Joshua 1:1--5:12
died <04194> [the death.]
[See on]
Joshua <03091> [Joshua.]
[See on]
[Jesus.]
Moses' minister.
Moses <04872> [Moses.]
Get <06965> [arise.]
wilderness <04057> [From the wilderness.]
That is, their utmost limits should be from the Desert of Arabia Petr‘a on the south, to Lebanon on the north; and from the Euphrates on the east, to the Great Sea, or the Mediterranean, on the west. The Israelites did not possess the full extent of this grant till the time of David.
<0376> [There shall.]
Moses <04872> [as I was.]
abandon <07503> [I will not.]
strong <02388> [Be strong.]
people <05971> [unto this people, etc. or, thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land. divide.]
promised <07650> [which I sware.]
Moses <04872> [which Moses.]
swerve ...... right <05493 03225> [turn not.]
obey ............................. successful <08104 07919> [that.]
successful <07919> [prosper. or, do wisely.]
scroll <05612> [book.]
memorize .................... prosper .... successful <01897 06743 07919> [thou shalt.]
carefully <08104> [observe.]
successful <07919> [have good success. or, do wisely.]
repeat <06680> [Have.]
strong <02388> [Be strong.]
afraid <06206> [be not.]
Lord <03068> [for the Lord.]
leaders .... people <07860 05971> [the officers of the people.]
The {shoterim,} or officers, were different from the {shophetim,} who were the judges among the people. The {shoterim} have been supposed to be subordinate officers, whose business it was to see the decisions of the {shophetim} carried into effect. Calmet conjectures, that the {shoterim} here may have been the heralds of the army.
three days <03117 07969> [three days.]
Go .................. cross <05674> [ye shall.]
Remember <02142> [Remember.]
armed for battle <02571> [armed. Heb. marshalled by five.]
warriors <01368> [the mighty.]
Lord ................. Lord .......................... Lord's <03068> [Until.]
go back <07725> [then ye shall.]
Lord <03068> [only the Lord.]
rebels <04784> [that doth rebel.]
executed <04191> [he shall be.]
strong <02388> [only be.]
sent <07971> [sent. or, had sent. Shittim.]
spies out .... secretly <07270 02791> [to spy secretly.]
Jericho <03405> [even Jericho.]
prostitute <0802 02181> [harlot's house.]
Though the word {zonah} generally denotes a prostitute, yet many very learned men are of opinion that it should be here rendered an innkeeper or hostess, from {zoon,} to furnish or provide food. In this sense it was understood by the Targumist, who renders it, {ittetha pundekeetha,} "a woman, a tavern-keeper," and so St. Chrysostome, in his second sermon on Repentance, calls her [pandokeutria.] The Greek [porn‚,] by which the LXX. render it, and which is adopted by the Apostles, is derived from [perna¢,] to sell, and is also supposed to denote a tavern keeper. Among the ancients, women generally kept houses of entertainment. Herodotus says, "Among the Egyptians, the women carry on all commercial concerns, and keep taverns, while the men continue at home and weave." The same custom prevailed among the Greeks.
[Rachab.]
spent the night <07901> [lodged. Heb. lay.]
king ...... report <04428 0559> [told the king.]
Turn over <03318> [Bring.]
spy <02658> [to search.]
shut <05462> [of shutting.]
left ........ heading <03318 01980 0582> [the men went out.]
roof ................. roof <01406> [to the roof.]
hidden ..... stalks <02934 06086> [hid them.]
fords <04569> [the fords.]
shut <05462> [they shut.]
know <03045> [I know.]
Lord <03068> [that the Lord.]
absolutely terrified <0367> [your terror.]
cringing <04127> [faint. Heb. melt.]
heard <08085> [For we.]
<06213> [what ye did.]
lost ... courage <03824> [our hearts.]
<06965> [did there remain. Heb. rose up.]
Lord <03068> [for the Lord.]
promise ..... an oath <07650> [swear.]
shown ..... show <06213> [that ye will.]
family <01> [my father's.]
Give .... solemn <05414 0571> [give me.]
father <01> [my father.]
It is observable that in this enumeration of her kindred, there is no mention made of a husband. It is most likely that she was a single woman or widow, who obtained an honest livelihood by keeping a house for the entertainment of strangers; and not a woman of ill fame, as some have supposed. The spies sent on this occasion were certainly some of the most confidential persons that Joshua had in his host, and their errand was of the greatest importance; is it then not most likely that they lodged at an inn?
[for your's. Heb. instead of you to die.]
Lord <03068> [when the Lord.]
down <03381> [she let them.]
house <01004> [for her house.]
hill country <03212 02022> [Get you.]
red rope <02339 08144> [scarlet thread.]
gather together <0622> [bring. Heb. gather. thy father.]
who .... house ...................... house <0834 01004> [whosoever.]
death ................. harmed <01818 02351> [street, his blood.]
house ........ death ............... house ... harmed <01818 01004> [house, his blood.]
report <05046> [And if thou.]
not bound <05355> [we will be quit.]
tied <07194> [And she bound.]
find <04672> [found them not.]
Surely ... Lord <03588 03068> [Truly the Lord.]
live <03427> [all the inhabitants.]
cringing <04127> [faint. Heb. melt.]
early <07925> [rose early.]
Archbishop Usher supposes, that this was upon Wednesday, the 28th of April, A.M. 2553, the fortieth year of the Exodus from Egypt. From Shittim, where the israelites had been encamped for about two months (De 1:3), to the Jordan, was, according to Josephus, about sixty stadia; that is, between seven and eight English miles.
Shittim <07851> [Shittim.]
Jordan <03383> [Jordan.]
Jordan, called by the Arabs El Sharia, takes its rise in Anti-Libanus, about twelve miles north of C‘sarea Philippi, now Banias; and, having run about twelve miles southward, it receives a considerable stream, which is now called the Moiet Hasbeia. About 15 miles farther, it forms the waters of Merom or Semechon, now Houle; and, after running about 28 miles more, it passes through the lake of Gennesareth, and thence runs southward till it loses itself in the Dead Sea; its whole course being about 160 miles.
three days <07969 03117> [three days.]
see <07200> [When ye see.]
see <07200> [See on]
priests <03548> [the priests.]
leave <05265> [ye shall remove.]
<07350> [a space.]
before <08543> [heretofore. Heb. since yesterday and the third day.]
consecrate <06942> [Sanctify.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
Pick ................. picked <05375> [Take up.]
honor ... before <01431 05869> [magnify thee.]
Moses <04872> [that, as I was.]
Instruct <06680> [command.]
wade <05975> [ye shall stand.]
listen .... words <01697 08085> [Hear the words.]
know <03045> [Hereby ye.]
living <02416> [living.]
among <07130> [among.]
drive out before <03423 06440> [drive out from.]
<0113> [the Lord.]
enter <05674> [passeth.]
<03709> [the soles.]
Lord <03068> [of the Lord.]
carrying ... ark <05375 0727> [bearing the ark.]
feet <07272> [the feet.]
Jordan .................. Jordan <04390 03383> [Jordan overfloweth.]
The ordinary current of the Jordan, near where the Israelites crossed, is said by Maundrell, to be about twenty yards across, deeper than a man's height, and so rapid, that there is no swimming against it. It has, however, two banks; the first, or inner one, is that of the river in its natural state, and the second, or outer one, about a furlong distant, is that of its overflowings, which it does when the summer's sun has melted the snow on mount Lebanon and Hermon, in the months of March and April. And this was the time which God chose that the Israelites should pass over it; that a miraculous interposition might be necessary; and that, by the miracle, they might be convinced of his omnipotence.
time <03117> [all the time.]
<06965> [rose up.]
Zarethan <06891> [Zaretan.]
[Zartanah.]
[Zarthan. the salt sea.]
The passage through the Red Sea took place in the night, when the Israelites were fleeing from the Egyptians with great trepidation: but they passed Jordan in the day-time, with previous warning, leisurely, directly opposite to Jericho, and with a triumphant defiance of the Canaanites; this passage into the promised land evidently typifying the believer's passage through death to heaven.
priests <03548> [the priests.]
stood firmly <05975 03559> [stood firm.]
Israel <03478> [all the Israelites.]
other <08552 05674> [were clean passed.]
men <0582 08147> [twelve men.]
[the priest's fees.]
stones <08147 068> [twelve stones.]
put ..... place where you camp <03240 04411> [leave them.]
appointed <03559> [prepared.]
reminder <0226> [a sign.]
children <01121> [when your.]
someday <04279> [in time to come. Heb. to-morrow.]
water ...................... water <04325> [the waters.]
memorial <02146> [memorial.]
did .... Joshua ........................... Joshua <06213 03091> [did so as Joshua.]
set up twelve <06965 08147> [set up twelve.]
day <03117> [and they are there.]
These words might be written by Joshua at the close of his life, or perhaps be added by some later prophet. It seems from this verse, that there were two sorts of stones erected as a memorial of this great event: twelve at Gilgal (ver. 20,) and twelve in the bed of the Jordan; which last might have been placed on a base of strong stone work, so high as always to be visible, and serve to mark the very spot where the priests stood with the ark. Drs. Kennicott and Shuckford, however, would read here with the Syriac, {mittoch,} "from the midst," instead of {bethoch,} "in the midst;" and render, "And Joshua took up the twelve stones (taken) from the midst of Jordan," etc. But this reading is unsupported by any MS. yet collated; and it appears wholly unnecessary.
standing .... middle <05975 08432> [stood in the midst.]
Moses <04872> [Moses.]
quickly <04116> [hasted.]
ark <0727> [that the ark.]
Reubenites Gadites ............... Israelites <01121> [the children.]
battle-ready troops <02502 06635> [prepared for war. or, ready armed.]
plains <06160> [to the plains.]
honor <01431> [magnified.]
respected .......... respected <03372> [they feared him.]
up <05927> [Come ye up.]
<03709> [the soles.]
<05423> [lifted up. Heb. plucked up. that the waters.]
As soon as the priests and the ark were come up out of Jordan, the waters of the river, which had stood on a heap, flowed down according to their natural and usual course, and again soon filled the channel. This make it abundantly evident, that the miraculous change which had been given to the river was not from any secret natural cause, but solely by the power of God, and for the sake of his chosen people; for when Israel's host had passed through, and the token of his presence was removed, immediately the waters went forward again: so that if it be asked, "What aileth thee, O Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" it must be answered, it was in obedience to the God of Israel, and in kindness to the Israel of God.
<03212> [and flowed. Heb. went.]
first month <02320 07223> [first month.]
Gilgal <01537> [Gilgal.]
That is, the place afterwards called Gilgal; for it is so called here by anticipation. It was about ten furlongs east from Jericho, and fifty west from the Jordan. See Josephus and Calmet.
Israelites .... children <01121> [When your.]
someday <04279> [in time to come. Heb. to-morrow.]
Lord ....................... Lord <03068> [as the Lord.]
The parents must take that occasion to tell their children of the drying up of the Red Sea forty years before: "As the Lord your God did to the Red Sea." It greatly magnifies later mercies to compare them with those before enjoyed; for, by making the comparison, it appears that God is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. Later blessings should also bring to remembrance former mercies, and revive thankfulness for them.
dried ....................... dried <03001> [which he dried.]
nations <05971> [all the people.]
power <02389> [that it is.]
obey <03372> [ye might.]
<03117> [for ever. Heb. all days.]
kings ............. kings <04428> [all the kings.]
Canaanite <03669> [Canaanites.]
west ............. seacoast <03220> [which were by.]
When <08085> [heard.]
breathe <07307> [neither was.]
flint knives <02719 06697> [sharp knives. or, knives of flints.]
Before the use of iron was common, all the nations of the earth had their edge tools made of stones, flints, etc. Our ancestors had their arrows and spearheads made of flint; which are frequently turned up by the plough. And even when iron became more common, stone knives seem to have been preferred for making incisions in the human body. The Egyptians used such to open the bodies for embalming; and the tribe of Alnajab in Ethiopia, who follow the Mosaic institution, perform the rite of circumcision, according to Ludolf, {cultris lapidibus,} with knives made of stone.
circumcise <04135> [circumcise.]
Joshua <03091> [Joshua.]
Hill .... Foreskins <06190 01389> [the hill of the foreskins. or, Gibeah haaraloth.]
circumcised .................. uncircumcised <04135> [they had not.]
traveled <01980> [walked.]
sworn ............. see ...... sworn <07650 07200> [sware that.]
land ........... land <0776> [a land.]
sons <01121> [their children.]
<08552> [when they, etc. Heb. when the people had made an end to be circumcised. till they were whole.]
taken away <01556> [I rolled away.]
Gilgal <01537> [Gilgal.]
That is, rolling.
celebrated ... Passover <06453 06213> [kept the passover.]
produce <05669> [old corn.]
The people would find abundance of old corn in the deserted granaries of the affrighted inhabitants: and the barley harvest being ripe, after offering the sheaf of first-fruits, they ate also new parched corn; and thus the manna being no longer necessary, ceased, after having been sent them regularly for almost forty years. To Christians the manna for their souls shall never fail, till they arrive at the Canaan above, to feast on its rich and inexhaustible provisions.
unleavened bread <04682> [unleavened cakes.]
manna ................... manna <04478> [the manna.]
ate ............ ate <0398> [but they did eat.]
