to the piiests and to the people, Q, 7, The priests ani

The captain of the LorfVs host CHAP. VI. continues to uiUikcI JuJtua, pc'ip/e (i/iri/; l/ie onler af iJicir ]>i occasion, 8 — If). Ili- cDiiimaiith them to r.pnie the luiuie of lialuil), 17, and nut to loiirli iiiii/ part iif l/ii- priipiiii/ of tin' cili/, the Tvholc of Khiih Ciod had ticioled to ileitnutioii, 18, Hi. On the seventh dill/ the nai/s fatl (luK'ii, and the Ifraeliles ta/cc the cili/, 20,21. The tpies are ordered to take care of Ttohah and her ftittiilif — the rili/ is fmnit, Init the ti/rer, tiolil, brass, and iron, arc put into the treasury of tlu house of the i.onl, 'i'J — '_ I-. liiihab dacl/s iimnng the Israelites, 25. And the eili/ is laid under a eurie, 2'».

tlie city shall fall down ' flat, and the people shall ascend uj), every man strait^lit heroic him.

O W Jericho * was straitly shut " ■ hild none went out, and none

2 ^ And the Lonn said nnto Joshua, Sec, '' I have triven into (liine hand Jericho, and the *■' kin^ tliereof, and tlie mighty men ol' valour.

3 And ye shall compass the city, all v/e men «)f waj-, and go round about the city once. Thus shall thou do six days.

4 And seven priests shall hear before the ark seven "^ trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh tlay ye shall com])ass the city seven times, and ' the j)riests shall blow with the triunpets.

5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long hlasl with the ram's horn, r/;ic/whcn ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of

Verse 1. Now Jericho was siraiily sliut iip'\ Tiic king of •Tcriclio findinj'' tiial the spifs liail nscapetl, ihoiijjh the city was always 1« pt sliut l)y niglit, took the most ]>ropti- precaution to prevent tvcry thiii'T of tlie kind in (utiirc, l)y keeping the eity siiiU liolli clay and niL;ht; having, no iloiilit, laid in a suflirirncy of provisions to stand a siege, being; determined to dLlt^iul hnnstll to tlie ulttrniost.

Verse ii. And the Lord said unto Josliiiu] 'I'his is tlie same person who, in the preceding chapter, is called the lapiain or prince of the Iiord's host; the disconrse being here I'lmtinued that was heifun at the conclusion of the preefdingehapler, from wliieh the five first verses of this are uiinatuially divided,

/ have gii'en into ihi/ hand Jericho, &c.] From vrr. 1 1 of chap. xxiv. it seems as if there had been pei-sons of all the ^even Canaanitish nations then in.lericho, who might have come together at this time to help the king of Jericho against the invading Israelites. The Targum intimates that the))lace was very strong, having "gates of iron, and htirs of brass — and was shut up so closely, that none came out either to combat, or make oilers of peace."

Verse 3. Ye shall compass the c//y] In \(hat order '.lie people marchetl round the city, does not exactly appear from the text. Some think they observed the same order, as in their ordinary marches in the dcsart, see ihc note on Num. X. 14. and see the plans. Num. ii.; others think that the KoKliers iiKirclud first, then the priests, vho blew the trumpets, then those who carried Uie ark, and lastly the people.

(i % And Joshua, the.son of Nun, called the priests, and said unto them. Take up tlie ark of the covenant, and let seven priestH bear seven trum2)ets ot' rains' horns, befuie the ark of the Lord.

7 And he said unto the people. Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Loud.

8 % And it came to pass, when Jo.shiia had spoken nnto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumjiets of rams' horns, passeil on beliire the Loitu, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lokd followed them.

9 And the armed men went before the priests

Verse 4. Seren t)-umpcti of rams' horns] Tlie Hebrew word iD»73T yobelini, does not.'•ignify rams' horns, — see the note on I.evit. xxv. 1 1, nor do any of the ancient versions, the C.'haldce excepted, give il this meaning. The instruments used on this occasion, were evidently of the same kind with those used on the jubilee, and were probably made of honi or of silver: and the text in this place may be traii>lated. And seven priests shall bear hej'orc the a'k the seven jidiitcc ti-umpets; fur they appear to have been the same kiud as those used on the jubilee.

. Seven times'] The time was thus lengthened out, (bat the besicgci-s, and the liesieged might be the more deeply impressed with that supernatural jX)wer, by which alone the walls fell.

Verse 5. The will of the city shall fall doxinjlai] Svjveral commentators, both Jews and C'ljristians, have supposed that the ground under the foundation of the walls opened, and the wall sunk into ilie chasm, so that there remained nothing but plain grouml for the Lsraclites to ualk over. (3f this, the text says nothing: rrnnn ITH T'Jin nVcjl renaphelah chomuih hair lachliyah, literally translated, is. The ■u.all of the city shall fall down LNDliR ITSELF; \\hich appears to mean no more than, the wall shall fall down from its very foundations. And this probably was the case in every part, thc'Ugh large breaches in diflerent places might be amply sutTicicnt to admit the armed men first, after whom the whole host miglit enter, in order to destroy the cily.

\'erse 9. The rercMnid came after the ark] The \«'ord ^PND meassnph, from ffH asaph, to collect or gaUier up, mgy

They encompass Jericho seven

that blew with the trumpets, * and the ''rereward came after the ark, the priests gouig on, and blowing with the trumpets.

10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saving, Ye shall not shout, nor "make any noise with your voice, neither sliall any word proceed out of your mouth,' until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

1 1 So tlie ark of tlie Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in tlic camp.

112 And Joshua rose early in the morning, "and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' liorns before the arkof the Lord, went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

14 And the second day they compassed the

siofnify either the ri-rcivard, as our translation understands it, or the people who carried the baggage of the army; for on the seventh day this was necessary, as much figiiting- might be naturally expected in the assault, and they would need a supply of arms, darts, &c. as well as conveniencies for those ■who might happen to be wounded: or the persons here intended, might i>e such as carried the sacred articles belonging to the ark — or merely such people as might follow in the procession, without observing any particular ordei: The Jews think the division of D;ui is meant, which alwaj's brought up the rear. — See Num. x.

Ver.'fi 11-. So thfj/ did six dtiys.] It is not likely that the ■wliole Isratlitish host went each day round the city. — This would have been utterly in;possible: the fighting men alone amounted to nearly ()00,000 iiidcpendantly of the people, vho must have amounted at least to two or three millions; we may therefore safely assert, that only a select number, such as was deemed necessary for the occasion, were employed. Jericho could not have Ijeen a large city; and to reduce it fdiild not have requireil a hundredth i)art of the armed force under the (command ol'.Iosliua.

Verse 15. T/i<: seventh day — they rose eiirly] Because on this day, tliey had to encompass the city seven times; a proof tliiil the city could not have been very extensive, else this going round it seven thries, and having time sufficient left lo sack and destroy it, would have been impossible.

It is evident that, in the course of tlifse seven days, there miist have been n.whhalh; and that on this sabbath, the host must have cncompUssed the tiiy as on the other days; the days, and the nails Jalt dontn. returned into the city "once, and returned into the;'^?.'f???- camp: so they did six days. An.Kxod. isr.

15 And it came to pass on the Amiui'mte

about the dawning of the day, and compassed tlie city after the same manner, seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with tlie trumpets, Joshua said unto tlie people. Shout; for the Lord hath gi\en you the city.

17 ^ And the city shall be ' accursed, (?r.r« it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall Uve, she and all that are with her in the house, because ' she hid the messengers that we sent.

18 And ye, ^ in any wise kee\^ i/oitrselves from tlie accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, ^ and trouble it.

19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels

Jews themselves allow this; and Rub. D. Kimchi says, " He, who had ordained the observation of the sabbath, commanded it to be broken for the destruction of Jericho." But it does not appear that there could be any breach in the sabbatli, by the people simply going round the city, the ark in company, and the priests sounding the sacred trumpets. This was a mere religious procession, performed at the command of God, in which no servile work was done. Therefore Marcion's objection, that the God of the Hebrews shewed a changeableness of disposition in commanding the sabbath to be kept sacred at one time, and then to be broken at auotiier, is without foundation: for 1 must contend, that no breach took place on this occasion; unless it could be made to appear that the day on which Jericho was taken, was the sabbath, which is very unlikely, and which none can prove. But if even this were to be conceded, it is a sufficient answer to all such cavils, that the God who commanded the sabbath lo be set apart for rest and religious purposes, has always authority to suspend for a season, theojieratiou of merely ceremonial laws; or to abrogate them entirely, when the purpose of their institution isfullilled. The Son of man is lord cvtu of the sabbath. Verse n. 'J'he city skull be accursed^ That is, it shall be devotetl lo destruction — ye shall take no spoils, and put all that resist to the sword. '1 'hough this may be the meaning of the word Oin chcHm in some places, see the note on Levit. xxvii. 29. yet here it seems to imply the /oiu/ destruction of.'ill the inhabitants, see ver. 21. but it is likely that peace 'was ofl'c^rcd to this city, and that the cKlcPinination of the inhabitants, was in consefjueiice of the rejection of this oiler.

'The ivhtile cilif is dcslr(ii/'<U ol' hni.'is;iTi(l iiiii), (i)\< iiiilo lliu LojM): tlicy.sliall coiiir into tijii licasurv (jl'lJie LoiU). liO ^ So tlic |)('()|>li; siiuilUil wlii.'ll {he jmests Mrw witli the iiiiiii))i.'ts: mid it ciimc to piLss, \\licii llic ])L'(>j»lo licard tlic sound of the tnmijx't, ami tlie ])i'()|)lc' slioiitcd with ii ■.^rcal sluml, tliat "tlu- wall Ic-ll down " flat, so tliat the pco])le woiiL ii]) intn the city, every man straig'ht bcCoiL: liiui, and tlK;y took the city. 21 And tlicy "utterly destroyed;dl that "was in the eitv, both iiiaii and woman, yoiiii;;- and old, and o.k, ami slieej), ajid as.s, with the cilu,e of the sword.

'1'2 ^ Hut Joshua had said unto the two men that had sjiied out tiie country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman,

lAccpl liahuh (tuU licrjumili/. hath, "as ye sware and all thai she unto her.

2y Ajid jLlie youiif? men that were s|)i(!S went in, and brought out Kahab, ' and her lather, a/id lier niother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they broiif^ht out all her '■'kindred, and left tlicin without the camp of Israel.

24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that teas therein: '' only the silver, and tlut gold, and the vessels of bra.ss and oi iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

2.7 And Jo.shua.saved llahab the harlot alive, and her fiilhcr's houshoJd, and all that she iiad; and ' she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers which Jo.shua sent to sj)y out Jericho.

26 ^ And Joshua adjured them at that

Ver.«e 20. The people shouted with a threat shout, that the;!.•«// fill dovjii] TluTc liiis liccn uuicli li:irii(-il labour spent to piiivc tlial tli<! sliniilipL; of tlic |)co|)lc mi^lil ho tlic natural tau^'C lliat llic wall lill ilmvu! l\i «ail licre, cither to delail or refute any such ar^uinen(s, woulil bo lo.st time: enow of them may he seen in Sehcueh/cr. ^i'lie ■\vhiile relation evidently supposes it to have been a supernatural interference, as the hlowing of tlie trumpets, and the shoutinsj of tlic people, vcre too eoiitemptihlc to he useil even as instruments in tills work, with the e.viieclation of accomplishing it in a iHiliiiul way.

Verse '_' 1. They ullcrlv dcilroi/cd — ho/h man andv-omun, &c.] As this act was orilereil hy (roil himself, who is the Maker and.Iudi;e of all men, it must be lii^ht: for the Jutlge of all the earth cannot do wrong. Nothing that breathed was perniitled to live; hence the oxen, sheep, and asses, ^^ere destroyed, as well as the inhabitants.