CHAP. XVIU.
Verse 36. Haxor} See the note on ch. xi.
Verse 39. Ninetten citica] But if these cities be separately enumemtad, they amount to twen ty- three; this is, probably, occasioned by reckoning./iwiiter cities, belonsing to other tribes, which ore oiuy mentioned hen aa the boundarUt of the tribe.— See on ver. 30.
/r-s^mse&J TAe city qf the tun — another proof of the idolatnr of the Conoanitea. Some think tfaii was the same as Bt&^mah.
V«nB42. iSAoafaMin} The fezes. Of this cihr the Amorhea kept constant possession. — See Jud^^ i. 33.
AJaUm} There was a place of this name about two miles from Nicopolis, or Emmaus, on the ro*d to Jerusalem. — CatmeL
Stron) A well known city of the Philistiaea^ and the metropolis of one of then- Jtce dynasties.
Verse 46. JAud, and Bme-oerak] Or, Jehud of the children of Berak.
Verse 46. JujAo] The place since called Joppa, lying OB the Meiliterranean, and the diiaf aea port in the posaes- ■ion of the twelve Iribes. — See the Map.
Vme 47. Wad out too little /or Am] This is certeinly the meaning of the pussige; but our translators have been obliged to add the words too litUe, to make this ■ense apparent. Houbigant contends tlut an ancient copyist, meeting frequently with the words ^ojn rnn veyatgc A4we6uZ, in the preceding history, became so &miliahzed to them, that he wrote them here instead of Viari ftm vayaaU hagebtd, and tiu border the ehUdrm qf Dan imu mAtTjor themi and it was on this account that they WCTO oUiged to go and flg^t agiUnamiedieiB, and tak« and MMsess iti Otair fonaar iab«ritaiioe bting wo nmit fat lhair inerMsing population.
I he land for inheritance br (heir coasts, thechildren of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshtut the con of Nun among themi
50 According to the word of the Loiii> th^ ff-ave him the city which he asked, even * Timnath-'c!erah in mount Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
51 <' These are the inheritances, which BJeazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nim, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, ' divided (or an inheritance by lot ■^in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they madean end of dividing the country.
JcKhqnia soaimiudiil In (ppolni ciilMtf nTiur, 1,1 Ttitiianif rfiMr iiaha ifiHi. Tlim ohiw u* KjipciBedlB Uw pnsiiHl lud,!, tmi ilm «■ M
THE Lord also spake tmto JoBhaa, sayinsr, istn^ S Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ^ Appoint out for you cities of reHige, wncreofl Bmike unto you bjf the hand of Mosesr
3 That the slayer that killeth anp ^rson unawares and unwittingly, may flee thither: and they shall be yoiff refuge from the avenger of blood.
4 And when he that doth flee tmto one of those cities, shall stand at the entering of ^ the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, the/ shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them-
And called Leshem, Dan] Thia city was situated near the origin of Jordan, at the utmost northern extrcmi^ of the promised land, as Beer-fheba was at that of Ac aoutb i and as, after its capture by the Daniies, it mm callea Dan, hence arose the expression, yrom Dan eten to Becr~ aheba; which always signified the whole extent of the promised land. Some suppose that Lttskem was the soma witii Ciaarea PhUippit but odiera with reason reject this opinioii. It must be granted that the whole account given in this verse, refers indisputably to a dct which did not lake place tiJl after the death of Joshua. It is another of the marginal or explicative notes which were added hf some later hand. The whole account of this expedition of the Donites a^inst Lethem, is circumstantially given in chap, xviii. of^the book of Judges; and to that chapter the reader is referred.
Verse 60. T^mnoM-seroA] Called TKmnatJi-pera in Judg. ii. S. where we find that the mountain on which it was Duilded was catted Qaath. It is generally allowed to have been a barren spot in a barren country.
Verae 61. At the door qf the tabemaele] All the inheritances were determined by lot! and this lot was cast before the Lord: every thing was done in his immediale presence, ax under his ere^-henee there woa no monnuring, each having reoeivea tua ioheritanet^ aa from the haul oiGod hiroselt
On the subject of dividing the land, and ascertaining ihe true position of the different cities and place* mentioned in this book, enough has already been said; see on ch^. xv. I. The reoder must consult the map for general aiformatim, on the situatitm of the land, and the poniion of its chief plaeea — mora than this oannot be giveai and more^ on sueh a iubjaet, should not be expected.
Vwae 2. OUfss ^r^ugcj An instittaion of this load was essentially necessary wherever the patriarchal low^ relative to the ri^t of redemption, and the a,vengiiv of blood, was in force — we have already seen, ihat the nsare»t of kin to a deceased person, had not only the right of redMming an inherilanee that bod been forleiied or alien-. ated, but had also authori^ to slay on the spot ihe person who had slain bis relative. Now, as a moo might cosuaiiy kill another, hgtiosi whom ne had no tU will, and wiui whom he had no quarrel, and mi^t have his lifia token away by him trtio was called the avenger qf Uoac^ though benad not forfeited bis life to the law; therefore, these nivileged cities were appointed, where the penoa might have protection till the cause bod been foUy beard by the mogiMrotes, who certainly bad authori^ to deliver hun up to die avenger, if tbcy found, on axsminsiioii^ that hewosootaitidedtothisprMeetion. On this.sulMe^ n* the notes on Numb. xxxw. 11. to the e6a^ -vi\ I /> Digitized by VjOOy It:
6 I And if the avenger of Wood pursue after him, then they ahatl not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he emote his neifthbour unwittingly, and hated hhn not beforetime.
6 And he shall dwell in that city, >■ until he stand before the congregation for judgment. and until the death of the high priest that shall he in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
7 7 And they > appointed " Kedeah in Galilee m monnt NaphtaU, and " Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which U Hebron, in the ^ mountain of Judah.
8 And on the otiier side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned i Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and ' Ramoth in Oilead out of the tribe of Gad, and ' Golan' in Basfaan out of. the tribe of Manasseh., - „.
9 ■ These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojeurneth among them, that whosoever kiltcth any person at unawares, might flee thither, and not die by the hand ot the avenger of blood, ■until he stood before the congregation.
*» ^ rpiJGN came near the heads of the 4taHMt AifaanoCtfaBLaviCMiiiitn * Elea- I. air^m. priest, and unto Joshua the
Vcne 7. 7%ejf appointed Kede»\ in GoUIm] The dties of refuge were diiiributed through the land, at proper diBtaxioea from each other, that they might be oonvenient to every part of the land; and it ia said Ihey mre ainialed on emineneta, that they might be eoaily seen at a diatanoe; the roocff leading to utemMingbroad, even, and ahraya kept in good repstp. In die concluding note on Niunib. zxxv, it nas been atatad that theae cities were a type of our blened Lord; and that the apoatle refera to inem aa auch, Heb. vi. 17, IS. Hence their namea have he«n coiiaidered aa deacriptive of aonw eharaeto- or office •f Christ. I eball give each, and ita ■ign^fiB«tk»^ and leave the application to others.
1. KKDzan <np from kadoA, lo »tfarfU», or tet apart, because it impliea the consecration of a person or thii^ to iba worship or serviee of God alone; hotee lo niffi^ or 6« koiy I and hence KedtA, hoUnei*, Uia full tonMeraHon
2. Shbchbk w from sAocbhi, to ba ready, forward, M)d diiigenti hence Shtetjn the thoulder, because of its nadtnen to bear burden^ prop vp, mstotn, dse. and from this ideal meaoing^ it has the mata^Mrinl one of wnuor*
3. Hssaoir p^an Cnuaow, from •^an tAabar, to ousoetate, join, emyoin, unite aa Jriendt s and hence, Oubrm^tUmtAip, friendly OMMeiaiim, or with the dimirattiae \ mm, the lUUefellowahip or oMoaation.
4. Baaaa, tta from baioar, to resfnuTi, iTK/o9& Aut up, or mtmpan uith a watt; and hence the gvoao or Ireamr* thm aemredi and a,/br(jj8s({ plaee, a^bWress.
A person of ^qririt and turn of Ort^fsn, oould proaA the whole Ooapel from theae particulars.
Eedeah and Hebron were at the two extremities of the promised land — one was in Oalilee, Ae other in the tribe of Judahf both -in mouDMinoas eounlrieai and Shechtm
son of Nun. and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;
2 And thev epnke unto them at * Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, saying, ' The Lord commanded, the hatid of Morcs, to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.
3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.
4 And the lot came out for the lamilies of the Kohathites; and ^ the chililren of Aaron the fH-iest, which of the Leviies, 'had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
5 And ' the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, fuid out of the tribe o Dan, and' out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
6 And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of iFBftchar. and out of the tribe of Aeher, and out of the tribe of Naphtah, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7 * The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
8 ' And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites diese cities with their suburbs, 'as the Lord commanded by the hand of Mosee.
9 TF And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of th6 children of Simeon, these cities which are here ' mentioned by name.
10 (Which the child ren of Aaron, being' of the families of the Kohathites, wAo were of th»-
Ramoth waa abont the midst of the country occufned by the two tribes and half; about the middle of the mountains of Gilead.
Golan was the capital of a district called Qaulonitia, in the land of Bariian, toward the southern extremity of the lot of Hanasseh.
Verse 9. Far ail the Aildren qf Itrailj and for the ttranger} As these ^pitied the great provision which Ood was malctng for the salration of both Jews and Gentiles, beuee die atranger, as well as the Israelite, had the same right to the benefits of these eitiea of refuge. Is HE (he God of the y«ws oulyl Is HE not idao the Ood of die ChrMUa?
Vntii he etood before the eongregaiion.] The judges and alders of the people, in trying civil and cnmina) causes^ always eat; the persons who came for judgment, or who were tried, alwi^ stood/ henee the expreasiona so tnquent in Seriptnr^ snunMira bffbre the Lard Hxjudgm — iba elders, Ac
It is worthy of remark ibat the eities of rdwe wars given to the lUoitee, see the following chapto-.— 'iTie tacriflcial sjrstem alone afforded refuge — and while the suspected person was ezsluded fi-om nis &mily, Ac^ be had the advantage of being with those whose business it was to instruct uie ignorant, and comfort the diseonsolats. Thus be had the meana constantly at hand, by a eanftil use of which he might grow wiser and better; secure the favour of his Ood, and a lot of blessedness in a better world. How wise, equal, and benefieent, are all the instiwtioDs of God!
NOTES ON CHAPTiai XXI. Terse 1. TTu head» qf the fathere of the Levitee] tht Levites were composed of three grana &miliesi the Oerehanitee, KohalKUe*, and MerarUee, independently «t the Ibmily of ^aron, who might be said (o fbnn nfmtrth. To twoe of theae had Ood assigned any portion in the divisioo of the land. But in this general division it mustbavs been evidently intended, that the iiifi!eTent tribes were to Aimish them with habitatioaei and thia was aocodiiic to a poaittTs eonuDud of God, Nimb. xxxr. 2, Ac Fad' ing now that asdi tribe bad ita iidMriiaikM^ilMnnsd to
It ^ And' they gave them ' the city of Arba the father of * Anak, which city is Ilebron, lin the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs ihereof round atiout it.
12 But " the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, ^ave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his posEession.
13 Thus " thev gave to the children of Aaron the priest <> Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; Pand Libnah witli her Buburbe, ' -
14 And "Jattir with her tubarba, ■'and Eshtemoa with her eaburbs,
15 And ' Holon with her suburbs, » and Debir with her suburbs,
16 And " Ain with her suburbs, * and Juttah with her suburbs, and * Beth-Bhemesb with her ■uburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, » Gibeon with her suburbs, ' Geba with her suburbs,
18 Anathoth with iier suburbs, and ■ Almon with her suburl^s; lour cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priest«, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
20 Tl ' And the families of the children ofKohath, the Levitcs which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21 For they gave them Shechem with her •uburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburlK,
22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoronwilh her suburbs; four cities.
23 And out of the tribe of £>an, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,
24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; four cities.
25 And out of the hall' tribe of Manaeseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmoli with her suburbs; two cities.
26 Alt the cities were fen wiUi their eubutlM for the families of the children oC Kohath that remained.
27 * And unto the children of Gerahon. of the families of the Levites, out of the olAer
half tribe of Manasseh tkey gave * Golan in Bnshan with her suburbs, to ba a city of refu^ for the slayer; and Beeshtcrali with her aiuturbs; two cities.
28 And out of the tribe of iBsarhar, Kishon with her suburbs. Dabareh with her suburbB.
30 And out of the trOM of Asher, Misfaal with her suburbs, Abdon, with her suburbs,
31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Keh^ with her suburbs; four cities.
32 And out of the tribe of Nai^tali, * Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her bihh urbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three
33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with thew suburbs.
34 U '' And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,
35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nabalal with her suburixi; four cities.
36 And out the tribe of Renbrai. ' Bezer
tbe heida of the Levitea came before Eleazar, Joshua, and the cbiefa of the tribes, who had been employed in dividing tha land, and requeated that eitiea and.aabuibs aboold be granted ihem occordini; to the Divine command:
Verae 3. And the diildren of Itraet gavt unto Ou Leattet] They cheer^lly <^yed the Divine command; and eitiea for habitations were appointed to them out of ihe differeot tribes, by lot, that it might aa fiilly appear that <iod designed them their habiiatttau, aa ha dengoad the others their inJuritanca.
Terse 4. Out qf Hu tribe 6f JWaft— Sitnmn, and — Beryamin Oiirtten ntUs\ These u^iea furnished mora babitations to the Levites, in proportion, than any of the other tribes; because they possessed a more extensive inheriiance; and Hoses luid comtnanded, Numb. zxzt. 8. fWom them that have maay, ye thtU give many i and Jrom them that have /«ts, ye shall givefewf every one tluM gite^ hie diu* unto Ike iMttee, aeeording t» fiie inlunlanee. It ia woitinr of ramSrk, that the principal part of this tribe, whose bunness was to uiniater at the Moctiuuy, which sanetuary vae afterward to be ealabli^ «d in Jeriisalem, had their ^ipoiatment neareet to that «ity: 10 that they were always within reach of tbe sacred wSA which Godhad appointed ihem.
Twv;6. AndAert*t<if the ihitdrenqf Kohath] 'Om. ia, the remahiing part of that tenaly ihtA were not prietta — Cor thoaa who were prieata, had their lot in tbe preceding tribes. Thoaa, dKretbre, of the family of Komth, who were simply LftiUee, and not of tbe pvieat'a or Aaron'a iunily, see ver. 10. had their habitaoona in EjAraim, Dan, and the half tribe of Manamalu
It haa been asked, in what aenae did tbe Levites poaaeei thoae cities, aeeing th^ bad no inheritance 1 To \riiich it may be answered, ttiat it is not likely the Lcviiea had the H«naiv« proper^ of the cities in which ifa^ dwelt; for it is evident mat the other Israelites dwelt •Dong them. We know, says Calmet, by historr, that the cities of the Levites were alnnoct entirely filled with InaeUtea of other tribes. For instance, Gibeah of Benjaaln, wbiA is here given to the Levites, ver. 17. was alw^ pawled bjr the Benjamitee, as araeara from the UaloiT of the Levite, vidioae vifo was so horribly abuaed W them, Judgea xix. Saul and all bis family dwelt in lisaaaH ei^t and David and hia oouit apaat iba fi»t of hw rtta at fMran, wUoh was alao a eiff of iba Zm«s% w. lOT It appMii^ tfamfiM, ttM ihir M aa 8M other property in those cities, than merely tbe right to certain houBCB, which they might sell, but always with tbs ri^t of perpetual reaerapiMm} for they could finally alienate nothing i and if the posseaoor of such a honae^ having sold it, did not redeem it, at the year of jululee it reveried to the Levites. And as to their lands for ibeir eaUle, which extended two thousand cubits without the city, these ihey" were not permitted to sell — they were coaaidered as the Lord's pnq>eny. See LeviL xxv. 32—34. and the notes there, u is therefore Tery hkelv that, in iba first instance, the Lcvitea had simply the right to dioose, in all the cities aasignad them; the houses in which they were to dwell; and that those of the tribe to which u city belonged, oceupied all the other dwellingB. There ia also reason to believe, that in proeeaa of time, when (ha families of thaLevtua inereasai^tbey had more dwetlinn assigned to dwn^ iriiieh were proMny btukled at Aa put* lie expanse.
hitely bound to live in tbeae and m other cities; far wImo the ndiemacle waa at Nab, priests and Levites dweOed there, see 1 Sam. xxi. 1. dfcc and when the wov^p of God was established at Jerusalem, multitDdes, both of priests and Lavitss. dwelled there, though it waa no Laviiical city; aa did the amreee of priesu. afterward at Jericho. Ihis waa a etrcuasianea wbiidi Moaea had Torescen^ and for whtidi he had provided.— Sea Deirt. zvm. 6, A«.
Vme 12. 7%e JUUle the dty-^ve tKev to CatA} Una waa an exclusive privU^a to fiim and imjmmilf, with which tbe grant to the Invites did not interfere. — See the notes on t^iap. xiv. 4.
Verae 18. AnaOuAl Cdrtratad aa the UrdMlaea of Jeremiah, about three miles northward of Jensuemi ae- Cording to Sl Jmna.
Vene 19. Thirteen eUUe wUh Aefr nbmbm] At dw time mentioned hers, certainly thirteen eitiea waa too larga a proportion for the priests, as they and their famibest amounted to a very small number — but diia ample prevision was made in reference to their great increase tn aftw times, when dt^ formed tweDty-foor coanes^ aa in Aa days of David.
Tcrae 22. BeArbarm] Tbera were tw« oitiea at M» aama, tbe imwr and tbe luAsr— bat which ia intaoM ■hers cannot H aieeftained.
37 Kedemolh with her suburbs, and Mcphaalh with her suburbs; four cities.
33 Aad oui of the tribe of Gad, * Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Muhanaim with her Buburbs,
39 Hcshbon with her auburbe, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.
4D So all the ciliea for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levitea, were by their lot twelve
41 < AH the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.
42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these
43 IF And the Lobd ^ve unto Israel ^ all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; cind they possessed il, ami dwelt therein.
Verse 2J. Golan ut Bathan] On this and the other cities of nfiige meationod here, see the note on chap. zz.
Verse 35. tHmnah with her nAurb; Ac.} It is well known to every Hebrew scholar, Aat Ais and the IbUowing verse are wholly omitted by the Masora; and are left out in some of the moet correct and audtentio Hebrew Bi- Mee. Between critics there is no amal) controversy relativfl to Um audienticity of these verses — and those who wiA tosee the ailments at larM on both sides, must consult the Varim Leetumet of Deliotn, on this place. Dr. Kennieott) who is a auenuous advocate for their autbenlici* srgues thus in d»ir behalf: " Verses 41 and 42 of this uwpter tdl us thai the Levttieal cities vrare fbr^-eiriit, snd that ifaey had been off as such described; so that iney must hare been all specified in this chapter; whereas now, in all the Helnew copies printed in full obedience to the Masora, which excludes lieo verses, containing ^bur of these cities, the number amounts only to forty-four.
" The cities are first mentioned, in the general, as being Airtetn and (en. with thirteen and twtlve, which are eer- 'tatnly /briy-etenf. And yet what they are particularlv named, verses 13 (olSgiye (AtWeencittes; verses 20 to % give ten cities; verses 27 to 33 give thirteen; verses 34 and 35 give ^t»r cities; and then verses 35, 36, five Jvur more; all which can make but Jbriy-Jbur. And what still iacreasei the wonder is, that verse 40 infers from dM Verses immediately preceding, that the citie* allowed to the Herariies were tteelve, though they here make ^ght only, unless we admit theyiiur other cities expressed in dioae (iM vene^ whldi have been rejected by that blind guide, tKe Miuora. In defiance of this authority, diese rvo verses, thus absolutely necessary, were inieriea in the most early editiona of tlie Hebrew text, and are fouitd in Walton'a Palygtott, as well as in our English Bitile. But they have scarce e%-er been as yet prinl«l eom|^etely; dnn — And out qf (he. tribt ^ Reuben a cnr or Bsruos rem tux ilaybb, Bexef, tm thb wtLDsamM, wUh her mbarb»; and JiAozah, with her mburbw; Keditnoth vilh her «ufturfr«; and Mejmaath wUh her sufrurfta:fmcr eitiee. See on this place my edition of the Hebrew Bible: where no less than one hundred andfvrty-nint copies are described which happily preserve these verses, most eleorly essential to the truth and consistency of ibis chapter. See also Oenerai DiMmree, p. 19, 26, 54."
Hiou^ dits reasoning of Dr. Kennieott appears very conclusive, vet there are so many and important variations among the HSS. that retain, and those that reject Uwae verse% as to render the question of their autbenueity very dHBeult to be determined. To Dr. Kenniebtl's one hundred and forty-nine MSS. which have those two verses, may be added upwards of forty collated by De Rossi, Those who deny their authenticity, say they have been inserted here from 1 Chron. vi. 78^ 79. where dwy are found, itis lru& in general, but not ezaelly as they stand here, snd in Dr. Kenniebtl's Hebrew Bible.
Verse 41. Forty and tight cUiee] At die last eensus of tbe Hebrew people, related Numb, xxxvi, we find, from Ter. 62. diat die tribe of Levi amounted only to 23,000i snd it is supposed dwt/vr^e^M eitim were too great a fvoportion tot this tribe, the other tribes have so very few. ni^ t. All dM eities of die other tribes sra not enons-
44 lAiul the Lord gave them rest round about, according to alt that he sware unto their fathers: and " there stood not a man of alt their enemies before them; the Lokd delivered all their enemies into their Irnnd.
45 " There failed not aught of any good thing: which the Lord had spoken unto the house oT Israel: all came to pass.
JorimiiHwiit'ln, cawmaiifa. Mam, uil llMadlaaiH« ibe ivo Ulhn tl Rfsfetn ud a«l. aial the haJf IHM of Miiu vh, l-Q. Tber rerun •■■] tjuitl uilutrbrite •iJcri)'Ju-.Un,9.I0. TSf -i t irf tlir Irnlilw hfinin nf iliij, ml iIim UvT bud t^UiiMMUr fuf ijDliitmupiirp«,flf tn aakmmtciikm lb ilw DKildnM nnliip.|nT|nnia|aMwiirwklilfanD, 11.11; twi Imicnl ■ikpuwikniokHW
SE IxBih, 13, 14. TGry amw uil ciDMiBlua wlih iMt iMlmi, 15~^ 'Hi* nrtwnitn, Cailltn, whI Iwlf uHk urMmth, mafet ■ mMr ilrfinet, nd ikav thai iheir lur «h baU.lal m ■ loMMBcni enlri lo fttmu Mmj, SI. ftp wpuuiuii *i« laliAiil, ■ml muin lo itm im irttm wnl wk* ihrlr npsn,3S— A 'rfapmitnWa, pninOail.S! mi Om KnlieaiiB aid OidM ad Ita ■lUr,iWr.lHf^ fiS, ibai b Mi(iil Ic r ^hiiiil ■ witawt, Mma Ite ulitwk bmlina on tin olvildc joniui,3t
THEN Joshua called the Reuben- au, Eud.t>.« itea, and the Gadites, and the t.oS!i^m.
half tribe of Manasseh, • ■
2 And said unto them. Ye have kept *all that Moses tbe servant ofthe~ Lord commanded you,
rated. 2. Tliey had the circumjacent country as well as the cities. 3. The Levites had no other cities than tliose enumerated. 4. They had no country annexed to their cities, the 2,000 eubits for their cattle, &c. excepted. B. Cities in those ancient times were very small, as raoet village* went under this appellation. 6. The Levites bod now tbs ajmnintmeat that was suited lo their consequent inerssse. Tne other tribes might enlarge Iheir borders and maks conquests i but this was not suitable to the mere servants of Ood: besides, had they made conquests, they would have beeome proprietors of tbe con(|uered land; and God determined that tbi^ should have no inheritaace in Israel, God himself being their portion.
Verse 43. And the Lord gave — all the land vtiieh h» swan] All was now divided 1^ lot unto them — and their enemies were so completely discomfited, that there was not a single army of the Canaanites remaining to make head against them; and those which were left in the land, served under tribute; and the tribute that they paid was the amplest proof of their ooroplete sntnugaiion. Add to this, they bad as much of tbe laiid in actual possession as tbey oould occupy t aad, as diey increased, God enabled them to drive out the rest of ths anient inhabilanlst but in consequence of tbe infidelity of tlM Israelites^ God permitted their enemies often to straiten them, and sometimes to prevail against them. It should also be remembered, that God never promised to ^ve them the land, or to maintain them in iL but on condition of o6sdi<tic«; and BO panetually did he fulfil this intention, that there is not a aingte instance on record, in whidi ihey were either siraiienisd or subjugated, while obedient and feithfttl to their God.
IV eavil is as fbolish as it is unprincipled, which states. "He Israelites never did possess, the whole of the land which Was promised to them, — and therefore that promise could not come by Divine revelation." — With as much reason might it be urged, that Great Britain has not subdued the French West India islands, and Batavia, (Febntary, 1813;) because tbe ancient innabitanu still remain in them: but is not their terving wader tribute an absolute proof that tbey are conquered, and under the Britirii dominion 7 So was the whole land of Canaan eonquered, and its inhabitants subdued, though the whole of the grcsimi was not occupied by the In»elites till tbe days of David and Solomon. In tbe ntost correct and literal sense, it might be said, Tlure Jailed not ought <^ any good thing mtck the Lard had spaften unto the hatug ^ Aroef: om cams to «ms. Nor nail one word of bis sver fail to ni^ of his followers, while the sun and moon endme. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXII.
Terse -1. Then JbsAtia tailed Ms RmibeniUa, &e.] Wo have already seen, that 40,000 men of the tribes of Reube^ and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasfeb, had passed over Jordan armed, with their brethren, according to dieir atimiiation widt Hoses. The war bsin^ now eooeladed, Josnw aasemblea these warriors f snd widi com mendwi tons for tbnr servioes and fideli^, he dismisses them, hsvingjbit'
S'ven them the most pious and suitaUe advices. They id- now been about seven years absent fWan their respective fomiliesi and dwusdi (here was only the river Jordan between the camp at Oilgal snd their own inheritance, ys( it does not appear that they had, during that time, ever reviaitad their own bom^ wbish th^ ndflht Imi^ doas ai^ dnM in As yssr, die Jiarssif enqMed, ss at all olhis thnes ihnl livsr wss easily ftwUla. —.
* and have obeyed my voice ia atl that I commanded you:
3 Ye have not lefl your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the chtu-ge (K the commandment of the Lord Vour God.
4 And now the Lord your God hath ffiven rest unto your brethren as he promised them.: therefore now return v-e, and get ye Xinto your tents, atid unto the land of your poBEession, V which Moses the servant of the Loan gave you on the other side Jordan.
5 But ' take diligent heed to do the commandment and the taw, which Moses the servant of the Lord ctmrsed you, * to love the Lord your God, and to wMk in all his ways, and to keep hia commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and lyith all your soul.
6 So Joshua 'iilessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.
7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manaaseh Moses had given posaession in Bashan ■■: but unto the otner half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them.
8 And he spake unto them, eayiag. Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very mucli cattle, with stiver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: 'divide the spoU of your enemies with your brethren.
9 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto ■ the country of Gilead, to the land of their posaesRion, whereof they were possessed, accordmg to the word of the Lord by tne hand of Moses.
10 IT And wh«D they cajne unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and
Vene5. But take dUigent keet^Sui.] Let ua examine the foree of thU excellent advice; tbey miut ever connder fliat their proueri^ and coutiaaed mtaemiva of the land depended oa tbeir fidelity and obeuleuce to Qodj to this they muBt take diligent heed.
Do the commandineni] Thay nuit pa^ tfw strictest regard to every moral precept
And the laa] They must obaerve all the ritea ond.cerctnoniet of their holy reiii^ion.
Love Ike Lord your God\ Without aoafiectionate, filial susehment lo their Maker, duty would be irluome, grtavout, and impouible.
WaUt in ail hit ways\ They rouit not oidj beHem and Ime, but ohty; walk not in your own v>ayt, but walk in thoae which Qod hu poinied out.
Keep hit commanamenU] Thtj must love him with ■U di^ heart, soul, mind, and sirMigtbi and ibeir neigfakCHir M thenuelrea.
CUaee unto Aim] They must be cemenUd to him in a anion that ihould never be disaolved.
Serve Aim] Tbey must consider him as tlieir maater^ having an abaolute right to appoint them, uAen, uA«re, hoa, and in what measure they should do his work.
With alt your heart\ Having all dielr afiecUons and paiflions sanctified, and united to him.
And vnth all your tool.] Oiviog up tlwir whole l}fe to Um, and employing their nndera^iiding', judgment, and will, in theconlemplaiion and adoratiun ^nia perfectioiu; that their love and obedience might increase in proportion to the cultivation and improvement of their undertlanding.
Verse 7. T^en he bietted Ihem^ Spoke retpettfidly of Aeir fidelity and exertions — witkid them every epiritttal and temporal good — prayed to Qod to protect and save tbem; and probably cave some g{flM u those leaders among them, that had most distinguialwd themselves in the seven yeuV war. In all the above senses, the word Mess is frequently taken in Scripture.
Terse 8. Return with mudi ricAes] It ^peus they had their full proportion of the spoils that were taken bom (he Caoaiailea) and ilutt those spoils oonaiMad i^^eattU, niter, gold, hraaot bran, and raiment.
the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.
11 Tf And the children of Israel * heard say. Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of JonuiQ, at the passage of the children
12 And when the children of Israel heard of it. ' the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Sliiloh, to go up to war against them.
13 And the children of Israel * sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe ofManasseh, into the land'oi Gilead, » Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
14 And with him ten princes, of each » chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and < each one was a head of the hoose of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
15 And they came imto the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, imto the land of Gilead, ajid they spake with them, saving,
16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LoBD, What trespass ia this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ve have builded you an altar, ttiat ye might rdSel this day against the Lord?
17 /« the iniquity * of Peor too little for ub, from which we are not cleansed until tbis day, although there was a t^ague in the congregation of the Lord,
18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, venng- ya rebel to-day against the Lord, that to-morrow ' he will be wroth with the whole congregation
19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be iviclean, Men pass ye over ante the land of the possession of the Lord, r wherein the
Divide the epoU — with your breihrenl It was ririit that diose who staid at home to defend the families at ihosa who had been in the war^ and to cultivate the grannc^ should have a proper portion of the spoils taken from the enemy: for had they not acted as they did, the others could not have safelv left their families.
Verse 10. Theborders of Jordan^ that %it in — CaiiMft] llus verse can never mean that they builded the altar on the wot side of Jordan, for this was not ia dieir terriioriea — nor could it be a place for the purpose of paUic worship to their own people, if builded «i uteoppmite side of Jordan: besides, the next verse says, it was built over against th* land qf CanaaTi. It appears that when tbev came to the river, they formed the purpose ei building die altar; and when they had crossed it diey caeouled their purpose.
A great altar to aee to] A vast mass of earth, sioBea, &c. elevoled to a great height, to serve as a mem<mal of the transactions that had already taken place. Probably it was intended also to serve as a kind of watch lower, being of a stupendous height, attare inftnit^x magnitudinie, an altar of an immense size, as the Vulgate terms it.
Verse 12. To go up lo war agaimt them] Supposing that they bad builded this alUur in opposition to that whie£ Moses, oy the command of God, had erected, and were consa^uendy become rebels against God, and the Iiaclitish constitution t and should be treated as such. Their great concern for the glory of God led them to lake this step^ whidi, at first view, might appear precipitate; but that they might do nodiing mahly, mey first eend Phiosbaa and ten princes, <»ie oufbf each tribe, to require an expkuMttiao of Uieir motives in erecting this eltar.
Vme 17. Is the ini^ity tf Peor too liUU\ See this history, Numb. xxv. 3, &c and die notes there. Phinehas taking it for granted that this altar was buiUed in oppoaition va Ihe aliar of God erected by Hoses, and that tber intended to have a separate service, priestbood, tte. which would be rebellion against God, and nring down his curse on them ajid their posterity; and in order to diow that God is jealous of bis glory, he refers to die bueiitess of Baalpeor, which took place in that very country they were now about to possess} dw deatracUTs eonsequenoes of which.
L(AD*« tabernade'dwelleth, and take poasenion among ui: but rebel not agaioBt the Liohd, nor rd>el against ua, in building yoa an altar beside the altax of the Lord our Qod.
SO ^ Did not Achan the eon of Zerah commit ft trespass in the accursed thioE, and wrath fell on all the consregation of Israel? and that man perished not lumne in his iniquity.
21 IT Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of ManasBeh, answered, and said unto the beads of the thousands of Israel,
23 The LoBD < God ofgodB. the Lord God of sods, he ' knoweth, and Krael he shall know; if tt be ia rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, (save us not this dayj
23 That we have built us an liltar to turn from fdlowing the Lord, or if to offer thereon borntdBbring or meatH>fieriDg, or if to offer peaceofferings thereon, let the Loan himself < require its
34 And if we have not rather done it for fear of thiM thing, sajrinf, " In time to come your children might speak unto our children, Bayilis', What have ye to do with the Lobd God of Israel?
25 For the Loan hath made Jordan a border between oa and you, ve chUdren of Reuben and children of Gad j ye nave no part in the Lord: •6 shall your chudren make our children cease from fearing the Lord.
26 Therefore we said. Let us now prepare to hoM ua an altar; not for burnt-offering, nor for aacrifice;
27 But t&ot it mag be 'a wUneas between us ■nd yon. and oar generations after us, that we might ■ do ttie service of the LtHtit before him
with our borntHifferirigs, and with our sacrifices, aod with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord,
28 Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say ag^ain. Behold the pattern of the altar or the Lobd, which our fathers made, not for burnt-offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it i« a witness between us and you.
29 God forbid that we should rebel agamst the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, v to build an altar for burnt-offerings, for meat-offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that it before his tabernacle.
30 1[ And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spake. 1 it pteaaed them.
31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the Lord tt ' among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lobd: ■ now jre have dftlivered the children of Israel out orthe hand of
32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the pricBt and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of GKlead, unto the land of Car naa^ to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
Vcm 19. the land oT your powwnon be uncUan] The geoerouB mind of niraebas. led him to form this excuae for them. If ye auppou tnat thii land ia impure, u not having been originally included in the covcnaiit, una ye thii^ that ye cannot expect the blessing of God, unlets
Lh&ve an altar, sacrifices, &c. then pats oner unto the 'd, qf the poatesaim qf the liord, wherein the Jjord » labernacle aieelleth, the only legitimate place where sochficea and offerings can be made. We will divide this land with you, and ruher straiten ouraelves, than that you ■hoala eonoeive yourselves lo be under any neceesi^ of trooting a new altar, bauidet the aUar qf the Lord ourOod.
Verse 20. Did n<a AAan thi«m<if' Zerah] Your sin.vriU not be merely agiunst yourselves: your transffreaaions wiU bring down the wrath of Qod upon all the peoule; this was the case in the tranwression of Achanj tie alone ■Dned, and yet God, on thai account, turned his heo uainst the whole congrega^on, so that they &11 before mar enemies. We cannot, tbenure, be unooneerned apeo- Won ot your traugressioo, wfi nay all be implicated in its criminalin; let tbii^ and the oidioaour which we upreheod is done to our God, plead our excuse, and vindicate Uw necessity of the present warlike t^jpearanee which we make before ^ou. See the history of Achan, refi^red to here, clii^i. vn. and the notes there.
Verse 21. T%cn the diUdrm qf Iteuben — anevertd] nwush coDseioua of their own innoeenqr, they permiuaa ntiaehas to finish his discourse, though tsampemi of little else than aeeuMtions— there ww a decency in this, and so^ a full proof of good breeding, as does them the highest credit. Here are many public assemblica in the present dmy, which lay claim to the highest refinement, who might take a very useful lesson firom these Reubenites ai>d their associates.
Verse 22. TJu Lord God ofgodB] Hie original words are exoccdiagly emphaliciaaa cannot be easily translated, mr ovfytt Sn Et KlohimYehovah, ore the three principal names by which the supreme God was known among the ^tebivva, and may be thus translated, the itnmg Ood, SHahim Jehovah, is nearly the version of Ijuthsr, ketStnc1c6rettbcr3Qere, "The Strong Qod the Lobo.'< Aad the Reubenites, by using these, in their very aolemn appeal, axpreaeed at onoe innr strong, unihaken lUlhin n« Om 01 latad t and this ihtv fUny showed die de'potstfenfrom the ten tribes, (hat their religious creed had not Vou I.— 75 been changed: and in the succeeding part of their defence theyshow, that their practice corresponded with their creed The rqtetUim. of these solemn names by the Reubenites dtc. shows their deep concern for the honour of God, and their anxiety to wipe off the reproach which they consider cast on them by the supposition that they had been c^Mtble of deleoiion from the pure won^ip of Gtod, or of disaffeotion lo their brethren.
Save u« not thia day] This was putting the oifair to the most solemn issue, and nothing but toe utmost consciousness ot their own integri^, could have indoced them to moke such an appeal, and ceil for such a dedsion. "IjCI Qod the Judge cause us to perish this dw, if in prineipls or practice we have knowingly departed mm him."
Verw 24. For fear of this thxng] The motive thai actuated ua, was directly the reverse of that of which we have been sumcled.
Verse 26. An altar 1 not for burrU-qferirur, nor for tacrifice] Because this would have been in flat oppoeilion to the Law, Levit. xvii. St 9- I>«ut- to. A, 6,6, 10, 11, 13, 14. which nwat positively forbad any Monfiea or omring to be made in anyother place than thai oiu which the Lord should choose. Therefore the altar buUded by the Reubenites, dtc. was for no religious purpose, but merely to serve as a testimony that they were one people with those on the west of Jordan, having the same religious and civil constitution, and bound by the same interests to keep that constitution inviolate.
Verse 29. God forbid that iw Amdd rdftt] Hmss wmda not only expreas thrir atrotw abhorreooe of this crime, but also show, that without God, they could do no good thing! and that they depended upon him fi>r that strength W whi^ alone (hey eould abstain from evil.
Verse 31. We perceive that the Lord ie anumg us] Or, according to the Targum of Jonathan — "This day we know irait the majesty of Jehovah dwelletb among us, because ye have not committed dUs prevarication ogainei the WORD of the Lord, and thus y« have delivered the diil< dr«D of Imel frcnn the band i^the WORD of (be Lord." "niey rejoice to find diem innocent, and that then is no ground of quarrel between the children of the Hune family. And from this they draw a very favourable conelnaioD, that aa Ood was among them as the aole object of their re* ligious worship, so be would abide with them as uuir protector and their portion: and as iheo' were M fhaids. OtM lake it fi« granted dial be will deliver them from the hsDH of Iheir oiemies.
33 And the thinff pleaaed the ohfldren of I: fs«l; and the children of Israel *■ blessed God. and did not intend to go tip against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Rei^n and Gad dwelL
34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar *Ed: for it Ma// be a witnesa between us tliat the Loan m God.
jibBM.h.e. A ND it came to paaa a loof time tfSSmi!%- al^r that the Loan * hadTf^iven
' rest unto Israel from all their ene-
Biiea ronnd about, that Joshua * waxed old tmd * stricken in age: 2 And Joshua ' called for aU Israel ana for
Vene 33. And did not ittUttd to go up agaaut them <n bailU] 'nax H, Aiey wnr relioqairiied Aw inundon of
Eing Bgainit them in bunk) ■> mk exptanalion provad ira was no cauH for ibe nwaoore. Terse 34. Called the altar Ed] The word SD 19 vfaicli signifies vihuM <a U»limony, is not found in the Mmmon editions of the Hebrew Biblc^ and is suppHed in IhJics by our tnutalalori^ at least in our modem copies) far in mjtnt adUum of ihia tr«iulati(Mi, it Mands in the ^t without any iWKe oi this kind: and it ii found in aerenl oT KennietM'* and dt RoaaVt MSS. and also in the Arioe and Arabic. Several also of the early printed aculioiu of the Hebrew Bible, have the word ip either in the text or in the margin; and it must be allowed to be neeesnnr to complete the sense. It is venr pnAsbls that an intcnption was put on this altar, whiui ptnnted out the purposes for which it was erected.
Wmov the contents of this chapter, we leam that the braelitcB were dreadfully alarmed at the prospect of a Sehim in their own body, bodi as it related to ea^tioMeal and a.vU matters. A few ofaservatioiu on this sulgeet nay not be uscleM.
Sthitm in reliTton is a dangerous thin;; and should be oarefullv avoided by all who fear God. But this word ftoald oe well understood. Ex"^') in theoli^y, is generally allowed to si^ify a rent in, or departure from, the diodrine and pracUce of the apMdes, emecittlly amonr fiiose who had been previously vnitedia that doctrine and praotice. A departure from human irMUuiioru in rehgion, is no Khum, for this reason, that the wois of Qod Slone is die sufficient rule of the ftiith and practice of Christiana: and as to human institutions, forms, modei^ Ac. those of one parly may be as good as Uiose of another.
When the majori^ of a nation agrees in some particular ftcms sad modes in their religious service { no conscienttMis man will Mj:A^ depart from dwse: iwr denrt at all, nnlMi he flw^ that they aie not onfy not authorized by the word of Ood, bot repugnant to iL It is an object greatly to be desired, that a whole people liviw under die same faiwiL may, as much as possible, glori^ God, not only widt one nsari^ but also with one mouA.
But there may be a dissent from established fbms, vidiout oehitm; for if that dissent make no rent la the doetrine or practice of Christianity, as laid down in the New Testament, it is an abase of terms to call it a seAJsnt.* fessides, there may be a dismit among religious people relative to certain points, both in creed and practice, which, not affecting the eeaeniiaU of ChristiBnity, nor having any diract tendency to alienate the aActions Of Christians from •aeh otheTj eanoot be called a acUsm— but when professing Christians sqjarate from each other, to set up one netd- IsM or non-essmAol form, fte. in the place of others, frtuA they call needless or non-«Mential, dtey are highly atdpaUe. 'Hiia not only produeesno good, nut tends to much evil — for both partiea, in order to make die points of djeir dtfference of stimcient consequence to justify their dia- •ention, magnify these non-essential matters beyond all reason, and somethnea, beyond eonedence itself; and dius, ndni utd cummin are titlied, while the weightier matters or iB.w, judgment and the love of Ood, are utterly neoeetad. If ChristianB either cannot, or will not; ditnk aik* tn «n points, surely diqr cm ame to disagree, sod JMMohgDtobMVMihiaownway. ^Bntriwaldwataka their elders, and for their heada, aad for iktk judges, and for their officers, and aaid onto thma, I am old and stricken in age:
3 And ye tmve seen all that the Lou yov God hath done unto all these natioos because of you: for the ■ Laao y<Mr Ood is he that faatfc foaght for you.
4 Bet>otd, ■! have divided unto rou 1^^ lot these nations that remain, to be an mberitanea for your tribes from Jordan, with all the nattoiM that I have cat ofi^ even unto the great bmi •* westward.
5 T And the Loan your God, • he shall expd them from before you, and drive them Avm out of your sif^; and ye shall possess dieir land * as the Lord your God hath promised untoyou.
6 ■ Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of tb« law of Moses, ' that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand mr to the left;
7 That ye f come not among these natioM, these that remain among you; neither ^ make
this advice, would it not lead to a total {ndiffereoce about religion 7" Not at alF: for in the things wiiich eoocen the eeetntiale of Christianity, bodi in doctrine and practice, we riKHild ever feel zealously affected^ and sBntssf^ amiendjbr the faith once deKvntd to the taint*. NOTES ON CUAPTKl XXIH. Verse I. A Umg time <^Ur that Hu Lord hmd glsMt reat\ This is mppoeed to have been in the last, «r mm hundred and tenth year of the hfe of Jorttua, aboDl thirteen or fourteen years after the eaoqaast of Canssn, asri ««i>m after the diviaioa of the land asuHw the tribes.
Terse 2. Jothua called for alt Jerael] There art fovr degrees of civil distinction mentionsd hers. 1. D^ifs JB^ hmim, the Mere or eeaate, &u mdic>s of the tribm. flL D->VN-i Raahim, or Jtaahet/ Altoth, the chisfs, or BSaoS of famitiea. 3. crvitv Saophitim, the JtmoBs who interpreted, and decided according to the law. 4. o'mm A#- terim, the omcxas, eerjeantf, Ac who executed the dscisioos of the Judges. Whether this assemUy was heldat T\mnaAreerak, Vhere Joshua lived, or at Shiloh, where tbeopAwa^ or at SheAan, as in chap. zxiv. 1. ve cannot tell. Some think that the meeting here, and that mentioned in chap. xxiv. were the same; and if so, SSeehem was the place of assembUngf but it is more likely that the two chapters treat of two distinct asaemblie^ whether held at tlie same place or not.
Versel. tW the Lordyotir Cfodia heAat hoAfonglU for you] "Hiere is much bodi of piety and mode^ in mis addnsB. It was nattsal for the Israelites to look on their veteran, womout general, who had led ibem on from eonquest to conqnest, with profound respect: and to be ready. to my, " Had we not had such a coromaoder, we had never got possession of this good land." Joriioa corrects thja opimoB. and Aows them, that all their enemiea had beaa defeated, because the Lora their Ood had fought for ihemt that die battle was the Lord's and not Usi aad diat On o/tms shoold have the gloty.
Terse 4. / haee dmdei—Ouae natiaiu Aat rsmolh) Tie whole of the promised land had been portioned oot, as well those parts which hadnotyet beencoiwuered, asdMstt from whieh the ancient inhabitants had neen expelled lie Caoaanitiah armies had long wo been Imwca id pieces, so that they oould make no bead against the ImSlites I out in many districts the old inhabitants remains^ more through die sophMneM of ths laraetitea disn diroogll tlieir own mavery.
I^Vom Jordan— unto As great 9ea\ AO die land Ast lay between die river Jbrdatu from ntata, wfaera It ras!^ to die soatbem extremtfy of the Dead tea/ and to dm Mediterranean sea, throu^ the whole axteot of its eess^ opposite to Jordan.
Verse 6. And dr^ss Ihsm— OHf— and ys sftsS /ssssss] The same Hebrew word v^wrasft, la nsed hcn^ 10 isgnify, to end firm on inAsruancs, and to smrswf moia thus expelled. Yt sAsII disinherit themfivm yew tijfA^ and ye thall inherit their land,
TerseS. Be ye therefore very courageou* to kaqt amH» do, Ac] It requires no smaU courage to keqi a aooDd creed in the midst of eeqfftfre i and not less to mainwin A godly praettce among H»prafinu and prQAgott.
TTtatUmittmk^book}. ^ tbewordar (Mshw his followars Bra bound. Nothing fs to be rsOeivad is •» ■rtiele or./Ua, which Ood hss qMkMk.
Mntiob of tiie name of tMr go^. mt oanM to iBvear bp thtni, neither Mm taeni, aor bow
8 1 But * cleav« unto the Lou your Qod, as •e have done nnto this day.
9 i For " the LoBo hath driven out from before Tou threat nationa and Blrong: bat a* for you, " no man hath been able to atiuad before you unto thiB day.
10 * One man of yon shall chase a thousand: for the LoBD your Ck>d, he it m that fighteth for you, ' as he hath Dromiaed you.
11 4 Take good heed therefore unto 'your- •elves, that ye love the Lord your God.
12 T Else if ye do in any wise *go baok, and cleave unto the reraoaDt or these nations, even (hese that remain among you, and shall * make marriages with them, and go m unto them, and they to you:
13 Know for a certainty that " the Lord your God will no more drive out any these nations.from before you; ' but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and (horna in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God bath given yon.
' 14 And, behead, this day * I am going the way of all the earth: and ye Imow in sul your hearts and in all your souls, that ■ not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning' yon: all are come to pass mito yon, ami not one thing hath failed thereof.
Vene 7. Cmm antonf A«m nofiffiu] Have no civil or social oontnels with dwm, sm ver. 12. ss dkeae will iBSkUibly lead to tpiritMi affinities "in conseqiienee of -whioh, ya will mBke bonoanbls meRtim tht noma ^<ftrir^oa^nMarftyfA«fn, as the judges of your motlvH and aetion% #err< Mam in their abominable ntea, and bov ymtnthtt unio them, as your creaton and preaerven j tktm givinr the whole wonhip of Ood to idola. And all dw wfll lollow from simplr earning among Hum. He who wita in the counael of the ungodly will soon Mtand ia tba way of afnnor*, and ahortly tU m the aeet of the wru/W. Nmo r^mtiJ\$U turpiMtnau. No man riaeo to ibe bigbeat ats^ of imquitr but by d^ren. Nbso himael^ uatfar As ustraoliaiis of Stiuoa, was a prontring
Verse 10. One sum ^tmu aAoi/cAiue a lAouMnd] Do not renuin inactive, on toe ■uppoaitiun that you must be SMHh mutn nmaeroua before you can drive out your ene- ■ies I ibr it ia the Lord that shall drive out nations great and strong; and under his direction and influence, one t^f ■j/au AaU a thouaand.
Vera IL 'Hike good ketd^-unto yourHhtg, ffuit yt lo94 tK* Lord) BSTVyaiS UnaphtAolaiem, Take heed to votra aeoLa, litarallT; but rsi mpAesA, stid uxiij nfAt both ia Helimo ana AraMe, aicnij^ the wkoU »t^, aawell aa ami and lift; both soul andbody nniatbe joined in diie work, fbr it ii written, TlwuakaUkmttluLordikg Oi>d wUk all thy heart oiml — mind— and otrongUu
Verse 12L EIm if yt do— go badt\ The toldier who draws back, when eoins to meet the enemy, forfnta hii Ufa. Ileec were Uie Lord's soldiers, and if di^ drew faaek. ihey drew back unto perdition.- their Uvea being tbr^ icitM by their infidelity.
Verae 13. TTiMytHaUbt tnareal nittUpadtt an«/, or a gtm, set by the artful fowler, to catch beedlasi birda.
And trapM\ vpio moArssA, any snare, toil, or trap, placed on the frrouod, to eatcb the unwary tiavellor, or wikt beast, by the foot
Seaurgta in ytntr tidet, and thomt in your eyes] No- 4uiig can be eoneeived more vexatious and distreaaing than a continual goad in the »id€, or thorn in the tye. Ihey will drlvt you into obedience to their false gods, ajtd pvt out lh» tyto ^ ytnr uiidertlMidi»go hy thrir idolairica. And God will presarn dwm, menly to diMresa and puntA you.
Verse 14. TVtfoy <if aU sarA] I am shout to die —I am goii^ into the grave.
Not one uunrhatkjraiUd,Jbtt.J Ood had so remarkably and Utenlly fulfilled hia promises, diat not one of bis eoemisseootdslal^ that even the araalleet of them had not bad its iMBt litarsl sooompliisuBsnt.- this all Israel eouU tastily.
15 ' Therefore it shall come to pan, ihta aa alt good things are come tqxm you, which tha Lonn your God promised you: so shall the Loito bring upon yon ■ all evil things, until he hav* destroyed you from ofi this good land which the Lord J[our €rod hath given yon.
16 When ye have'transcressed the covenant trf'the Lord your God, wbia* he commanded you. and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled agaiiist you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the gotid land which he hath given unto you.
AND Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to • Shechem, Loirap.«w. and ** called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for tlieir judges, and for their ofEoersi and they * presented themselves before God.
2 ^ And Joshua said unto all the people, Thua saith the Lord God of lerael, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the nood in old time.
Verse 15. So $httU tho Lord bring upon you oH seU </Unr«] His faitfaftilnesi in Ailflllii^ hia promiMt, is a procR mat he will as hithfiilly acoompli A hia Ortattmng* t for the veraeinr of Ood ia equally pledged for bodi.
Vcrie 16. Ye AaU peritk quickly from qf Uu good land] Ihe following note from Mr. John Trapp is very judicious: " "Hiis judgment Joshua inculcates ver. 1^ 16. and here; because he knew it would be a very grievous thing to dwm to for»o ao goodly a land, ao lately gotten* and ao short a wh3e enjoyed. In the beginning (rf a speech, ra dte milder ^tOiom, suit beat: but toward the end, ra n6ir, paaoionaU and pierttngpOMKigm, according to the omtOT. Thii rule Joshua observes, being Et utroqite Catar. no less an orator, than a warrior,"
lit all this ejtnortation, we see how closely Joshua copies the example of his great master Moaee. See Lev. xxvi. 7, B, 14, oe. Deut. xzviii. 7. zzii. 30. He was tenderly concerned for the welfare of the people; and with a deeply affected heart, he spoke to their hearts. No people ever were more fairly and fijlly warned, and no people profited less by iL The thrwtenings pronounced here, were accomplished in the Babylonish captivity; but more ^lly in their general dispersion since the crucifixion of our Lord. And should not every ChritHan fear when he reads, Ood Mvartd net the natural bramhet, take heed that he tpare not thee! Surely a worldly, ctmaL and godless Chrtatian, has no more reason to expect iiMiulgence from the justice of God, than a profligate Jeie. We have a goodly land, but the juatioe of Ood can decme a captivity from or a atata of bondage in it. "nte privileges that are abused are thereby forfeited. And this ia aa applieablo to Ibe individual, as to the whole i^stsin.
Verse t. JoAua gathered all the tribe*\ This must have been a diflerent assembly from that mentioned ia the preceding chapter, though probably held not long sAer the former.
n SMum] Am it ia immedially added, that Aey pre* Mtiied thtmeehet btfore God, this must mean the teAornacU; but at this time, the tabernacle was not at SheeJuTn, but at Sktlok. Tht Septuagint appear to have been struck with this difficulty, and tbercfore read ZqXu, iSAUoA, both here and in ver. 2&. though the Aldinc and Compiuienf aian editions have Smxflh SydutrOy in both plaoea. Haay suppose that diis is dw original reading, snd that Shethim has crept into the text inMead of SfiUoh. Perhaps there is more of imaginary diui real diffieotty in the text. As Joshua was now okl and ineapNbleof travelling, he certainly had a right to aaaemble the representatives of the iribss ■heiasif hs ftond aMWt eoavenientt sadtoWw
Terab. the father of At»>aham, and the SUhae of Naohor: and • they served other gods.
3 And ' I took your fhther Abraham from the other Bide of the flood, and led him throughout aU the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and ■ gave him Isaac
4 And I gave unto Isaac, ^ Jacob and Esau: aad I gave unto ■ Esau mount Seir, to possess it; ^but Jacob and hia children went down into Egypt.
B 1 1 sent Moses also and Aaron, and " I plaeued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I bronght you out.
6 And I " brought your fathers out of Egypt: and <■ ye came unto the sea; p and the E^ptians
7 And when they ' cried unto the Lord, * he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, t and brought the sea upon them, aod'^ covered them: and "your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wildemees * a long season.
8 And I brought you into the land of the Am> orites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; 'and thev fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then ■Batak, the son of Zippor, king of Hoab, arose and warred against Israel, and > sent and called Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse yon:
10 • But I would not hearken unto Balaam: ■ therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
11 And ^ re went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and * the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amoriles, and the Perizzites, and the
Ganaanites, and the Hittitet, and the Girga^ites, thfl HivHes, and the Jebositei; asid I
12 And <* I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but * not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
13 And I have given jou a land for which J9 did not labour, and ' cities which ye built not, and ve dwell in them; of the vineyards and oUvfryaras which ye tdanted not, do ye eat.
14 Tf « Now therefore fear the Lord, and aerwe him in ^ sincerity and in truth: and ' put away the gods which toot fathers served on the other Bide of the flood, and ^in Egypt j and serve ye
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, ■ choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether " the gods which your fathers served, that -were on Uie other side of the flood, or " the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwelt: <■ but as for me and my house, we will serve the
16 And the peonte answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve
17 For the Lord our God, he it is that brouf^t us up, and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the Lobd drave out from before us all the neople, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Loan; for he ia our Giod.
the ark of the covenant to the place of assembling; and Ihia was probably done on this occasion. Sychem is a place &mouB in the patriarcbal history. Here Abraham aeided on his first coming into the land of Canaan, Gen. xiii. 6, 7. and here the patriarchs were buried. Acta vii. 17. And as Sychelh lay between Ebal and Gerizim, where Joshua had before made a covenant with the people, chap- viii. 30, Ac the very eircumBtanca of the place woutd undoubtedly be friendly to the solemnity of the present occasion. Shuek- Jbrd supposes, that the covenant was made at Shttiumt and that the people went to jSA^IoA to confirm itbefore the Lord. Mr. Meae tnioks the Ephraimiteshada proteudiOt or temporary oratory, or house of prayer, at Shecbem, whither the people resorted for divine worship, when th^ cmitd not get to the tabernacle; and that (hi* ia what ia eallad b^^oraOu Lord: butthisconjectureseenuiMrtatalllikely, Clod having fori)idden this kind of worship. V«« 2. On At other Me qf As Jlood] Tba river ffuy atrvtd otlur godt] Probably Abraham, as well as Terah his father, was an idolater, till he received the call of God to leave that land. See on Geo. xi. 31. ziL 1. And for the rest of the history referred to here, see Iha notes on the parallel passages in the margin.
Verse 9. Tkm Balak— arose and vsarrtd againgt /amM(J This circumstance is not related in Numb. xxii. nor does it appmr in that history, that the Moabitee attacked the Israelites; and probably the warring heie mentioned, means no more than his attempts to destroy them by the cursea of Balaam, and die wiles of the Midianitish women.
Verae 11. nun JeritAe fought agaiiut you] Ebe.tbe notei on chap. iii. and ohap. vi. l, &c TTie people of Jwicbo are said to have fought against the laroelites, because they oppottd diem by thuUing their gatf, &c though they did not attempt to meet diem in the field.
Verse 12. I tetU the honut b^brt ycu\ See the note on Exod. xxiii. 2a
Verso U. Fear tk* Lord] Reverenoe him die side object of your religious worship.
Put away the goda, &c) From this exhortatiDa of Joshua, we learn of what sort the gods were, to the worship of whom these Israelitea were Mill attached. 1. liwae which their fathers worshipped on the other ada o( ike flood; i. e. tbe gods of the CHAU>CAira,^ra, iight,tb»mat. 2. Those of the Eotptians, jMubit, the ape, ur- pmU, vegelabU*, &c. llioaeof the CjUfAANiTKs, Haurrzs, &c Saat-peor. or Priamu, A^rta, or Vmu*, Aa- All these he refers to in uiis and the following vena. See at die concltuion of ver. 33.
How astonishing is this, that after all God bad don far them, and all the miraclee they had seen, there should stiU be found asuuw them both idoU and idalatart I But that it was ao, we am the fullest evidence, bodi bere and n ver. 23. Amos v. 26. and in Acts vii 41. But what exenas can be made for aueb stupid, not to say brutish, blindoMal Probably they thought they could tho better represent the divine nature, by uain^ st/mboU and image»; and that they professed to worship Qod, through the vucKuns of these. At least this is what has been alleged in behalf of a gross clasB of Christians, who are itotorious for iniMS worahtp. But, on such conduct, God will never lotdt with snv allowuiM iriian he haa given hia word and leatinMny, verse 16. Qkoon ytnt Au day lAam, y« vitt mtvcI Joshoa well knew that all service that was not Jre» ana voluntary, could be onlv deemt and hypoerity; and thai God loveth a ditajyi gxv4r. He therefore calls upon the people to make their choice, for God himself would not foixe them — they most eerve him wiA all their keari, if tbeyaervedhimatall. As tohtmaelf and hmily, bedinra them that their choice was already fixed, for thej had taken Jehovah for their portion.
Verse 16. Ood forbidthatw fhouid foraakt Ae Lot-d\ That they were now titie«ra cannot be rearaDBbly doubled; for diey served the Lord all the days of Jomua, and die elders that outlived him, ver. 31. but afterward, ihev. turned aside, and did serve other gods. "It is oidiaaiy," sa^s Mr. Tiapp, " for the many-beaded multitude to ton with the stream — to be of die same religion with dmr snperiora: thu% at Rome, in DiocumAirs time, they wen psfmru; in CoiWAimNK'B, CArtsttons; in CoitsTAimiruB, Ariaiu; in JxjtiAv'a, apottatet; and hi Jovii«u3c'% Chriotiana agaml And all this within leaa than the ngt ofaaao. It ia thenfon a good dung Ifaai dw heartis established with gmce."
not terrethe Lord: for he u a'boly Ood} he <t *a jealoQB God; ^he viU not forgire your transgressionfl nor jour Bins.
20 • If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange 1^8, * then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you Kood.
21 And the people stud unto Joahua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.
22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesBea against yourselves that 've have ehoaen you the Lord, to serve him. And they mid, lf% are witnesses.
S3 Now thereibre ■ put away, said he, the ■tranffe gods which ore amone you. and incline your heart unto the Loan G}oa of Israel.
24 And Uie people said unto Joshua. The Loan oar God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
25 So Joshua 'made a covenant with the people that day. and set them a statute and an ordinance ■ in Shechem.
26 IT And Joshua ■ wrote these words in the book of the lawof God, and took a great stone, and ' set it up there, under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
27 And Joshua said uato all the peoi^e, Behold, tliis BtfHie shall be ■ a witness unto us; for
Vene 19. Ytcannoturve Aa Lord: Jhrh» is a My Oodi If we veto take thiilttenlly, we caanot blame the Israelite* for their defBction from the worahip of the true God; for if it was impoarible to them to eerve Ood, tber Mold not bat eome ibort of hia kingdom: but aurely thia WM oot die cue. Inatead of 'hsm kS lo htdu, ye canhot MTV^ Ac. some eminent eritias read iVan i6 UeaUuj ye sluU not GOASB to carva, Ac IWa ia a very ingenioua •mendaikm, but there ia not one MS. in til tbe ooTleetion of Kmmeott and De Itoati to aupport iL However, ii appears vetT poaaible that the firat > van in t'ysm did not make a part of the word originally. If the common reading be preferred, the tDeanin^ of toe place moat be, " Ye cannot serve tbe Lord, for be la holy and jealoua, uniew ye put awn the goda which your fethen served beyond the flood. For ne ia a jealoua Qod, and will not ^ve to, nor divide hia gloiy with, any olheur. He ia a holy Ood, and will not have hia people oefiled with the impure worahip of the Gentilea.*^
Verae 21. And the pemU »aid, JVoy, ^ut w will tena, Ae.} So ibeg onderatooa the worda of Jeahw to imply no moral impowihUity on their aide; and had the; earBeat-
«Mi|^ the BSoiouB aauatanee of Ood, they would have eootinned MUy in hb eovenanL
Tene tS. Ye are wffnetaet agaifut wmreehee] Te have been aufficiantly appriaed of the dimoulties in your way— of Oon'a holineaa your own weaknna and inconaiatency — the need yoa have of divine helix and the awfitl conaequences of apostasy: and now ye dewerUely make yoor oboioe. — Beasember Ibaa, thst ys an witnevea agatnat younelveai and your own conscience will be wUfueo, iiutn snd asanmnsri or, as one tmaa it, imdex. Judex, mtwex.
Terae 23. JVine therefore put avay] Aa you have promiied to reform, b^in instantly the work of reformation. A man's promiae to serve God, soon losesita moral hold of his eonaoiaaee, if he do not instantaneously b^pn to put it h) practice. Tbe meo that enables him to promise, is that, by As strength of which he ia to begin tbe perfonnanoe.
Tens 28i. Joehia made a coMRmtl Litsnify,.IpaAiia cut Ou eovenant, alluding to tbe eoorytco uttmA on tbe ooeaaion.
And tat them a tlatuie and an ordinance] He made a Btdenn sad publio set of the whole, which was signed and witnessed by himself and the people, in tbe pnomca of Jefaovab; and hawg dona so, he wrote the words of the oovaaiant in the book of the law ot Ood, probaUy in some Mrtof the skin, constituting tbe great rol), on whtoh the lawB of Ood were wriUen; and or wfaioh tbm wen some Usnk eohunoa to spare. Having done due, be look a great aUme. sod set it up under an ou — that this might be tbe V ^ or wUnaM, tboi at such a tine and place, this covenant was made, tholarms<tfiriuah might be lound writlan in Ibe book of tbe biw, vUeh ym ma op beeide the ark. See Deat. xxxL 26.
'it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be ther<^re a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
89 So (Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.
29 TT " And it came to pass, after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in ■ Timnath-serab, which i« in mount Epiiraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.
31 And k Israd served the Lobd all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that I overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lobd, that he had ^ne for
3S And ■ the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground " which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, Uie &ther of Shechem, for a hundred * pieces of ^ver: and it became the inheritance (m the children ^ Joseph.
33 1[ And Eleazar the eon of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to ' Fhinehas, hia son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.