8. I conNider, that the terms in the text employed to describe this miracle, are not, when rightly undiTnlood, contrary to the well-established notions of Ihe true system of the universe; and are not spoken, a.t some have contended, ad captutn vulgi, to the prejudice* of the common |)eoplc, much less do they favour the Ptolemaic or any other liypolhesU, that places the earth in the centre of the solar system.
Having laid down these preliminaries, some short observations on the words of the text may lie.sufBcitnl.
Joshua's address is in a poetic form in the original, and makes the two following lii;iiii-.ticlis:
V't/arcach, beemek Aiyalon. Sun.' upon Gibeon be dumb: And the moon on the vale of Aiyalon.
Tlie effect of this command is related ver. 13. in the following words:
nop mn irOUTI CTT vayiddom Aa-SHEMESH rc-VAREACH Amad, And the sun teas dumb, or silent, and the moon stood still. And in the latter clause of this verse it is added. And the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a ■u.hnle day.
It seems necessary here lo answer the question. At what time of the day did this miracle take place.' The expression O'CBTI 'Xna bechatsi hashainayim, in lite midst of heaven, seems to intimate, that the sun was at that time on the meridian of Gibeon, and consequently had one Aa/^of its course to run; and this sense of the place has been sircnsly contended for, as essential to the miracle, for the greater displaj- of the glory of God: " Because," say its abettors, " had the miracle been wrought when the sun was near the going down, it might have been mistaken for some refraction of the rays of lijlil, occasioned by a peculiarly moist state of the atmosphere, in the horizon of that place; or by some sucli appearance as the Aurora Borealis." To me, there seems no solidity in this reason: had the sun been arrested in the meridian, the miracle could scarcely have been noticed, and especially in the hurry and confusion of that time; and we may be assured, that among the Canaanites there were neither clocks nor lime-keej/ers, by which the preternatural lenotb of such a day could have been accurately measured: but, on the contrary, had the sun been about the.vtting, when both ilic pursuers and the pursued must be apprehensive of its speedy disappearance, its continuance for several hours above
Obsoralions on the sun JOSHUA. a7id moon standing slill.
15 ^ And Josliua returned, and all
that before it or after it, that the Loud hearkened unto the voice of a man: for
the horizon, so near tlie point when it might be expected to go down, must have been very observable and striking. The enemy must see, feel, and deplore it; as llieir hope of escape must, in such circumstances, be founded on tlie sjxediiy enleriuLj in of (he niglit, tliroui;h wliicli alone, they could expect to elude the jiursuing Israelites. And the Israelites themselves must behold, wish astonishment and wonder, that the setting sun hasted not to go doixn about a ivhole dui/, alTordlncr them supernatural time totally to destroy a routed foe, ^vhitli otherwise might have had time to rally, confederate, chuse a proper.station, and attack in their turn with peculiar udianutges, and a probability of success. It appears, t'.icrefore, much more reasonable, that Joshua should require tliis mirade to be performed ivhcii day-Ught was about to fail, just as the sun was setting. If we were to consider the svui as Ixfin^ at the meridian of Gibeon, as some understand the midst of heaven, it may be well a-ked, " How could Joshua know that he should not have time enough to complete the destruction of his enemies, who were now com])letely routed }" Already multitudes of them had fallen by the hail-stones and by the sword; and if he had yet half a day before i him, it would have been natural enough for him to conclude i that he had a sufficiency of lime for the puipo.se, his men; having been employed all niglit in a forced march, and half a day in close fighting; and, indeed, had he not been under: ail especial inspiration, he could not have requested the i miracle at all, knowing, as he must have done, that his | men must be nearly exhausted by marching all night and | fighting all day. But it may be asked. What is the meaning of a"3iyn 'Xna hechaisi hashamiiyim, which vvc translate in the midst of licarrn? If, wilh Mr. Bute, we translate nSH chatsah, to part, divide asunder, then it may refer to the horizon, which is the ujipnrent division of the heavens into the (//)/«■;• and lower hemisphere: and thus the \\hole verse has been understood by some eminently learned men, who have translated the whole passage thus: And the suit stood still in the (upper) hemisphere of heaven, and hasted not to go down, liphen the day was complete; that is, though the day was then complete, the sun being on the horizon, the line that to the eye constituted the mid hetiven; yet it hasted not to go down, was miraculously sustained in its then almost setting position; and this seems still more evident from the moon appearing at that time, which it is not reasonable to suppose could be visible, in the glare of light occasioned by a noon-day sun.
But the main bu.sitiess relative to the standing still of the sun, -still remains to be considered.
, I have already assumed, as a thoroughly demonstrated truth, that the sun is in the centre of the system, moving only round bis own axis, and tlie couimon centre of the gravity of the planetary system, while all the planets revolve round Aivi, Prop. 2 and 3. thai Iiis influence is tlie cause of the
Israel with him, unto the camp to GiJoal. 16 ^ But these five kings fled,
.\nitu ante I.OljniiK.?*.
diurnal and annual revolutions of the eardi; nor can I see what other purpose his revolution round his own axis can possibly answer, Prop. 5.
I consider, that the word an dom, in the text, refers to the withholding or restraining this influence, so that the cessation of the earth's molion might immediately take place. The desire of Joshua was, that the sun might not sink below the horizon; but as it appeared now to be over Gibeon, and the moon to be over the Valley of Ajalon, he prayed that they might continue in these positions till the battle sliould be ended; or, in other words, that the day should be miraculously lengthened out.
Whether Joshua had a correct philosophical notion of the true system of the universe, is a subject that need not come into the present enquiry: but whether he spoke with strict propriety on this occasion, is a matter of importance, because he must be considered as acting under the Divine influence, in requesting the performance of such a stupendous miracle: and we may safely assert, that no man in his right mind would have thought of otlering such a petition, had be not felt himself under some Divins afflatus. Leaving therefore his philosophic knowledge out of the qiiLSticn, he certainly spoke as if he had known that tlie solar influence was the cause of the earth's rotation, and therefore, with the strictest philosophic propriety, he requested, that, that influence might be for a time restrained, that the diurnal motion of the earth might be arrested, through which alone, the sun could be kept above the horizon, and day be prolonged. His mode of expression evidently considers the sun as the great rider or master in the sy.stem; and all the planets, (or at least the earth) moving iu their respective orbits at his conmiand. He therefore desires him, (in the name, and by the authority of his Creator) to suspend his mandate with respect to the earth's motion, and that of its satellite, the moon. Had he szk\, earth, stand thou slill — the cessation of who.sc diurnal motion was the effect of his command, it could not have obeyed him; as it is not even the,stfon(/n 13/ cause either of its annual motion round the sun, or its diurnal motion round its own axis. Instead of doing.so, he speaks to the sun, the c«Mse (under God) of all these motions, as his great archetype did, when, in the storm on the sea of Tiberias, he rebuked the wind first, and then said to the waves, IV.cc! be still! TiuTTa, ■TTsfii/xua-i), be KU.EN T! beDlJMB! Mark iv. 39. and the efti-ct of this command was, a cessation of the agitation in the sea, because the wind ceased to command it, that i.«, to exert its influence upon the waters.
The terms iu this coniniand, are worthy of ])articular note: Joshua does not say to tlie sun. Stand still, as if he had conceived him to be running his race round the earth; but be silent, or inactive, that is, as 1 understand it, restrain thy influence; no longer act upon the earth, to cause it to revolve round its axis; a mode of speech which i« certainly consistent niul ' liiil tliemsclves in a cave at
18 And Jo>lma said, " Roll great f, t' ';!'/• stones upon tlie month of llie civc, a, Kx.j i.i and set men In- it for to kcip thcui: auw.u,>*
«ith (lie slricl(-il aslroiiniiiical ki>o\rlf<lirc: and the wrilrr of llic acconnt, ulnthrr Jnslma liiiiiscW', or llii- uiitlior of (lie MiH)k of Jislici, in relating llic coiisi rjiirncc of lliis coinniaiid, is niiLiUy accuratt;, iwiiii^ a «(iril widi'ly dilliiftit, w luii lio s|>rakj of tlic fjrrri, llic rrti-tilion of llic solar inlluciicc liad on till' iiKioii: in tlie fir.<t ca^e, llic.•iiiii was siU-iit, or innclivc, ZDT^ dom,\n the /m^/ct tlie moon flood »li/l; "mP diiiiid. 'I'lie siundiiit; ^till ofllic niooii.oi- its conliniiancc above the liori/on, would 1)1- till' naliir:\t (diet of llic cessation ()f tlic vilar indiiciirc, which obli-^id the caith to disconliniii- her diurnal rotation, which ofcoui.'c, wonhl airc-sl llic moon; and tliii.* hotli il •and ihc sun were kept aliovc the hori/on. pn)hahlv fur the sjiaee of a whole day. As to the address to the moou, il is not conceived in the same tcrm.s as that to tiie sun, and for Ihc most ohvion.s philosoiihical reasons: all that is said is sinijily, and the mnon on (he vale of Ajnlon, which may be thus nndrr- ' stood: " Let the snn restrain his influence, or be inactive, as he ai)|>ears now upon Gibeon, lluit the numn may conlinitc as she tippears now over the vale of Ajalon." It is worthy of remark, that every word in this poetic address, is a])parcntly Selected with the greatest caution and precision.
Persons who are no friends to J)i\ine revelation, sav, " that the account given of this miracle, supposes the earth to be in the centre of the systcin, and the sun moveable; and as this is demonstrably a false philosophy, couscquentlv ihe history was never dictated by the spirit of truth." Otlurs, III answer, say, " that the Holy Spirit condescends lo acconiinodatc himself to the apprehensions of the vulL;ar: 'ihe Israelites would naturally have iiiiaL;;ined tiiat Joslm i «as dcran"cd had he bid the c<nth stand siill, which they grant, would have been the most accurate and philosophic.!! mode of command on this occasion." But with due deference both to the objectors and defenders, I iinist assert, that such a form of speech, on such an occasion, would have been utterly nnphilosophk; and tliat th" expressions found in the Hebrew text, are such as Sir Isaac Kenton himself might have <lenominated, evtry thin"- consiilercd, elegant, correct, and sublime. Nor doc? it at all I apjiear, that t!ic prejudices of the lui^ar were consulted on ' this occasion J nor is there a word here, ivhcn protx-rlv untUrstood, that is inconsistent with the purest axiom of the soundest philosophy; and certainly nothing th.it implies anv ' contradiction. 1 gr ml, that wlitn th.c /)<o/>/c have lo do with ' astronomical and philosr.phirtil matters, then the terms of the science may b- aceonniiodaltd to their apprehensions.- it is on this ground that.'^1r Isaac Newton himself speaks of the rising and of the settin;; of the sun; though all genuine philosojihcrs know, that these appearances are jirodiiceil by the rotation of the earth on iis own axis, from west to cast But wlien matters of this kind are to be transacted between God and hhprophfts, as in the above case, then subjects relatl-e to philosophy, arc conceived in their proper lerm«, and expri»Kd aceordiie,' lo ilieir o«n n ilure. At the conclusion of ihc 1 {ih verse-, adinireiit eX|>resMon is iisid ulien it is s;iid. So, tite ma j stood still, it is not CD.T dum, but 'IZV amad; vnzvr. HDim rai-, }janmod ha-shemesh, which c,'ici)re'sion, thus varying from that in the rominand of Joshua, may be considered as implyinij, I that ill order to restrain hii influence, which I have a».-tii7ifd tf» I be the cause of the earth's niolion, the sun liimx.-lf Krame //inc/ijc. tlijit is, ceased t() rcvoK<: round his own axis; which revolution is |-irobal.ly, one cause, n.it only of the revolution of the earth, but of all Ihe olhc- planetary Ijodies in our system and might have afVrcled all llic planets at the time in question:' but this neither rouhl, norilid, pnduce any disorder in nature ■ anil the d.lay of a few hours in the whole planetary motions*,, dwindles away into an imperceptible point in the thousands 1; of years of their revolutions. I need scarcely add, that the 'j command of Joshua to the sun. is to be ui,.h:r»too"d as z prayer to:| God (from whom Ihe snn derived his being and his continn. ancc) th.it the eflect might be what is expressed in the 'command; and therefore it is said, ver. 14. that the LoRD; Ifh.ARKF.NtD LNTO THE VOICE OFAM.\N./or the Lordfovhl fcr hratl. "
l| I have thus gone through flie difFcrent parts of this asto- ||nishing miracle, and have endeavoured to account for the i whole in as plain and.simple a manner as po.s.sible. It is not ■'pretended that this account jAow/rf satisfy every Header- and ' Ihat frf»7/ dificuliy i.s solved: it would" be impossible to do l; this in such a compass as that by which I am ncccssarilvclr.,j cuniscribed: and I have been obliged, for the sake of breritv, to throw into the form of propositions or obsenatiuns, screral points which may appear to demand illustration and proof— 1 for such, I must refer the Header to Astronomical Treatises. ij Calmel,.Schenehzcr, and.Sunrin, with several of our own countrymen, have spokcu largely on this difficult subject; but in such a way, as 1 am obliged to confess, lias given me little satisfaction; and which appears to me, to leave the main I ditricultics unremoved. Conscious of the difficulties of tbij subject, I beg leave to address every candid reader, in the oftea, quoted words of an eminent author. j J iic, rale; si quid noxisti reclius istis,
Lundidus imperii; si non, his ulere meciim.
Book of Jasher] The book of the upriphL See the note on Num. xxi. 14. Probably this was a book, which, in reference to Joshua and his trausactions, was similar lo the Commfniarics of Ca-sar, on his wars with the Gauls. Critics liand Cotrmcn'.ators arc greatly divided in their sentiments
An.KM..j.isr. ci'iiGS: lor tile Lord your (jocI hath Animi>i,ie tleUvcred them into your hand. i.oiymt..674. 20 And it came to pass, v.hen Joshua and the chihh-en of Israel had made an end of slaying them Avitii a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, tliat the rest u^Iiich remained of them, entered into fenced cities.
21 And all the people retm-ned to the camp to Joshua at 2vlakkedah in peace: ^none moved his tongue against any of the children of
22 ^ Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of tlie cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
23 And they cUd so, and brought forth those
five kings unto him out of the cave, the
of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of
relative to the nature of this book. The opinion above, appears to ine the most probable.
Verse 14. And there ivos no day like thai] There was no period of time in which the sun was kept so long above the horizon, as on that occasion. Some learned men have supposed that the Fuhk of Phaeton was founded on tliis historic fact. The fable may be seen, with all the elegance of poetic embellishment, in the commencement of the.second Book of Ovid's Metamorphoses: but I confess 1 can see nothing in the pretended copy, that can justify the above opinion.
Verse 15. And Joshua returned — unto the camp tu dilgal.] That tiie Israclitish army did not return to the camp at (iilgal, till nfier the hanging of the five kings, and the dtstniction of their cities, isi sufficiently evident from the subsequent parts of this chapter. When all this business was done, and not before, they returned unto the camp, to Gilgal. See ver. 43. This verse is omitted by the Siftuaii'mt and by the Anglo- Saion: and it does not appear to have existed in the ancient /lerap/ar versions: it stands in its (jroper place, ver. 4.3. and is not only useless where it is, but appears to be an incumbrance to the narrative. Sh6uld it be considered as genuine, and in its proper place; 1 would propose that mpr: ISIakkeduh, should be read instead of rhhi gUgalak, lor we find from ver. 21. that Joshua had a temporary camp there. Then Joshua returned, and all Israel ivith him, unto the camp to Makkf.DAH — after which we may suppose, that Josh\ia having secured the cave, sent.some delachnienis to scour the country, and cut off all the remaining strag:gling Canaanites; when this was done, they also returned to the camp at Makkedah, as is related, ver. 2 1. and when the business wa^ comjileltd.
24 And it came to pass, when thev -VM.vr.i. broiight out those kings unto Joslma, An. Kv.fi.hr. that Joshua called for all the men of Aiin..i,nte Israel, and said unto the captains of ^"'■''"p "j^*- the men of war which went with him. Come near, ^ put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
25 And Joshua said unto them, " Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong, and of good courage: for " thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
■ 26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they ^ were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, ///«^ Joshua commanded, and they ^ took them down off the trees, and cast them into tiie cave wherein they had been
they struck the camp at iNIakkedah, and all returned to their (fortified) camp at Gilgal, ver. 43.
Verse 16. Hid themselves in a cazc] It is very hkely that this cave, was a fortified place, among some rocks; for there were many such places in different pans of I'alestme.
Verse 21. None moved his tongue] The whole transactions of this imporiant day, had been carried on so evidently under the direction of God, that there was not the least murmuring, nor cause for it, among therri, for their enemies \vere all discomfited. There is an expression similar to this, Exod. xi. 1. on which, the Header is requested to consult the note.
Verse 24. I'tit t/ourjlct upon the necks of these kings] This act was done syinholiailly, as a token not only of the present complete victory, but of their approaching triumph over all their adversaries, which is the interpretation gi\en of it by Joshua, in the succeeding verse.
Verse 26. Smote — slew — aiid hanged them on five trees] Hanging n //re seems a barbarous custom: among the Hebrews, criminals were first deprived of life, this was the debt required by justice; then they were hanged up, perhaps generally by the hands, not by the neck, this was done by way o^ example, to deter others from committing the crimes for which thos'e had suffered: but they were never permitted to hang thus exposed all night, as this could have answered no purpose, either of justice or example, as they could not be seen in the night season. One day also, was deemed enough for their exposure, it being thought sufficient to shew the public, that justice had been executed; and to have exhibited them longer would have appeared lo be a barbarous crui Ity, which attempted to extend ]ninishment beyond the po.s5ible requisitions of justice. Sec the note on Dcut. xxi. 23.
All. KxiKi.iM. nioiiUi, u-/iicli remain until this very | to all that hi- had done to Ivihnali.
Makki'dah, and rfniote it with the cdfre of the- smolc him and his people, uiit:! Ik- h-d Icf! liim sword, and the kin<:f thereoC ho utterly destroy. [| none remaining.
cd, them, and ail the souls that tec/v therein; i:!4 % And from Lachi.-.h Joshua pa sed un'.o he let none remain: and he did to the kin<j of l-^lon, and all Israel witli him; and they eii- Makkedah " as he diil unto the kin^ oC. Jericho, camped aj^'ainst it, and Ibuglit against it:
'ii) ^ Then Joshua passed li<»m Makkedah, and I 3.5 And they took it on that <iay, and smote all I.srael with him, unto Libnah, and ibught|'it with the edge of the sword, and all (he against Libnah: jl souls that U'ere therein he utterly destroyed
';j() And the Loiio delivered it also, and llie '\ that day, according to all that he had done to king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he j Lachish.
smote it with the edge of the sword, anil all the j| 06 % And.Joshua went up fiom ICglon, and souls that ticve therein; he let none remain in all Israel with him, unto 'Hebron; and they it; but did unto the king thereof, as he did unto; Ibught against it:
the king of Jericho, ij SI And they took it, and smote it with the
;>1 ^i And Joshua ])assed from " Libnah, and 11 edge of the sword, anil the kir.g. thereof, and all Israel with him, inito Lachish, and encamped || all the cities thereof, and all the souls that against it, and fought against it: | were therein; he left none remaining, accord-
'■:,'l And the Lord delivered Lachish into the inij to all that he had done to Eglon; but dehand ol' Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all
stroyed it utterly, and all the souls that Xicre therein.
Verse 28. That da^ Joshua look Makicddah] It is very possible, that Mukkedah was taken on the evening of the same day in which the miraculous.toLilicc took place; but as to the olhti' cities meiilionod in this cliapter, ihoy certainly « ere subdued some days alter; as it is not po.-siblc that an army, exhausted as this nuut have been, with a whole nif;lit's inarch, and two days' hard ti^htm^, could have proceedtd further than MulJcedah that ni^dit — the other cities were successively taken in the follow ing days.
^'e^se 29. Fought against Lihnali.] This city was near Makkedah, see chap. xv. 42. and fell to the Iribe of Judah, vcr. tlO. l-^. and was ijiven to the priests, chap. xxi. 13, Sennacherib bcsicge<l it, after he had been obliged to raise the siege of Lachish. Sec 2 Kings xix. 8. Isai. xxxvii. 8.
Verse 32. Lacliisit] It ap])ears that this was anciently a very stron«;' place — nolwitli>t!indmg the people were panicstruck, and the Israelites tluslied with success, yet Joshua could not reduce it till the second day, and the king of Assyria afterwartls was obliged to raise the siet^. See above, and sec the note on ver. 3.
Verse 33. Uuram kinv of f.V:ei] It is likely that Horam was in a slate of alliance with the king of Lnchislt; and therefore canie to his assistance as soon as it apjieared that l>e was likely to be attacked..Joshua probably sent a detaehincnt against him, before he was able to form a junction with the forces of Ltuhish: and utterly destroyed him and his army.
GVicT is supposed to have been situated near Azotiis. See
1 Maccab. xiv. 34. It fell to the tribe of Epbraim, chap. sti. 3. but was probably taken afterwards by.some of the remnant of the Canaanitish nations; fur we find it was given by Pharaoh to hi.s son-in-law Solomon, 1 Kni<rs ix. 16. which proves that it had got out of the ix»*session of the Israelites, previously to the days of Scilonion.
Verse 34. ]<glon] It is likely that this town was not any great distance from Lachish. See on ver. 3.
Verses 3i> and 37. Hebron — and the kin^ tlieixof] See the note on ver. 3. From ver. 23. we learn that the king of Hebron was one ol tbo.se ftic whom Joshua slew and hanged on five trees at Makkedah. How then can it be said that he slew the kiii^ of Hebron, when he took the city, wliich was some davs after the transactions at Makkedah.' Knh • ' slaying of the king of Hebron, must refer to what had tu been done; or the Hcbronites, finding that iht-ir king teii in battle, had set up another in his place, which was the Ling Joshua slew after he had taken the city and its dependancics, as is related, ver. 37.
It appears that the city of Htbron had f.illen back into the hands of the Canaanites; for it WTis again taken fr»'Hi them i.x the tribe of Judah, Juilg. i. 10. Ikhir had a!>o ftillcn inli' their.hands, for it was reconquered by Dthnie!. t\w so<i-in-law of Caleb, lb. v. 1 1 — 13. The manner in which Caknet account? for this is very natural: Joslr.ia, in hii rapid conquests, coutented himself with taking, demolishing, and burning llK><e cities: but did notgainwn anv of them, for fear of wc.iken- 6 \ 2
38 ^ And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to * Debir; and fought against it:
39 And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly desti-oycd all the souls that ivere tlicrein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her kin"-.
40 ^ So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of
JOSHUA. conquests returns to Gilgal.
the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lokd God of Israel '' commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea, even unto " Gaza, " and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42 And all these kings and their land did Jojshuatuke at one time, " because the Lord God
of Israel fought for Israel.
I 43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
ing his army. In several instances, no doubt the scattered Canaanites returned, re[Teopled, and put those cities in a state of defence. Henre the Israelites were oUligcd to conquer them a second time. Tliis is a more rational war of accounting for these ihinys, than that uliich supposes tliat the first chapter of Judges gives the more detailed account of the transactions recorded here; for there it is expressly said, that these transactions took place tifler the death of Joshi(a, see J udg. i. ver. 1. and consequently cannot be the same that are mentioned here.
Verse 39. Bcitrryid all the soids] — trSJ Vs.IN* i:2nn»1 rayacharimu et cot nephcsh. Tiiey brought every person under an anathema — thty either slew them, or reduced them to a state of slavery. Is it reasonable to say, those were.slain who were found in arms: ©f the others, they made slaves?
Verse 40. Alt the comtiy of the hitb] See the note on Deut. i. 1.
Destroyed all that breathed] Every person found in arms who continued to resist — these were all destroyed — those who submitted were spared: but many, no doufyt, made their escape, and afterwards reoccnpicd certain parts of the land. See on ver. 36, 3T.
Verse 41. And alt the coimtiy of Goshen.] Calmet contends that this was the very same country in which the Hebrews dwelt before their departure from Egypt, and according to this hypothesis, he has constructed his viap, causing it to extend from the Nile, which was called the river of I'.gypt, along tlie frontiers of the land of Cush or Arabia. It, however, appear- plain, that llitre was a city named (Jushcn in the tribe of Judali, see chap. xv. 51. and tliis [irobably gave name to the adjacent country, whi< h may be that referred to above.
Verse 42. Did Joshua take at one time] That is, he defeated all those kings, and took all their cities in ONF. campaign: this appears to be the rational construction of the Hebrew. But these conquests were so rapid and stupendous, that they cannot be attributed either to the gcneralsliip of.Joshua, or tlie valour of the Israelites: and hence the author himscll disclaiming the merit of them, tnoelestly and piously adds, lecause the Lord (,'od tf hrael fought for Israel. It was by this ad that Joshua to'jk ail ihcst kings and their land at one time — in a single campaign. And when all the circumstances related in this chapter are ])ropcrly weighed, we shall find that GOD alone coi\\d lave performed these works: and that both reason and piety reqwiie, that to III.M alo?ie they sliould be attributed.
1. The principal subjects of this important chapter, have been considered so much in delail in the))receeiing notes, that there is little room to add any thing to what has already been said. The principal subject is the miracle of the sun's standing still, and to assert that all difliculties have been removed, by the preceding notes and observations, uould be to say what the v. liter docs not believe, and what few readers would perhaps feel disposed to credit, ^'et it is hoped, that the chief difliculties have been removed; and the miracle itself shewn to have nothing contradictory in it. If, as is generally believed, tlie sun and moon were objects of the Canaanitish adoration, the miracle was graciously calculated to check this superstition, and to shew the Israelites, as well as the Canaanites, the vanity of such wor^hip, and the folly of such dependance. Even their gods, at the command of a sertant of.FehOVAU, were obliged to contribute to the destruction of their votaries. This method of checking superstition, and destroying idolatry, God adopted in the plagues which he inflicted upon the Egyptians; and by it, at once shewed hWjustice and his mercy. See the concluding observations on Exod. xii.
2. The same God who:;ppeared so signally in behalf of his people of old, is ftill the governor of the heavens and the earth; and if ajiplied to, Mill do every thing essentially necessary for the extension of Ins truth, and the maintenance of his religion among men. How is it that fiilhis so rarely exercised in his poii<?r and goodness? We have not, because we ask not: — Our experience of his goodness is contracted, because we pray little, and believe less. To holy men of old, the object of faith, w.is more obscurely revealed than to us; and llhy hid fewer helps to their faith; yet they believed more, and uilnes.sed greater displ.iys of the power and mercy oftluir Maker. Header, have faith in Cod! and know, that to cx( ite, exercise, and trown this, he has given thee hi« ll'ord and iiis Spirit, aud learn to know, that without Him yo« can do nothing.
J).", iir.o.' A ^ ^ ''^ came to pa'^s, wlicn Jabin I of the mountains, and of the plains 111 i;x(.(i.i»r. j'\ J^'iii? <^f liazor had heard l/iuse south of "Chinneioth, and in the
All KM.d.isr. / k Knii^ or llazor nad ticard t/iuse
Ann.. uiiic things, tliut he * sent to Jol)ab kin;^ i.ui,m,..o74. ^,j- iviacion, and to the king " ol
Shiniron, and to the kin;^ of Achshaph,
'2 And to tlic kings tliat were on the north
VtTse 1. Jdhin kin:; of Ilazoi] II is prohiihle tliat Jiibin was live cominnn name of all the k.n^s of Ilazor. That kiiiff, l)y "liorn llic Israditcs wen kept in a stite of slavery fur twenly year, and w;is (kl'eateil liy Del.orali anil Har.ik, was ealled liy lliis name, see.Iiiilgf. iv. 2, 3, "3. Jlie name si;;nifics u'Af or inlcliii^enl. 'I lie cilj/ of Ifazor was.'iituulcd aliove the Lake Stmection, in Upper Clalilie, ac. ording to Josephus, Aiiliq. lib. v. c. 6. It was jjivcn lo the tribe ol Ncplhali, Josh. xix. 36. who, ii appears, did not posses* it lonfj; fur thonuh ji was burnt \>y.Joshua, vi r. 11. it is likely that the Canaanilcs rebuilt it, and restored the ancifnl government, as we find a ])owcrful kini; there abont one hundrtd and thirty years after the death of.lo-luia, Jud'j^. iv 1. It is the same ihut was liiken by 'li^ atlipiliscr, lo<letlier with Kiiilcs/t, to wliiih it is contijjuous, see 2 Kint;s xv. 'J9 It is snppo.-ied to have ^iven name to the Val/ty or Ptiiin of llazor, or Nasor, ■■ituated brtwrtn it and K;idesl), where Jonallian and Mattathias defeated the armie.s of Demetrius, and slew three thousand of their men, I Maccab. xi. 63 — "4. It was in aneient times, the m<t:opolilnn t ity of all that district, and a number of petty kind's or ehitfiains were snbjeet to its kinp;, see vcr. 10. aiid it is liktly lh.it it was thost fiibutary kinc^s, who were summoiRd to attend the kin^r o( llazor on this oceasion; for Jo?hua hu.ing comiuertd the southern part of the promised land, the northern parts.seeing themselves exposed, made now a eommon interest, and juining with Jabu), endeavoured to put a stop to the progress ol the Isratliles. See Calmct.
Jubal king of.l/i-ii/on] This royal city is no where else mentioned in Scriptiirf, exerpt in ehap. xii. If. The \'atican Copy of the Septuagint reads Mj:fii', Mnron, whiih, if legiimate, Cahiut thinks may nican Maronia, or Maratli, in Phoenicia, to the north of Mount Libanus. The Hebrewtest reads jr\0 Meron, chap. xii. 20. after Shimron, which L-
valley, and in the borders ""of Dor on the wc-it,
3 ylud to the Canaanitc on the cast and on the west, and to the Anioritc, and tiie llittitc.
nrobably the same with jno Ma Jon, ver. 19. the word hav-.iig casually dropped out of the preceding place into the latter, and the rc.^lt n and Jutiili n inltrcliangcd, uliich might have ea-ily ha]>pcntd from the great similarity of the lettem. llenee Calmet conjectures that it may be the same place with mo.1/eroi, Judg. V. 23.
Kini; of a/iiiiiroii] This city is supposed to be the same with Symirti, in fa'lo- Syria, joined to Moron. or Murath, by Pliiiy and Po/H/)oniiis.Mela. It cannot be Sumaria, as that had its name long after, by Omri, king of Israel..Sec I Kings xvi. 24.
King of Ae/iihnpli] Cal met supposes this lo hare been the city Ecdtppi, meiiliomd by Ptiny, Plotcwy, Jvscp/iii.t, and Eusebius. Tiie latter places it within ten miles of Piulenmi', on the road to Tyre. It f> 11 to the tribe of.\»htF. Se« thap. xix. 2a.
Verse 2. On tlie north of itte mounlitins] Oi the miun'ain — probably llermon, or some mountain not f-r froni the lake of Gmnezaret.
And of the pluinf] That is, the valkys of the above mountains, which had the seaof C'hinnereth, or Gcnnesareth, on tlie south.
Chinneroth] This city is supposed by St. Jerom, and st-reral others since his time, to he the same.is was afterwards called Tiberias From this city, or village, the sea of Chinnerjih, or Gtnnesareth, probably Iiad its name.
And in tlie bonier!, of Dor] Calmet supposes tht« lo mean the cliam(>aign country of the higher and lower Galilee, on to the Mediterranean Sea, and to the village or city of Dor, which was the turil-.erniost city of I'hocnicia. Dor wcs in the lot of the half tribe of Manasseh, and was situated on the.Mediterranean >«e.->, three leagues from Car^area, and seven from Ptolemais
Verse 3. 'flic Canaanite on lU east, &t.] Those who dwdt on the borders of Jordan, south of the sea of Tiber.as.
Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, *and to the Hivite under ^ Hermon " in the huid of
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, " even as the sand that w upon the sea shore in multitude, with
defeated hy Joshua I deliver them up all
" even as the in multitude, horses and chariots very many.
5 And when all these kings were ' met together, they came and pitched together at tlie waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
6 ^ And the Lord said unto Joshua, ' Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about
slain before Israel: thou shalt '^ hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8 And the Loud delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote tliem, and chased them unto '' great Zidon, and unto "' Misrephothmaim ', and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
On the west] TboFC were tlie Phoenicians, who dwelt on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from Dor, iiorthwardi on the wav to Mount Libanus. Culmet.
The' Hh'ite under Hermon] Mount Hermon v. as to the cast of Libanu.s, and the Ibuntains of Jordan: it is the same with Sj/rio7i, and Btial Ilennon, in Scriplui-e.
The land of 3Iizpeh.] There were several cities of this name; one in the trilie cf Jiidah, chap, xv, 38. a. second in tlie tribe of Benjamin, chap, xviii. 26. a third beyond Jordan, in the trilie of Gud: and a foiirlh beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Munasseh, which is that mentioned in the ttXt, see U'elW Geography. Calmel supposes this Mizpeh to be the place where i aban and Jacob made their covenant, and I'rom which circum.'-tance it took its name. See Gen. xxxi. 48, 4y.
Verse 4. Much people, even us the sand] This form of speeciv, by some called a hi/pcrbole, conveys simply the idea of a vast or unusual number — a number, of which no regular estimate could be easily formed. Josephus, who seldom finds difficulties in such cases, and makes no scruple of often spoakins xi^ithoiit hook, tells us that tlie allied armies amountid to 300,000 foot, 10,000 horse> and 20,000 chariots of war. Antiq. lib. v. c. 1.
That chariots were frequently used in war, all the records of anti()uily prove: but it is generally supposed, that among the Canaanitcs they were armed with iron scythes fastened to their poles, and to the naves of their wheels. Terrible things are spoken of these, and the havoc made by them when furiously driven among tlie ranks of infantry. Of xvhat sort the cavalry was, we know not; but from the account here given, we may sie what great advantages these allies possessed over the Isratlites whose armies consi-sted of
Verse 5. Tlte waters of Ulerom] Where these waters were, interpreters are not agreed. Wiiether they were the waters of the Lake Semeciion, or the witcrs of Megiddo, mentioned Judg. V. 19. cannot be easily determined. The latter is the more probable opinion.
Verse C. Be not afraid — of llicm] To meet such a ftrmidable host, so well c(iuipptd, in their own country, furnished with all that was necessary to supply a numerous army, re« quired more than ordinary encouragement in Jo.shua's circum.-tances. This communication from God was highly necessary, in order to prevent the people from desponding on the eve of a conflict, in which their all was at stake.
Verse 1. By the waters of Merom suddenly] Joshua being apprized of this grand confederation, lost no time, but marched to meet them; and before they could have supposed him at hand, fell suddenly u[)on them, and put them to the rout.
Verse 8; Great Zidon] If this were the same with the Sidon of the ancients, it was illustrious long before the Trojan war; and both it and its inhabitants are frequently mentioned by Homer, as excelling in works of skill and uiilily, and abounding in weuhh.
There lay the vesttires of no vulgar art, SmONlAN maids cmbroider'd every part.
A silver urn, that full six measures held. By none in laeight or workmanship cxcell'd; SiDONIAN artists taus;ht the frame to shine, Elaborate, leith artifice divine.
J am qf SlDO]^, famous for her wealth.
The art of making!j/«ss is attributed by Pliny to this city. iilDOii artifex vitri. Hist. Nat. 1. v. c. 1 y.
Misrephoth-maim] Or, Misrcphoth of the waters. "Whit this place was, is unknown; but Calmet conjectures it to be the same with Safepla, a city of I'Ikcnicia, contiguous to Sidon. The word signifies tlie burning qf the waters, or in- y And Josliiiii tlic Loud bade
10 «|! And,I()sliii;i at thai liiniand took llazur, uiid smote tii( willi tlic sword: for Ilazor btl()rt'tiiiie was tlju liL'ad of all those kiiif^donis.
I 1 i\iul they sinote all the souls that were therein with the edjj;eoi'lhe sword, utterly dcstrovinji- thfiii: there was not ''any lefl to uid he burnt [la/or with tire.
I'J And all the cities ol'lhose kings, and all the kinpjs ol" them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge ol' the sword, auU he utterly destioyed them, "^ as Moses, the servant of" the Lord, conunanded. 1 3 But as for the cities that stood still '' in their dill unto them » as ijstrengtii, Israel burned lu.nc of them, burnt their ehariots I It Aiui all the sjjoil of these cities,
I and the eallle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but
every man they smote, with the. edge of the
iHWord, until they had destroyed them, neither
! left they any to breathe.
I \r> "As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so 'did Moses command Joshua, and 'so did Jo.diua; 'he left nothing undone of all that the Lohi; conunanded Mo^es.
10 ^1.So Joshua took all that land, 'the hills, and all the south country, ''and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the
17 ' Even from '" the mount Halak, that goctli up to Seir, even unto IJaal-gad in the valley of
flmmiiation — probably it was a place noted for its hot springi:
tills idea socins to ir.ivo struck Lutlier, as he translates it.
\'or.-t.-;.'. lie litiu'zlu-d their horses] Tlie Hebrew word 1W iikdr, wliich we render to lioiii^h, or humfirin:;, sifjiiifics to ti'ou?i(/, CKl, or hp oj]'. It is very likely that it means here, not only an act by which they were rendf red useless, but by which ihry were desiroi/ed; as God had piirj>osed, that his people should not possess any cattle of this kind, that a war- \ like;ind cnterpriiiin;^' spirit minht not be cultivated amoiiff iheni; and dial, wIrii ublipjed to defentl tliciiistlvcs and tlieir counlry, tiiey niin;lit be led to depend upon God for jMotfction and victory. On tlie same j;;riiuud, (lod liad | forbidden llie kin|.;s of Israel to multiplj/ hnrscs. Dent. xvii. lii. See the note there, containing the reasons on which this prohibition was founded.
liuntt their chariots] As these could have been of no n.'p without the horses.
Verse 1.'5. The cities that stood stilt in their strength] The word □?."> teliun, whieli wc tran-late their strength, and the margin, their heap, iias been understood two ways. 1. As signifying those cities which had made peace with the Israelites, when conditions of peace were ottered, according to the command of the law; and, consequently, were not destroyed. Such as the cities of the Hiriies, see ver. 19. 2. 'I'he cities wliicli were situated upon hills and riiouniuins, wliich, when taken, iiiii,'ht be retained wilh little dilViculty. In this sense the place is understood by the Vulgate, as pointing out the cities (jtitr erant incoUitms S; tiimidis sila-, which were situated on hills and eminences. As the cities of the plain might he easily attacked and carried, Joshua destroyed them, Ilazor excepted: but as those on mountains, hills, or other eminences, mi(rht be retained with little trouble, prudence would dictate their preservation, as places of refuge in any insurrection of the people, or invasion of iheir adversaries. The passage in Jeremiah, chap. xxx. 18. Jerusalem shall be buildcd on her oun heap, i*l7,"\ lelah, if understood as above, conveys an easy and clear sense: Jerusaiein shall be re-islablished on her OWN JIILI-
\'erse I 4^..-/(/ the spoil of thtse cities— risrael took] Willi the exception of those things which had been employed for idolatrous purposes, see Deut. vii. 25.
Verse 16. The mountain of Israel, and the mlley of the same] This place has. given considerable troulile to commculators; and it is not easy to assign Mich a meaaiiig lo tlie place, as may appear in all respects satinfactory. I. If we consider this verse and ihe 21st, to have been addeil after the times in which the kin^d.ims of I;-racl and.ludab were divided, the difiiculty is at once removed. 2. The dilliculty will be removed, if we consider ihat?«oioi/«/n and ra//ry arc put here for mountains and lailies, and that these include all mountains and vallies which were not in the lot that fill to the tribe of Judah. Or, 3. if by mountain of Israel, we unilersland Beth-el, where God appeared to Jacob, afterwards called Israel, and promised him the land of Canaan, a part of the diflkuUy will be removed. Bui the fir*t opinion seems best founded; for there is inconu-^lible evidence that ■ several notes have been added to this iKKik, since the days of Joshua. See the Preface.
Verse 17. Iron the mount Halak] All the mountainous countiy that extends from the south of the land of Canaan towards Siir unto Baul-gad, which lies at the foot of Mount Libanus, or Hermon, called by some, the mountains of Separation, which serve as a limit between die land of Canaan and that of Seir, see chap. xii. ".
Joshua takes the iphole JOSHUA. hnd, andjimshcs the war.
Lebanon under mount llermon: and i[ 21 ^ And at that time came Joshua, all their kings he took, and smote • and cut off ' the Anakims from the
1 8 " Joshua made war a long time
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save " the Hivites, tlie inhabitants of Gibeon: all other tliey took in battle.
20 For ''it was of the Lord to liardeii their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they miglit lia\e no favour, but that he might destroy them, ' as tlie Lokd commanded Moses.
mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anal), and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
2'i There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in ^Gath, ''and in Aslidod, there remained.
23 % So Joshua took the whole land, ' according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Josliua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel, •^ according to tlieir divisions, by their tribes, ' And the land rested from war.
Tfic vaUiv of Lchnnoii] The wliolc extent of tlir plain ^\liicli; is on the south, and (probably) north of ISIuiint Libanus. ] Calinet conjectures that Ccfh-Spria is here meant. j:
Verse 13. Joshua made Kur a long lime] The whole ofij these conquests was not eftccteJ in one campaign: it pro- | bablv required s:.i: or seten years. Tliere are some chronological notices in this book, and in Deuteronomy, by which J the exart time ni.iy be nearly ascertained. Caleb was fortj/, voars old when he was sent from Kadcih-bnritca by Woses, 'j to search out the land, about A. M. 251 1; and at the end of this war he was ^iglity-five years old, compare chap. xiv. iO. witli Numb. xiii. and Deut. i. consequently the war ended in 2559, X'hich had begun by the jiassage of Jordan, on the tenth day of the first montli of the year 255 K From this date to the end of 2559, we find ex- ji acllv.six years; lUe fins t of which Jos-hua seems to have |i employed in tlie conquest of the uniillt part of the land ofj <'anaan, and the other fax in the conquest of all the territories situated on the iinrlh of that country. See Dodd. j Cahnet computes this difllrontly, and allows 4he term of seven y^tars for the conquest of the whole land. " Caleb was forty yeurs old, when sent from Kadesh-barnca ia spy out th;; land. At the conclusion of the war he was eighlyfive vears old, as himself says, chap. xiv. ver. 10. I'rom this sum of eighty-five, substract forty, his age when he went from Kadesh-barnca, and the thirty-eight years which he spent in the wilderness after his return, and there will remain the Mun of seven year.-, which was liie tmit ^-peiit in the conquest of the land."
■1. Hy protracting the war, the (anaanitcs had lime to repent, having sufliciiiit ojiportuuily to discern the hand of Jehovah. 2. Agnicullure was carried on, and thus provision j was made even for tlie supp<jrt of the conquerors: for had ([ the land b«en subdued and wasted at once, tillage mu»t have j been stopped, and fauiine would have ensued. 3. Wild j beasts would have multiplied upon tkcm, and the land liavc 'j Lfcn desolated by their incaiss. 4. Had these conquests [| been more rapid, the people of Isr.iel would have been less affected, and less instructed, by miracles that had pa.s.-ed in such quick succession, before their eyes; and as in this case they would have obtained the dominion, w ilh comparatively little exertion, they might have ftlt themselves less interested in the jireservation of an inhcritanre, to obtain whicli, they had been but at little trouble and little expen.^e. What we labour under the divine blessing to acquire, wc are careful to retain: but what covics lz:;hily, generally goes liglilly. God obliged them to put forth their own strength in this work; and only blessed and prospered them, while they were workers together with him. See the note on cbap. xiii. ver. 6..
A'crse 20. It v;as of the I/>rd to liarden llicir lcarls~\ They had sinned against all l!w light they had received; and God left them justly to the hardness, obstinacy anil pride of their own h< arts; for as they chose to retain their idolatry, C^od was d('teruiined that ih y sliould be cut off. tor as no city made peace with the Israelites but Gibeon and some others of the Hivites, ver. 19. it became therefore necessary to destroy tliem; for their refusal to make peace, w as the proof that they wilfully persis'.'d in their idolatry.
Vtr^e 2 1. Cut off the Anakbns — frojn Hebron, from Dehir^ Tills is evidently a recapitulation of the mililaiy operations detaileel, chap. x. ver. 30 — 41.
Destroi/ed — their citiei] That is, (hose of the Anakim; for, from ver. 13. we learn that Joshua preserved certain other cities.
Verse 22. In Gaza, in Oath, and in A.ihdod] The whole race of the Anakim was extirpated in this war, except those who had taken rtiuge in the above cities, whieh belonged to ti>c Philistines; niul in which some of the descendants of Anak were found even in the days of David.
Verse 23. So Jwliau took the le/iole laml] All the country det^iribed here, and in the preceding chapter. ]5esides the multitudes that peiislicil in this war, numy of the Canaanites took refuge in the cjiifines of the land, and in the neighbouring
The kings oil the east of Jordan riiiliotm. Some «u|ipoBe, that a piirly of ihrup ftij^itivc Caca.in- >\pi n)nilf tiiciubi'lvos iniixliTt ul' Imvjcv i'.^i/pi, and loundcil a dynasly tlicre, known liy llu' naiiio oP I'm.' aitcplici d k'nv^s; Init it in inort; probable, tint llu- Slicji!iciil< occnjiinl K^.v p' lonij before the litric lliat.) icob wnt ih'lhcr to Mtjoniii. It i-i saiil llicy fmindcd YVir,')'/.* or Tinr^irr, vihrn', in-ionlin^ to l'rocop:ij', tliey iTrctcd two vvliilf pillarc, Willi an iii»i' n|il|cjM in tlic I'lidMician laii^u:i<ri-, of wbicli IIiIh is iIi.- IruMplitiuii,
Src Ji.K-liirl, Pliali';; and ("anaaii, lib. i. r. xxiv. col. '176. Many, no doubt, scitlnl in diflvront parts of Africa, in Asia IMinor, in (iri'icc, and in llii: <1 tr-icnl i-lands of tin? y!'"s<-in Hiid Mcdiliriaiuau Kea; it i.i supposed idso, lliat eolnniC'* ol this people uire s[)read over dilKnnt part- of Germauy and.Sclavoni 1, &r. but tiieir dt.scrnd.nils arc now so conloumlid villi t!ir nations of the earth, a> no linger to retain then' orii;inal name, or to be disci riidjie.
And Josliua i^uie it for an inheritance unio IsrucI] He ( laiined no p< cnliar juriMlii lion ovi r it; bis own family h.id iiu peculiar share of it, and himself oiilv the nmieil eity ol
Aid ihi land rented from u'fJi.] 'Fin- vlnk- Irrr.tory \mi\f, now conquered, which God dewijned tlie lirdihi'ti »ho;ild \K>Mtti at this lime.
Arcor lin^ to the AjvMle, Hc!i. iv. rt, &<:, J'jilma him-«li', was a l^pc of Utrul; the pmniiicd land, ci the kondum of htiiven; tlie T'.aoiia wbicli he (;aii>ed, of llir ricinry sikI liiiiiii/ih of Christ; «nd ihc rr$t he procurt-il for f-ra'-l, of llie itntc nf hUuednat at ihe ri;;lit liaml of God. In lhi« IsbIiI wf liboilil view till- whole hi4lory, in order to derive thifc ailvaiiiagf s from H, which, a« a portion of the Il^veUtnjn of (jod, it «as inlendcil to <;o)V.^'. Tlioit/- who finally roKii with (liiisl, are they, who ibr.jii^di hi» grace, (.onijucr the xvnld, Ihe Jiril, and llu- flet'i: {ur it is only of those wUo iUu« overcome, that he »ay^; " They hW.X sit with me on my throne, a« I have overroiiu-. and sat down with tlie Pa'her, on the I'aihcr's llirone." llev. in. '_M. lieadcr, art ihou a eonqiUTor?
^T() W lliosc arc the l<ings of the ' upon tlic liank of tlie river Arnon, ^j laud, wliicli the children of Is- I ami from the middle of the river, rael smote, and))()sscssed their land on and from half Gilead, even unto the theotherside.Iordan, toward the rising river Jahbok, Xk/i/c/i is the border oC of the sun, 'from the river Arnon "'un- ' the children of Amnion; to mount Hcrmon, and all the i)lain on the east: I 3 And '' Irom the plain to the sea of Chin- '2 ' Silion king of the Amorites, who dwelt neroth on the ewst, and unto Uie sea of the in He.shbon, and ruled from Aroer, which /v.plain, < iv// the Suit sea on tJic east, ' the way to
Verse 1. h'lom the tixcr Arnnn unto mount Ilcnnon'] Arno^i was the Uiundiiry of all the.tonllient coast of the land occ'ipied l.y tile I<i.irliles, beyond Jordan: and the ni'iiintains of llermoii were the boundaries on the wor//;. Anion tal^es Its rise in tli<- iiKuniains of Gilead, and biTins; rini a long way fruin north lo sontb, falls in'.o Ihe Dead Sea, near the sinie place, into wbieb Jordan dischar;je- itself.
And lilt the plain oi the eiiai] All the land troui the plains ol' Moab to mount IIerni»n.
Verse J. i'Vjwi Arner].Vroer was situated on the western side of llie racr Arnoii, in the middle of the valley. tUrou{;h which this river takes its eouise. The kiuijilom of Sihon, «"<(lended from the river Anion, and the city of Aroer on tlie aouilt, to the river Jabbok on the north.
And from half (Jilead] 'J'he mountains of Gilead extended from north to Koiith, from mount Hermon towards 1 the source of the river Arnon, which was about the miifit of ihe extent of the kingdom of Sibon: thus Sihon i* said to have pos>rvsed the hnlf of (Ulead, that is, the half of (he inoiiniains, and of the country which bore the nanie of Gilead, on the east of his lerritoric-.
River Jalibnic] This river has Ks source in the mountains of Gilead; and running from east to west, fjlls into Jordan. It bounds the territories of Silion on the north; and those of; the Ammonites on the soiiiIk
Verse 3. The sea of Chinncmih'] Or Geiinetareih, the satne as the lake or sea of Tiberias.
Tiie Salt.va on the ea^i] "f-r."! S* ynn ha-m<lec, which is i| here translated, th; Halt sen. is understood by others to mean; Me sea of iIil- city Melac. Where can we find any thing that j[ can be called a Salt sea on the east of the lake of Gcnneii-
Kings on the west of Jordan
4 And '' tlie coast of Og king of Bushan, ichich zcas of "^ the remnant of the giants, ' that dwelt at Asbtaroth and at Edrei,
5 And reigned in ^ mount Hermon, *■ ancf in Salcah, and in all Bashan, ' unto the border of the GeshuriteSy and the Maacliatliites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
0 ^ Them did Moses the servant of the I^oud and the children of Israel smite: and ' Moses the servant of the Lord gave it Jbr a possession unto ilie Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
7 *r And these are tiie kings of the country "" which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan, on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon, even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to " Seir; v/hich Joshua "gave unto the tribes of Israel, yor a possession according to their divisions;
8 "^ In the mountains, and in the valley.';, and in the plains, and ia the springs, and in tlie wilderness, and in tlie south country; ^ the
JOSHXTA. conquered hy Joshua.
Hittites, the Amorites, and the Ca reth.? Some Uiink lliat tbe lake Aspbaltitis, called al«o flip jyead sea, sea of the Desarl, sea of Sodom, and Salt sea, is liere intended.
Btth-jcslti/notlil A city near the Dead sea, in the plains of r\Ioab.
Ashdoth-pisgalt] Supposed to be a city at the foot of mount Pisgah.
Verse 4. Coast of Og king of Bashaii] Concerning this person, see the notes on Ueut. iii. 11. and on Num. xxi.
Verse 5. The border of the Geshuriles] The country of Bashan, in the days of Moses and Joshua, extended from tlie river.labbok, on the souih, to the frontiers of the Geshuriles and Maacbathites, on tbe north, to the foot of the mountains of Hermon.
Verse 9. The Ling of Jericho, &c.] On this and the fol- Ipwing verses, see the notes on chap. x. 1 — 3.
Verse 13. The king of Gedcr] Probably the same with fitdor, chap. xv. 36, &c. it was situated in the tribe of Judak.
naunites, tlie Perizzites, tlie Hivites, and the Jebusites:
12 The king
1.5 ' Tiie king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
^'^erse 14. The Icing of Jlormah] Supposed to be the place where the Israelites were defeated by the Caiiaaniies. See Num. xiv. 45. and winch probably was called Hormab, HOTH chormuh, or desti-uction, from this circuinstance.
Verse 1 5. Adullavi] A city belonging to the tribe of Judah, chap. xv. 35. In a cave, at this place, David often secreted himself, during bis persecution by Saul, 1 Sam. xxii. 1.
Verse 17. Tappuah] There were two places of Ibis name, one in tbe tribe of Judah, cbaj). xv. 34. and aiiotiitr in tlir tribe of J'.pliraini on the borders of Manasseh: but whiclr» of the two is meant here, cannot be ascertained. See thenote on chap. xv. 53.
Hepher] The same, according to Calmet, as ilophra in tbe tribe of Benjamin, chap, xviii. 23.
one in the tribe of Aslier, chap. xix. 30. another in the tribe
! 1 Kings XX. 26. and 2 Kings xiii. 17. which of tiie two former, is lieie intended, cannot be ascertained.
Lasharon'] There is no city of this name known. Some consider the S lavied in the word jnttfS ta-sharon, to be the sign of the genitive case; ami in this sense it appears to iiave been urulcrslood by the Vnlgate, which translates Rex Suron,
"'''""• '22 '''ilu- king of Kcdesh, onv; the I he kings thirty and one.
king ot' Jokneani of Ciirmcl, one;
Verse 'J I. Tatinac/i] A city in tlie half tribe of Manasseli, to the west of Jordan, not far from tlie frontiers of Zebniun, ciiap. xvii. 1 1. This city was a.^signed to the Levites, chap, xxi. 2.'5.
Verse 22. K'cdc'sli] There was a city of this name ii) llie tribe of Napliiali, chap. xix. 37. It was given to the Levites, and was one of tlie cities of refnn;)', chap. xx. 7.
Jokni-um of Carmel] This city is said to have liecn at the fiiot of mount Carniel, near the river Btliis, in the tribe of Zcbiilon, eliap. xix. II. It was given to the Levites, chap, xxi. 34.
Ver.sc 23. Tin; kiiii; of Dm-] The city of tiiis name fell to the lot of the children of Manassch, chap. xvii. 11. 15ochart observes, that it was one of the oldest royal cities in Piia;nicia. The Cinaanites held it, Judg. i. 27. Antioclius Sydetts besieijcd it in alter times, but could not make himself master of it. Sec Bochart. Canaan, lib. i. c. 28. and Dodd.
The kin;^ of the nations of (•H^^::!] This is stipposed to mean the hij;lier Galilee, surnanied (iaiitcc of the (icniiles, or n/ilhm, as the Hebrew word u^'U ^'o^/w, means. On this {jmuiid it should be read king i>f Gulilce of the tuitions. Others suppose it is the same country Mill) ti:at of which 7Vo/«/ was kinj^, tee Gen. 'xiv. 1. 'I^lie place is very uncertain, and ComiiuiUators ha\e rendered it iiune jo by tluir x<>i]Jeciuns.
Verse 24. A'in» of Tirzah] Thi* been, for a lon<{ time, liie capital of and the residence of its kin;^.s. See 1 3:5. Its situation caimot be exactly supposed to have been situated on a leagues south of Samaria.
^Ul the kings lliirli/ and one ] The iimia, turnty-ninc, and yet set down b confound or omit the kings of Ucth-cl, city appear* to have the kingdom of Israel, Kinjfs xiv. 17. XV. 21, ascertained; b'lt it is mountain, about three
Septuagint «iy fofori ut lv:enly-ei:^hl, as they Las/iaron, and.Madon.
So many kings in so small a Icnitnry, shews that their kingdoms muft have been very small imleed. 'Hie kings of Bcth-el and ^li, had but about 12,000 subjects in the whole; but in ancient times, all kings had very small tcrritorien. Every village or town had its chief; and this ciiicf was independant of his neijjbbours, and exirciscd regal power in his own district. In reading all ancient histories, as well as the Bible, this circumstance must be kept constan/ly in \iew; (or we ought to consider, that in those time?, bolli kings and kingdoms, were but a faint resemblance of those now.
Great Britain, in ancient times, was divided into, many kingdoms: in the time of the Saxons, it was divided into seven, hence called the Saxon hcpturchj/. But when Julius CiEsar first entered this island, he found four kings in Kent alone; Cingcntorii, C^nilius, Tusiwngulus, and Segonar. Hence we need not wonder at the numbers we read of in the land of Canaan. Ancient Ciaid Mas thus divided: and the great number of sovereign princes, secular Lithoja, landgraves, dukes, &c. &c. in Germany, are the modern remains of those ancient divisions.
Jo^/iita being old, the Lord informs him of the land >/el remaining to be possessed, I. Of the iinconquercd land among the PkiHstines, C, S. Among the Cuiiaauitts, Sidonians, and Ainorites, 4, 5. The inhubitants of the hill coitntr.'!, ami the Sidonians to be driven out, G. The land on the cast side of Jordan, that teas to be divided among the trilus of lieuben and Gnd, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 7 — IC T/ie Geshttrites ami Mr:- ufkathitef not cipellid, 1 j. 'J'he tribe of Levi receive no inhcrilance, 14. The possessions of Iiei ben described \o — '23. 2'he possessions o/'Ciad, '24 — 28. The ]Kissessions of the half tribe of yiixnasicb, Qg — 31. litcavituUitTion of the snhjccts contained in this chapter, 30,.'5:5.
JOSHUA. to he possessed by the Israelites
TO W Josluia^was old ««r/ strick-; counted to the Canaanite: ^ five en ill years; and the Lord,' lords of the PhiHstines; the Gaza-
AHiioaiiie said unto him, Tiiou art old and thitcs, and the Ashdothites, the Esh i.oiymp.ebs. stricken in year^;, and there remain-! kalonites, the Gittites, and the Ek eth yet very much land '' to be possessed
2 " This is the land that yet rcmainetli: " all { 4 From the south, all the land of the borders of the Philistines, and all Hieshin-i,! anites, and ' Mearah that is beside
the.Sido- Aphek, to the borders of ' the
Verse I. Jo-hm iias old] He is generally repule.I to liavc betn at this time about a hundred years nf age: he had spent jj about seyen years in llie conqwest of tie land, and is supposed h 10 have enr.p'oyed about one year in dividing it, and he died |j abi'ut ten years after, aged oi.e hindred and ten years. It is j very likely that he intended to subdue the vhole land, before j; lie made ihe division of it among the tribes; l>ut God did nut j think ];r.)].tr to have ihis done. So un''ailhl'i..l were the Israelite.-', i ihat he ap|,'ears to lioVC purposed ihul some of the ancieiit iuha- i bitants.'hoiild still remain, lo keep them in ihee.k; and ihat die |; rf spetlive tribes.should have.some labour, to drive out from iheir allottL(l borders, the remains of the Canaanilii-h nation'.
TIhtc Taniiiiiitli yel very much land In be pos-Kcs-ted."] That is, very nuuh vhen conij-ared with that on the other side Jordan, vihieb was all that eould as yet be said to be in the liani'.s of the Israelites.
Ve.sc 2. The holders of the Philistine!, and all Geshvri] Tlie borders of the PhiVi.^tines, may mean the land which they posses.-;cd on the sea coast, south- -a est of tie land of| Canaan. There were several places named Geshu-i, but thai | spoken of here, was probably the region on the south of Canaan, towauls Arabia, or tovvarils ligypt. Qilmet Cellarius j supposes it to have bfen a country in the viciaiiy of the, Amalekites. i
Verse.3. From Sihor, v.hich is before Evip ] Supposed by j some lo be the I'ehisiac branch of the Nile, near to the Am- j bian Depart; called also the river of E'zypt, Num. xx.viv. 5. i Jer. ii. 18. On this subject an intelligent fnend favours me with the following opinion.
" The river Sther, is supposed by some, lo be the Nile,, rr a branch of it. Odiers think it the same as \th.Jt is frequently called the river of E^pt, which lay htfore, or to vards the bordtr^ of K-ypt; which arose out of the moiin- 1 tains of Parim. and ran westward, fall iig into that bay of the j Mediterranean, which lies south of the land of the PluKs- [ tines. This river is often mentioned as the boundary of the j l.sraelitf 6 to the ^oulh we.^t, as Euphrates, the great river, was i on the north cast.
"There was a desait or considerable distance b( tween •what is called the racr of E^pi, and the isdiinus of Suez. Salomon n igned to the borders of E.sypt; i.e. to this desart; but not in Egypt, nor to the river Nil<>.
♦• Upon the whole, (though there arc dilTitultics in the matter) I incline to ihink that the river in question, was not ihe Nile. Sihor (hhuk) might, from some circumstances, be ajiplied to another river as well as the Nile; though some places in Isaiah and Jeremiah seem to restrict it to the Nile." J. C.
Ek-ron northxeurd] l.kron was one of the five lordships of the Philistines, and the most northern of all the districts they pos'essed. Baal-zcluih, its idol, is famous in Scripture, see '2 Kings i. 2, &c. The fze louUhips of the riiilistines, were Gaza, Ashdod, A.^kahn, Gaui, and Ekron. TItere is no proof that evtr the Israelilcs pos-e sscd Z'Aioh; though, from cha]). XV. II. some think it was originally given to Judah, but the Ti xt does not say so; it only slates, that the border of die tribe of Judah, uent out UNTO TIIF. SIDE of Ekron. From chap. xix. 43. we lea'n that it was a part of ihe L t of Dan, but it does not appear to have been possessed by any of those tribes.
Counted to the Cantinnite] It is gtncrally allowed, that the or-ginal possessors of this country were the descendants of Canaan, the youngtst son of Ham. The Philistines ■sprung from I\lisraim the second son of Ham, and having dispcsses.-ed the Avim from the places they held in this land, dwelt in their stead. See Gen. x. 13, 14.
Eke lord.1 of the Philistines] The-e dynaslies are famous in the Scriptures for their succes-sful wars against the Israelites, of whom they were almost the per|)etual scm.rge.
Also the.hite.'] 1 h.se must not le confiunded with the Hi- iies. The Avitis seem to have been a very inconsiderable trilip, who dwelt in some of the skirts of Palestine. They had been originally deprived of their country by the Caphtorim; and though ihey lived as a distinct people, they had never afterwards arrived to any authority.
Vcr.se 4. The land of the Canuani'es] This lay on the south of the country of the Phill-tine.s, towards the sea coast.
Jlfearah] Supposed to be the city ^laraiha, on the I\I<^ diterraiie.ai sea. Calmel. Or the river iMajora wliieh falls into the Mediterranean sea, bf tween Sidon and Berytxi.s. See PlINV, Hist. Nat. hb. V. C. 20.
To the borders of the Amorites] Though the term Amoriie, is soiBi times used to designate the inhabitants in geneial, of the land of Canaan; yet it must be considered in a much more restricted sen«c in this place. As no Ainorites are known to have dwelt in tliis quarter, Calintt supposes w« umovii the niiu: tribes and half.
r> Aiul the laiul oC * tlio (Jiblitcs, mill all Lohaiioii, towaril tlio suiiri.Nintf, " t'roni 15aal-p,:i(l iiiiilfr moiinl llcrmon, mito tlic ciiti.'iiiii^ into Ha-
'\nim ante l.Ulymii.'.Mu.
<) iVll tlio inliahitaiits of llit- liill coiiiitiy, I'rDiii Ja'Ikiiioh unlo ' MisiTpliolli-iiiaini, and ail IIr' Siiloiiiaiis, tlioin '' will I drive out fioin before till- tiiiiilrc'ii t>i' l.-i;u'l: only 'iliviile tlioii it by lot unto the Israelites, ibr an iulieritanc-o, as 1 luive coniiiiaiuled tlieo.
7 Now tliorclbre divide tlii^ land for an inlierllaiice unto llie nine tribes, nntl the ludt' tni)e ol" Manasseli,
8 With whom the Ileubinites and the (JaditCi have received their inluMitaiiee, ' which Moses gave them, beyond.Ionian eastward, even as iNloses the servant of the Louu gave them;
9 From Aroer, that ix upon the bank of the river Anion, and the eity that /'< in the midst ol" the river, Dibon;
10 And ^ail the cities of Sihon kinir of tli
and all the plain of Medeba unto
.slioiilil read Jitiiuius, or Syrian-..I(>>liua, says lie, protfed,-. from Sidcn to Apl-.ck, a citj* of ^jria, betwetn Heliopulis aii<l I'libylon, where was die lini|ile df tiie Vtiiiis of Ajiluk; ami wliiil) is spoken of in 1 Kini;> xx. 26. '2 Kin;j;s xiii. IS. as tlie capital of llie knijfs of Syria. From tliis, Jo-lma passes on to tlie frontiers of llie Syri \n.«, towards Gclmt or C>ubal:i, which, accordinij to Ptolemy, was situated in I'lirDnii-ia. Thi.s conjecture of C'alnut is not siippoitcd hy any authority oillicr from the aneient Versions or M.S.S 7/ohbigunt however, approves of it: the emendation is.•simple, as it consijN In the intcrchani;o of only two K tiers in the -■iamt word i «0"'Xn ha-arumtj, for '-tXH lu-nmrini/.
Vorse 5. The land of the tiihliic.'] This people dwelt beyond the precincts of the land of Canaan, on the east of Tyre and Sidon..See Ezek. xxvii. i). Psal. Ixxiii. 8. their capital was named Gtbal. See Dodd.
T/it/H \i-i.'t I dii~c.ui] I'iiat is, if the Israt rites continued to be obedient; h.il they did not,;'nJ iherelorc thty never fully possessed ihe:vhole of ihal land, which, on this conditiiin alone, God had prom'..-rd tliem: ilie Sidoniaiis were nevir expelled by the Israelites; and were only brought into a state of comparative sulijccaon, in the days of David | and Soloinin. j
Some have taken ujh n them to deny the authenticity of!
Amoritcs, which reigned in Hchhbon, unto thu* border of the children a.. » ol" Aiiniion; At, ol' the (ieshurites and Maaeliathitcs, and all mount Ilermon, and all liusliun unto Salcah;
12 All the kingdom of Og in Baslian, which reigneil in A».htaroth and in Kdrei, who remain- Ctli^f '' the remnant of the giants: ' for tlic-'j did Moses smite, and cast them out.
13 Nevertheless the children of Israel expeik'il "'not the Geshurite-t, nor the Maachathite-;: but the Geshurites and the Maachalliites dwell aiiiong the Israelites until this dav.
14 " Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacririces of the Loiii* God of Israel, made by fire, «?v! their inheritance, "as he saitl unlo them.
1.5 % And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inlteritame according to their tariiilies.
If) Ami their coast was ■'fiom Aroer, that it on the bank of the river Anion, ''and the city
Divine Revelation, n lalivc to ihi- hu^-ine-.-^, " bcta:;s"," saythey, " God is staled to have ahsoUitely promised thai Joshua should conquer the whole lanil, and jitit the Israelite'* in p«/— se.'sion of it." This is a loial niislake. 1. Gidnmral*-.solutely, i. c. uncondition-illt/, promisetl to put them in posses-ion of this lanil. '1 he pri)ini.'*e of their po«.ie>*in'.; tl:L' \vholc, was sus|>ended on their fiJeliiy to Go.L They were not fa.thful, and therefore God was w t l>ouiid by Lis proiiii-^ to give ihcm any part of the land a'"t<r li eir first act of national defection from his worsliip. 2. God never said tliat Jo-hua should conquer the whole land, and i^ive it to them • the promise was sim|)ly diis, " Thou shalt bring them into ti-.e land, and thou >.h:i!t divide it ainon^ ihein:" iKiib of which he did, and procured them footmij by his conquests, sufficient to have enabled them to e-tabliAli themselves in it for ever. 3. It was never said. Thou shalt conquer it all, and then divide it; no. Several of the tribes nfur tbeir quota was allotted them, were obli;jcd to dr;ve out the anciert inhabilaiits. See on chap. xi. IS.
\'crse ". 77i<f nine Iribes, and the half trihe qf Mnnaif<l'\ The other half tribe of Mauasseh, w t a the two tribes of Reul>en and Gad had sjot their inheritance on the other side of Jordan, in the land fonnerly btlon;;ia^ to Og king of Uashan; and Shon king of l'.;e.Vou'iites.
.\r.iio ante 1.0l>nip.Ci3S,
The possessions of Reuben, Gad, JOSHUA.
that is in the midst oF the river, ' and [', their faniihes, all the plain by J\Iedcba;
17 Ileshbon, and all her cities that are in tlie plain; Dibon, and ''Bamothbaal, and Bcthbaal-meon,
19 •''And Kiijathaim, and ^Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the mount of the valley,
21 ''And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, ' whom Moses smote " with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, andjiof the kingdom of Sihon, king of Heshbon,
and half tribe of Manasseh the cities and the villatres thereof.
24 5F And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their lamilie.s.
25 " And their coast v.as Jazer, and all the cities of Giiead, " and half the land of the children of x'^mmon, unto Aroer that is before
26 And from Heshbon unto llamath-mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the
Zur, and Hur, and Reba, xvJiick were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
22 ' Balaam also tlie son of Beor, the "' soothsayer, did the children of Lsrael slay with the sworci among them tliat were slain by them.
23 And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This xcas the inheritance of the children of Reuben after
I Jordan and his border, even unto the edge * of: the sea of Chinnei"eth, on the other side Jordan: eastward.
28 This is the inheritance of the children of 1 Gad after their lamilies, the cities, and their
29 % And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this was the posses-
Verse M. B.-imotli-baal] The. high places of Raal, probably so called fioiii abaia erected on hill-S for the unpure -worsilii]) of thi.s Caiiaanilish Priapus.
Kechmoth] Menliuiitd Ueut. ii. 26. supposed to hare been siUiatt-l beyond the river Anion.
Mephiitiilil Situaud on tlie frontiers of Moab, on the eastern ])art of tin; Depart. It was given to the Levitcs, cliap. xsi. 37.
Vtr.^e 19. Kiijuthaiiii] This city, according to Eiisebiiis, \^as nine miles distant iioni Medeba, towards the east. It pis.scd lioui the Kmiin to the Moabites; from the Moabites to the Amorite'i; and from (he Amorites to Ihe Israelites. (Jen. xiv. 5. Dent. ii. 20. ("almet supposes the Keiibciiites possessed it till the lime they were carried away by the Assyrians; ami then the Moabites apyicar to have taken posscssiort of it anew, as he collects from.Jer. xtviii. and I'.zek. xxv.
Zmxlh-sltahai; in the mount of llie vallci/] This yirobably rtieans a town situated on or near to a hill, in some flat coiiiil-ry.
\'ers«2t. Ttie prinrei of Midianl Seethe history of this aiir, {vivnn. xxxL I, &c. lind from that jslacc, this and the following verse seem to be borrowed; for the introduction of the death of Balaam here, seems quite irrelevant.
Verse 23. The cities and the -cillageii] V>y villages, CDnsn chatsenm, it is likely that moveable villages or tents are meant; such as are in use among the Ijedouin Arabs — iilaccs where they were accustomed to feed and pen their cattle.
Verse 25. llulf die hind if the ehihlren of Amnion'] This pi'obably w as land which had been taken from the Ammonites by Silion, king of the Amorites; and vhich the I.'sraelites ]X)s,sessed by right of conquest. For although the Israelites were forbidden to take the land of the Ammonites, Dent, ii 37. yet this part, as having been unitid to the territories of.Sil.on, they might possess, when they defeated that king, and subdued his kingdom.
Veise 26. Ramalh-mizpch] The same as Rnmolh-gilead. It was one of the cities ofrcliige, chap. nx. 8. Deiil. iv. 47.
Mithanaini] Situated on the northern si<!e of the bi-ook Jabbok; celebrated for the vision of the tuo camps of angels, which Jacob had tin re; see Gen. x.xxii. 2.
Verse 27. Bctli-aram] T'liis city was rebuilt by Herod, and ('ailed Livias in hotiour ol' Livia, tlie wife of Aiiguslus..losephus calls it Julias; Julia being tlie naine which the Greeks commonly give to I.iviu. — CahiRt.
Sticcoth] A place between.fiibl)'.k and.Inrdan, where Jacob pitched his tents, froni which circum-.taiice it obtained ils name, see Gen. xxxiii. 17.
Account of the lands (IIAP s'lon ol" till) liaK tribe of tlie chililrcn of Maiiassoh l)y their families.
.'JO Aiul llicir coast was from Malianaim, all Hashan, all the kini^dom ol', C),7, kiii<j; of Basliaii, unci "all tlic towns of Jair, j which arc in Ilaslwin, ihrcc^scorc cities. I
,'il And half (Jilead, and "AslUarolli, and! EiUci, cities of the kingdom of O^; in l^ashan, licrc pcrlaiii'nvj: unto the cliildion of Machir the son of Man;!-;';")', ri'Oi lo l!"- <>■(•!>:<!(" c)( yi 'I'licse <irc Ihc loiuitr'ics wliicli Moses did distribute for inlieritan<u ' in the plains oi' Moab, on the other side Jordan,- by.Jericho, eastward.
y.'i '' But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the Lonu God of Israel teas their inheritance, 'as he said unto thcni.
of Reuben and Gad requested to have their settlcnitnt on iIk- '' o.ist side of.lordiin, it does not ii|)|x'ur tliat;uiy pari of llie Inlje of Munassch requested to be «:tll< d in llit same place. I Jut as this trilje was numerous, and had much cattle, Aloses Ihouglit proper to appoint oni; lialf of it to remain on the east of.lordan, and tlie oilier,, to go ovtr and settle on ilie west side of tliat river.
X'erse 30. Thi: toiuyis of Jair] These were sixty cities tliey are mentioned allerwards, and in 1 Chron. ii. 21, &c. They arc the same with the lluxolhjair, mentioned Num. \xxii.
•H..I;or was son of Sei^nh, j^randrni of l'>ron or!!■. and ^reat grandson of Marhir hy his '.,^randnioilier's kide, married Il( zron of the tribe of Judali. — See his genc.-alu;;v 1 Chron. li. Ul — 'M.
Verse 32. Whiili Jloses did dittributc] Moses had selllrd every thincj relative lo ihebc tribes before liis death, h.ivinq a|>-. poinled them to))osse.ss the territories of Og, king of Baslia-j, and Sihon, kinjf of tiie Amoriles.
For particulars on this chapter, the Ucader, iflicjur of consequence, may consult L'almet.
FJentnr, Joshua, and tin- hettdx of the fathers, dhtribute the hind 6j/ lot to the people, 1 — 3. The Leviles rrrcitc no land, /;«; cities /o dicell in, and sithiirbsjor their call/c, 4,5. CakO requests to have mount Hrfno'i C.r on '•'- Jier.itauee^ because of his former tarvices; 6 — IC. Joshua grants his request, 13 — Jj.
AND these are ///eco7/«^m'5 which!! tribes of the children of Israel, dis the children of Israel inherited ' tributcd for inheritance to them.
Aimoiiiite in the land of Canaan, ^ which Ele- ^•"'^'"'^'"'^ azar the prie.st, and Joshua the son of J^tin, and the heads of the fathers of the
Virse 1. Elcazar t/ic priest, &c.] lu.EAZ.il!, as being the niinislep of GoD in sttcred things, is mentioned yjrii. JOSHU.A, as having the supreme command in all ll;ings civil, is mcnliontd next. And the llt:AL)S or Pui.NCKS of the l«olve tribes, who in all things acted itiidtr.losluia, are niennone<l /«.?/. TUeie /uadt or py iiiccs werv twelve, Joshua.Hul Kleazar included: and the Render may find their names in Num. xxxiv. ]i) — CS. It ii worthy of remark, that no jirince was taken from the tribes of licid/en and Crti<l. beeauMihese liad alreaily reccivld their inheritance on thu other side of Jordan, and theri:fure could not hv interested ia-this division.
Verse 2. J?v lot was i/icir inheritance] Conreriting the laeatiing and use of the lot, see the note on Num. x\xvi. 53.
2 ''By lot u.a.v their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, for tlie nine tribes, andyor the half tribe.
and concerning the manner of casting lott in the case of the scape-gnat, sfc the note on f^evit. yvi. 3, P.
On this subject. Dr. Dodd has selected sonoe good oljscrv.ition^ifrom ddmet and Masius, Mhich I here borrow. " Tho-'irli God had sufficiently pointed oiii hy the predictions of J:nob when dying, and those of Mosts, what portions he designed for eaili tril)e; we readily discern an admirable proof of his wisdom, in the ordei-s he gave to decide them by lot. By this means, the false interpreiations which might' have been given to the words of Jacob and Moses, were preventeil; and by striking at the root of whatever might occasion >n/(iu,.)« and di-ipvfes among the tribes, he e^•idently secured the honesty of those wlio were to be appointed to distribute to them, the conquered countries in the l.ind of Canaan. Resides, the success of thi* method gave a fresh proof of the divinity <ji ■
3 ' For IMoscs liad given the inheritance of two tribes and a hiUf tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
4 For ^' tlu> children of Joseph were two tribes, Manas.^ch and l-'phraini: therefore they gave no part unto the Leviics in the land, save cities to dwell in., witli their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
Aniio ante LOiniiiJ.oe'i.
JOSHUA. fortion in Ilehrcn
" As (he Lord commanded Moses, the cliildren of Israel did, and they divided the land.
6 *lf Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jcphunneh the " Kenezite, said luUo him, Tliou knowest 'the thing that the I,oud said unto Moses, tiie man of God, concerning me and thee ' in Kadesh-barnea.
7 Forty years old xvas I when Moses, the the Jt wish ixl'^iov, jiiul tlif truth of its oracles. Karli liihe i| first-honi of Jacoh, in the i)lace of Keiiben, who hid forfeited iuiihii;; il>tlri)l:iix'(.l hi/ lot, exactly m the spot vvhieii Jacob il his rijjlit of [irimo^^enitiire.
end Moses had furetoh), it ivas evident that Providence had j Jl'itli their sulnuhs for iheir cattle] For the iiie;iii!iig of equally directtd both those prciliciions and that Int. 'i'he! this passage, the Header is referred lo tlie note on Num.
event justified the tiutii of tlie promise*. The more sinjjiilar!l xxxv. i.
it was, the ii:oie clearly we discern the finger of Ciod in it. j' Verse 5. T/iey divided the land.'] This work \\as begun
The portion, says 3Iasiiu, fell to each tribe jost as Jacob had j some time before at Oili^ul; and was finished some time alter
' at S/iiloli. It must have required a very considerable time to make all the gcograjihical arrangement- that were neccs.«aiy for this purpose.
Verse (i. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite] In the note on the parallel i)lace. Num. xxxii. 12. it is.s.iid, Kenez was probably the father of Jcphunneh, and that Jcphunneh, not Caleb, was the Keiuzile: but still allowing this to be perfectly correct, Cakb might also be called the Kenezite, as it appears to have been a family name, f(jr Olhniel, his nephew and son-in-law, is calkd the son of Kcncz, chap. xv. 17. Judg. i. 13. and 1 Chron. iv. lo. and a grandson of Caleb, is also called the son of Kenz, 1 Chron. iv. 15. In 1 Chron. ii. IS. Caleb is called the son vf Uizron, but this is only lo be understood of hi; having Hczron furoiieof h\s ancestors; and son here, may be considered the same as de.<:cendaiil: for Hezron, of the tribe of.ludah, having come into Kgypt one hundred and seventy-six years before the birth of Caleb, it is nut at all likely that he could be called his/a(/icr, in the proper sense of the term. I>esides, the suppAiition above makes a very good sense; and is consistent with the u~e of the ierms f/i titer, s/jn and brother, in dilVereiit ]iarth of the Sacred Writing,*.
77((>« liHuuest the thiiii; that the Lord said] In llic place to which Caleb s; ems lo rel< r, viz. Num. xiv. 24. there is not a word concerning a i)ronii.se of llehton to him and his |io.sterity: nor in the place (i)i,ut. i.:u<.) where Mo.ses repeats what had btH.-n done at Kadcsh-Laiiua. lint it may be included in what is there spoken. (>od promises, because he had another spirit 'xilh him, iiiid had folhr^ved (jod fully, thereliire he should enter into the land vhcreinto he came, and his.seed should jiussiss it. I'robablv this relates to Hebron, and was so understood by all parties at that time.
declared two hundred and fifty years betbre, in the last moments of his life, and Moses immediately before his death; lor lo the tribe-of JUD.'iH fell a country abounding in vineyards xi\i(\ piLiluies; lo ZlBUI.L'N and l.sS.^CIlAR, sea coasts: in:<iialof AsilKR was plenty of oil, i:heat anti tnetuls: that of l5f.NJ.iMlN, near to the temple, was, in a manner, belueen the shoulders of the Deity. Kl'liliAl.M and IMaNaSSEH were distinguished uilli a tcrrhory blest in a pecidiur manner by lliaven. The land of NaI'TM.ALI extended from the tvest to Oie.south of the tribe of Judah. Since thej'efbre, the lot bo well corresponded to these ])redictions, would it not be •iiikolcnce ami stupidity in the highest degree, not to acknowledge the iiMpiraiion of God in the uorii of Jacob and Moses; the direction of his huitil in the lot, a. id bis providence in the flow the lot was cast in this case, cannot be particularly deierniintd. It is jirobable, 1. That the land was geographically divided, into ten portions. 2. That each portion was called bv a particular name. 2. That the name of each •jjoition was written on a separate slip of parchment, wood, &c. 4. 1 hat the nauii s of the cli'iniants -were also written on so many slips..0. The names of the portions, -and of the tribes, were j)Ul into separate vcssel.s. C. Josliua, for exami)le, j)Ul iiis haixl into the ve-'-svl containing the iiaiiies of the tribes, and look out one tslip; while I'.leazar twik out one from the other vi'ssel, in which the names of the portions 'were put. 7. ^Ibe name drawn, and the portion drawn, being read, it was immediately discerned what the district was which God liad.dcsigiicMl lor such a tribe. This ai/pears to be the most tasy way lodetirmine such a business.
Vi'i'se 'I. The children of Joseph leere ttvo tribes] This was ase.erLaiiied by the [jrophetie declaration of their grandtiather
Jacob, Gen ^lviii. 5,,C. and as Levi was taken out of the II 'I'liis s( cms tolerably (\idtiit, from the pointcil reference
■tribes lor tlic service of the sim tuary, one of these sons of 'j nia<le by Caleb to this transaction.
«ft)aepb came in his place; and Jusiph was treated as tlie I \erse 1. Ask was w mine lieart.] Neither /tvjr nor /'«i«i(>- nrn'i'i' «t'rvant of tlio Lord 'sent mc from
All. jvi'.t.iit. K;i(li'sli-l)arno:\ to csjiv out llic laiul;
Anno.ml.- aiul I hroiifrlit liiiii woiil again as /7
H Novcitliclcss ''my l)icllir(,'ii that wciiL ii]) with inc., iiiado tlu- iii-art of liic people melt: but I wholly ' Ibllowed the Loau my (iod.
9 Ami Moses sware on that day, sayinp;, "* Surely the land ' whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wIkjIIv tbiluwed the J.ouD my (iod.
10 And now, behold, the Loitn hath kept me alive, ' as he said, these ibrty and five years, even since the Louo s])ake tliis word unto JNIoses, while the children r</'lsrael ^ wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I urn this day fourscore and five years old.
11 "As yet I (1711 as strong this day as / TiY/.v in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength
influenced liim on the occaision: lie told what he believed lo tic the trull), the uliolc truth, and nothing but tiic truth.
Verse 9. The land v.lieicon lliy feet have hodden] "^I'his probably refer3 to Ilihron: which was no doubt mentioned on this occasion.
X'^erse 1 1. 7:."rc'n so in my strength noxi] I do not ask this place because 1 wi.'^h lo sii down now, and lake my ease: on the contrary, I know I must fighl, to drive out tlie Anakim, and I am as able and willing to do il as 1 was forty-five years ago, when Moses sent me to s]>y out the land.
Verse 12. I shall be able to dnre ihein oiii] He cannot mean Iftbron merely, for that had been taken before by Joshua; but in the request of Caleb, doubtless all the ciraimjacent cotmtiy was comprized, in many pans of which tlie Anakim were still in considerable force. It has been conjectured that Jlebrim itself had ac;ain fallen under the power of itii former j>ossc.ssor.<, who tukinff the advantage of the absence of the Isr.ielitish army, who were employed in other parts of the country, re-entered the city, and restored their ancient domination. But the first opinion seems best founded.
Vrrse 1 3. Joshua blessed him] As the word bless often siffnifics to speak good, or uell, of or to any person, (see the note on Gin. ii. 3) here it m.iy mean the praise bestowed on t'aleb's intiei>i(lif)- and faithtliiness, by Joshua; as well as a fruyer to God, that he might have pn^ptrity in all things; and especially that the Lord might be xCith him, as himself had expressed in ibe preceding verse.
12 Now therefore give me thi.s "">''i-'»''« mountain, whereof tJie Loud >pake in that day; for thou hearde.st in that day liow '' the Anakims rcere there, and that the cities nrre great and fenced: ' if so be the Loud a/// /)c with me, then "" I shall be able to drive them out, as the Loud said.
14 •" Hebron thercfbre became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Je])huiinch the Kcnczite unto tliis day, because that iie ^ wholly followed the Loud (iod of Israel.
l.J And 'the name of Hebron before KU$ Kirjath-arha; -u.hich Arba zcas u great man among the Anakims. ' Aiul the land had rest from w ar.
Verse 14. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb] Joshua admitted his claim, recognized bi> right, and made a full conveyance of Htbron and its depcndancie» to Caleb and his post( nty: and this being done in the sight of all the tlders of Israel, the right wns publicly acknowledged, and consequenlly this portion was excepted from the general determination by lot: God having, long before, made the ces.sion of this place lo him and lo liis dcacendanti.
Verse 15. And the name nf Hebron before ytzf, Kir/ath-arha]. That is, the city of Arba; op rather, the city of the four: for thus, P3"<x nnp kiryath arid, may be literally translated. It is very hkcly that this city had its name from/jur Anakim. gigantic or powerful men, probaMy, b-oihen. who built o« conquerid it. This conjecture receives considerable strcn^jlii from ch. XV. 14. where it is said tliat Caleb drove from Hebron the three tons of.Inah, Shahai, Ahiman, and Talma i: now it is quite possible that IKbron had its former name, h'irialh-arba, the city of the four, from these three sons and thtir/n//i(T, who, being men of uncommon stature or abilities, had rendered themstlvcs famous by acts proportioned to thtu" strength, and intluence in the country. It appears however, from chap. xv. 13. that Aiba was a proper name, as lliere he is called the father of Anak. The Sepiuagint call Hcb.-.;i the metropolis of the Enakim, tir.reziraXii Ti.i 'L:ix;iji. It was probably the seat of governnient. being the midcnce of llie abc«e chiefs, from whosecoiyow.' authority and power it miglt have been called jnan chebren, a* the word "CT c'.oi.ir. literally signifies to associcuc, to je-in in fcUo-ship; acd ap|)ears to be used. Job xli. G. for " associated jw/-rc'.err.% or merchant's companions, who travellfij in the same caravan "
The lot of the cluldren of
Both these names are expressive, and serve to confirm the above conjecture. No notice need be taken of the tradition that til is city was called the city of the four, because it was the burial place of Adum, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Such tradition's confute themselves.
T7if {and had rest from ivarj] There were no more general wars: the inliabitants of Canaan, rolleclively, could make no longer any head, and when their confederacy was broken, by the conquests of Joghua, he thought proper to divide the land, aiid let each tribe expel the ancient inhabitants that might still remain in its own territories. Hence, the wars after this time, were jiarticular wars — there were no more general campaigns, as it' was no longer necessary for the ivhole Israelilish body to act against an enemy now dhjoinied and broken. This appears to be the most rational meaning of the \vords. The land had rest from liar.
The Jewish oeconomy furnishes not only a history of God's revelations to man; but also a history of his jjTovidence; and an ample, most luminous and glorious comment on that providence. Is it possible that any man can seriously and considerately sit down to the reading even of this book, without rising up, a wiser and a better man I This is the true history wliich every where exiiibits God as the fust mover, and prime aitmt, and men only as subordinate actors. What a miracle of God's power, wisdom, grace, justice, and providence are the people of Israel, in every period of tlieir history, and in every land of their dispersions! If their/nW occasioned the salvation of the Gentile world; what shall their restoration produce! Their future inlieritance is not left to what men would call, the fortuitous decision of a lot: like Caleb's possession, it is confirmed by the oalli of the Lord; and when the end shall be, this people shall stand in their lot at the cud of the days: and shall again be great to the ends of the earth.
The lot of the tribe of Jiiduh described, 1. Their south border, 1 — 4. Their east border, 5 — 11. Their zcest border, 12. Caleb's conquests, \3— 15. P tonuses his daughter to the person idio should take Kirjath Sepher, l6. Oth/iiel; hisJciiisman, renders himself muster of it, and gets Achsah to liife, 17. Her request to her father to get a tcell icatered land, which is granted, IS, 19- The cities of the tribe of Judah are enumerated, '■10 — 63.
'JTH I S then was the lot of the I] southward xvas the uttermost part of B."c!'m.'
All. Kxod. hr. tribe ol the children or Jtidah
Aimo'aute \>y their famihes; "" even to the border
LOiympicwr. ^^. Ejoni, the " wilderness of Zin
NOTES ON CHAP. XV^ Verse 1. This then was the lot of the tribe of—Judalt] The nieography of the. Sacred Writings presents many difficulties, occasioned by the changes which the civil state of the promised land has underwent, especially for the last two thousand years. iVI-any of the ancient tow-iis and villages have had their names so totally changed, that their former appellations are no longer discernible — several lie buried under their own ruins, and others have been so long destroyed, that not one vestige of them remains. On these accounts it is very dilTicult to a.scertain the situation of many of the places mentioned in this and the following chapters. Hut however this may embarrass the commentator; it cannot aflect the truth of the narrative. Some of the principal cities in the universe, cities that were the seats of the most powerful empires, are not only reduced to ruins, but so coiiNpletely blotted out of tlie map of the world, that their situation cannot be ascertained. Where is Bibj/ton, where is Nineveh, Carthage, Thebes, Tyre, Baalbcc, Palmijru, and the so far famed and greatly celebrated Troy? Of tjie former and the latter, so renowned by historians and poets, scarcely a vestige, properly speaking, remains; nor can the learned agree on the spot once occupied by the buildings of those celebrated cities 1 ShouW this circumstitnce
2 And their soutli border was from the shore of the salt sea.
invalidate the whole history of the ancient world, in which they made so conspicuous a figure? And can the authenticity of our sacred historian be impaired, because several of the places he mentions, no longer exist? Surely, no: nor can it be called in question but by the heedless and supcrfeial, or the decidedly profiine. Although some of the cities of the holy land are destroyed, and it would be difficult to ascertain the geograplij' of several, yet enow remain, either under their ancient names, or with such decisive characteristics, that througli their new names, their ancient appellatives are readily dis-' cernible. On the general information we have, the Tllap accompanying this book is constructed.
It is natural to suppose, that the division mentioned here, was made after an accurate survey of the land, which miglu have been made by proper persons accompanying the conquering army of the Israelites. Nine tribes and a half were yet t) be accommodated; and the land must be divided into nine parts and a half. This was no doubt done with llie utmost judgment and disL-rction; the advantages and disadvantages of each division being carefully balanced. These were the portions whicb were divided by lot; and it appears that Judah drew ihe first lot: and because of the importance and pre-eminence of Ibis tribe, this lot is fust Ucfcribcd,
.\.ino«nt«.') And it went out to the south sidp' x.oiynip.oUT. i. ^^ ' M:ialcli-acr:il)l)ini, and passed along to Zin, and ascended iiji on tlie sonlli idc unto Kadesh-bariiea, and passed alon^jf to | llezron, and weni u]) to Adar, and I'elcheda' compass to Karkaa:
4 From iheiice it passed "^ toward Azmon, and w(Mit ont unto the river of Kgypt; ami the goiiKi^s ont of that coast were at the sea: this sJiall be your soulh coast.
5 And tiie easi border ivas the Salt sea, cioi unto the end of Jordan. yVnd their border in the nortii cpiarter roas tiom the bay of the sea at tiie uttermost ])art of Jordan:
r, And the border went np to' Beth- y:V:^,u\: ho;rla, and passed alon;.^ I»y tlie north ai i -i i.r. of Ueth-arabah; and the Ijorticr went a.'.'vi»e np ' to the stone of Bolian, tiie son ' '''j"i'W7- of lletlben:
7 And tiie border went uji toward Deliir from " tlie vailev of Aelior, and so nortiiward, ioolcin<^ toward Ciiigal, tliat /.« before the p,o'\tvj^ up to Adnmmini, wliich i.s on tlic south.side oi the river: and the border jiassed toward the waters of En-shemesii, and the goings out thereof were at " En-ro;rcl:
8 And tiie i)order went uj> ' i)y tiic valley of the son of Hinnoni unto the south side of the " Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain
By their faviilies] It i.< supposed, that llie familj) divisions worr not deleriniiud by lot. Tliese were kft to tlic prudenre and judpjincnt of.loslitia, Klii'zar, and llie ten piinccs, who a)>poiutcd lo eacli family a district, in proportion to its number, &c. thi" general division being that aloue which was determined by the lot.
To the border of Edoiii] The tribe of.Tudaii oixiipicd the most southerly ])art of the land of Canaan. Its limits extended from the extremity of tin- Dead sea southward, along Idumea, po.ssibly bj the desart of Siii, and proceeding- from rust lo west to the M((literranean.<ca, and the most eastern branch of the river Nde; or to what is called the river of Kgypt. Calmet very properly remarks, that Josliua is particular in giving the limits of this tribe, as being the first, the must iiumiruus, most important, that which was to furnish the kings of Judea — that in which pure relis^ion was to be preserved, and that from which the Jleasiali was to spring.
Vers* '2. I'rom the buy that toohcth southxiard^ These were the southern limits of the tribe of Judaii, which commenced at the extremity of the lake AspluiUitis or Dead sea, and terminated at Sihor, or the river of I'-gypi, and Mediterranean i<:a; though some think it extended to the Nile..
Verse 3. JIaalch-ucrabl>im'\ '1 he ascent of the mount of Scorpions, probably so called from the iiiultilude of those animals found ifn that place.
Kudesh-barnca] This place was called En-iiiishpat, Gen. xiv. 7. It was on the edge of the wilderness of Paran, and about twenty-fouv miles from Hebron. Here Miriam, the sister of Mo.ses and Aaron, diijd; and here I\Io,<=fs and Aaron rebelled against the Lord; hence the place was called.l/ej-j- Lah-Kudesh, or the contention of Kadesh.
Karkaa] Supposed to be the Coraceit of Ptokmy, in Arabia Pelraj-i. Cahuet.
Verse -k Tnxuai-d Azmon] This was the last city they possessed toward Kgypt.
'J'/ic riser of Egypt] Ihe most eastcro branch of the river
Nile. See on chap. xiii. ". But there is much reason to <lniibt, whether any branch of the Nile be meant, and whether the promised land extended to that river. On this subject it is inijwssible to decide cither way.
Verse 5. The east border was the Salt sea] The Salt sea is the same as the Dead sea, lake Asphalliii.s, &e. And here it is intimated, that the eastern border of the tribe of Judali extended along the Dead sea, from its lowest extremity to the aid of Jordan, i. e. lo the place where Jordan falls into lbi» sea.
Verse G. Beth-liogia] A place tjelwecn Jericho and the Dead sea, belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, chap, xviii. 21. though here serving as a frontier to the tn1>e of Judali.