Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
NOw after the death of Moſes the ſervant of the Lord, it came to paſſe that the Lord spake unto Joſhua, &c.] Here begins the hiſtory of Iſraels commonwealth under the government of Joſhua; and therefore is this book called the book of Joſhua. Some adde alſo, that it was ſo called becauſe it was written by Joſhua; which may be judged the more probable, firſt, becauſe the example of Moſes herein, who wrote the State of Iſraels common-wealth in his time, might be a ſtrong inducement to Joſhua to do the like: and ſecondly, becauſe that place, chap 24.26. And Joſhua wrote theſe words in the book of the Law of God, &c. is an evident proof that he wrote ſome part of this book, if not that he wrote it all. It is true, there are ſome paſſages in this book which could not be written by Joſhua; as 1. That mention which is made of the book of Jaſher, Chap. 10.13. And the Sunne ſtood still, and the Moon ſtayed untill the people had avenged themſelves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jaſher? for this book of Jaſher was written after Davids time, as is evident, 2. Sam. 1.18. where it is ſaid, that David bid them teach the children of Judah the uſe of the bow; behold it was written in the book of Jaſher. 2. That ſtory of the expedition of the Danites when they took Laiſh, mentioned in this book of Joſhua, chap. 19.47. which was long after that, Judges 18.1. &c. and 3. The relation of Joſhua his death and buriall, chap. 24.29, 30. Theſe things, and ſome others that might be picked out could not indeed be written by Joſhua; but though the book it ſelf were written by Joſhua, yet theſe paſſages might be inſerted afterwards by ſome other Penman of the holy Ghoſt: for ſo alſo in the foregoing books which all men yield were written by Moſes, we find ſome paſſages too, that could not be written by Moſes himſelf, but were afterwards added by ſome other, as is noted upon that relation of the death & buriall of Moſes, Deut. 34.5. &c. However, ſufficient it is for us to know, that whoever wrote this book he wrote it by the inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt; for hereto there is a teſtimonie given in the new Teſtament, where ſome paſſages thereof are cited as parts of the ſacred Scripture, the word of God; as that which in this chapter is ſpoken to Joſhua, and cited by S. Paul, Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee nor forſake thee. As for this firſt paſſage wherewith this book begins, it ſhews how Joſhua received a command from God to lead the Iſraelites over Jordan into the land of Canaan; the Lord had before appointed that Joſhua ſhould ſucceed Moſes in the government of Iſrael, Numb. 27.18. and upon the laying of Moſes hands upon him, he had received an extraordinary meaſure of the gifts of Gods ſpirit to inable him for the government, Deut. 34.9. And therefore doubtleſſe immediately after the death of Moſes, Joſhua took upon him the ſupreme Magiſtracy: But here now we are told how either at that time ſo ſoon as Moſes was dead, or rather after the thirty dayes that were ſpent in lamenting the death of Moſes, Deut. 34.8. the Lord spake unto Joſhua the ſonne of Nun, Moſes miniſter, and gave him that charge which is here after related. Whether God ſpake this to Joſhua by an audible voice, by the ſecret inſtinct of his ſpirit, in ſome dream or viſion, or by the high-prieſts inquiring for him by the Ʋrim and Thummim we cannot conclude, becauſe we find it not expreſſed, onelyonly we find that God had formerly promiſed that Eleazar the prieſt ſhould ask counſel for him after the judgement of Ʋrim before the Lord, Num. 27.21. But for this title given here to Joſhua, that he was Moſes miniſter, the Lord ſpake unto Joſhua, Moſes miniſter; we may well think that was purpoſely added to imply one reaſon amongſt others, why Joſhua was moſt fit to ſucceed Moſes in the government, to wit, becauſe having been ſo many years together his miniſter, by his continuall & daily converſation with Moſes he could not but learn much thereby to prepare and fit him the better for this ſervice.
Verſ. 2. Moſes my ſervant is dead, now therefore ariſe, &c.] Here the Lord exhorts Joſhua, that ſince Moſes was dead, he ſhould now lead the Iſraelites over Jordan, and carry them into the land, which according to his former promiſes made to their fathers, he was now ready to conferre upon them. Now in mentioning the death of Moſes he uſeth this expreſſion, Moſes my ſervant is dead; firſt, and principally, to imply what it was he required of him, to wit, that as their captain and ſupreme governour he ſhould now conduct them into the land of Canaan, for Moſes is here called Gods ſervant, in regard of the ſupreme magiſtracy whereto God had advanced him, and ſo the drift of the words is, that ſince Moſes their governour was dead, he ſhould now as his ſucceſſour go before the people in his ſtead: ſecondly, to imply, that as Moſes in his magiſtracy was ſubordinate to Gods will, and was onelyonly to do all things according to his direction, ſo muſt it be with Joſhua too: and thirdly, that by ſpeaking thus honourably of Moſes, Moſes my ſervant, Joſhua might be encouraged faithfully to ſerve God in his place, as Moſes had done, that he alſo might gain ſuch favour and eſteem with God as Moſes had gained.
Verſ. 3. Every place that the ſole of your foot ſhall tread upon, that have I given unto you, &c.] That is, every place in the land formerly promiſed them, which is deſcribed and bounded in the following words, firſt, by the wilderneſſe that they had paſſed through, which was their South bound; ſecondly, the mountain Lebanon, and the great river, the river Euphrates, which was their North border, and thirdly, the great Sea, that is, the midland-ſea, which was their Weſt border; as for their Eaſtern border that is not here mentioned; becauſe the Iſraelites were now at the Eaſt ſide of the land, and the drift of theſe words was onelyonly to ſhew Joſhua how farre the land he would give them ſhould reach every where from the place where they now were. Indeed, that the Iſraelites did never extend the bounds of the land thus farre, is evident: for though in Davids and Solomons time all the nations as farre as Euphrates became tributaries to the crown of Iſrael, 1. Kings 4.21. Solomon raigned over all kingdomes from the river, (that is, the great river Euphrates) unto the land of the Philiſtines, and unto the border of Egypt, &c. yet they never deſtroyed the inhabitants there, and planted themſelves in their countrey as they did in the land of Canaan: and therefore in that place before cited, ver 25. the land of Iſrael is ſaid to reach onelyonly from Dan to Beerſheba as formerly. But the reaſon of this was, becauſe the people of Iſrael failed in keeping covenant with God, and it was onelyonly upon condition of their obedience, that God promiſed thus farre to inlarge their borders.
Verſ. 5. As I was with Moſes ſo I will be with thee, &c.] In theſe words the Lord doth not onelyonly promiſe Joſhua to aſſiſt him as he had aſſiſted Moſes, but withall likewiſe by putting him in mind of the great things he had done for Moſes, he doth covertly encourage him againſt the fear of thoſe mighty nations with whom he was to encounter.
Verſ. 6. Be ſtrong and of a good courage, &c.] We find this often preſſed upon Joſhua, firſt by Moſes, Deut. 31.7. And Moſes called unto Joſhua and ſaid unto him, in the ſight of all Iſrael, Be ſtrong and of a good courage, &c. for which he had a ſpeciall command from God, Deut. 1.38. and 3.28. Charge Joſhua, and encourage him, and ſtrengthen him, &c. ſecondly, by the Lord himſelf, Deut. 31.23. and ſo again three ſeverall times in this chapter here, and verſ. 7. and verſ. 9. and laſt of all, by the people. And why was this? not becauſe Joſhua had diſcovered any faintheartedneſſe or cowardiſe; but firſt, becauſe the work he was to undertake was ſo weighty and perillous, and that not onelyonly in regard of thoſe many and mighty nations whom he was to deſtroy and plant the Iſraelites in their room, but eſpecially alſo in regard of the ſtubbornneſſe of the people whom he was to govern, of whoſe rebellion againſt Moſes, yea againſt God, he had often been an eye-witneſſe: ſecondly, becauſe the Lord knew well that Joſhua had humble and low thoughts of himſelf, and feared much his inſufficiency for ſo great a charge, as indeed the wiſer and the more able men are, the more jealous they are of themſelves in ſuch caſes: and thirdly, becauſe even thoſe that are beſt reſolved do yet need to be quickned and ſtirred up; and that principally, leſt they ſhould ſhrink from doing exactly what God hath enjoyned them for fear of any difficulty that may lie in their way: of which God gives Joſhua ſpeciall warning in the following verſe, OnelyOnly be thou ſtrong and very couragious, that thou mayeſt obſerve to do according to all the Law which Moſes my ſervant commanded thee, &c.
For unto this people ſhalt thou divide for an inheritance, the land, &c.] As if he had ſaid, this I have appointed to be thy honour, and therefore be not afraid to undertake the charge. And indeed this was the principall thing wherein Joſhua was a type of Chriſt; Moſes did not carry the Iſraelites into the land of Canaan, but Moſes being dead Joſhua did it: ſo neither could the Law carry us into the heavenly Canaan; for by the righteouſneſſe of the Law can no man be ſaved: but Chriſt, our Jeſus, our Saviour hath by his merits opened a way for us into the heavenly Canaan, and is gone before to prepare a place for us, John 14.2, 3. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to my ſelf, that where I am, there you may be alſo.
Verſ. 7. Turn not from it to the right hand, or to the left, that thou mayest proſper whitherſoever thou goeſt.] If we reade the words as it is in our Bibles, then there is here a promiſe implyed, That if Joſhua did ſtrictly obſerve Gods law, not yielding any way to turn aſide from that rule, he ſhould proſper in every thing that he undertook. But if we reade the laſt clauſe as it is in the margin of our Bibles, that thou mayest do wiſely whitherſoever thou goeſt; then the drift of theſe words muſt be, either to give Joſhua to underſtand, that it would be his greateſt wiſdome to do in all things as God in his Law had enjoyned him, whatever his own reaſon might ſuggeſt to the contrary; which agrees with that of the Prophet, Jer. 8.9. They have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wiſdome is in them? Or elſe, to aſſure him, that if he did ſincerely obſerve to do all things according to Gods law, then the Lord would more abundantly poure forth the ſpirit of wiſdome upon him; which agreeth with that of David, Pſal. 25.12. What man is he that feareth the Lord? him ſhall he teach in the way that he ſhall chuſe: and that of our Saviour, Matth. 13.12. Whoſoever hath, to him ſhall be given, and he ſhall have more abundance.
Verſ. 8. This book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, &c.] The book of the Law which Moſes wrote, was delivered to the Levites, to be laid up by them in the ſide of the ark, Deut. 31.25, 26. it was therefore a copy of this law, whereof the Lord here ſpake to Joſhua, This book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth; and the meaning of this is, that by frequent and continuall reading and conference, he ſhould labour to be ſo expert in it, that in all his judgements he ſhould be able readily to judge as it was in that Law determined, and in all other things to order himſelf according to the directions which were there given.
Verſ. 11. Prepare you victuals, for within three dayes you ſhall paſſe over Jordan.] For though as yet they had that manna from heaven, yet where other meat might be had, they were not debarred the eating of it. See Deut. 2.6. Now though the ſtory of the ſpies that were ſent to view Jericho, be related in the following chapter, yet doubtleſſe this charge given by the Officers to the people, for preparing victualls for themſelves againſt they were to paſſe over Jordan, was given them after they were returned from Jericho. For this charge was given but three dayes before they were to go over Jordan, and the ſpies ſtayed three daies in the mountains for fear of thoſe that purſued them as they returned from Jericho, chap. 2.22.
Verſ. 14. But ye ſhall paſſe before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour.] That is, you ſhall paſſe over Jordan together with your brethren, and all that paſſe over ſhall be mighty men of valour, or of the prime choice of your armies: for that Joſhua left garriſons in every city of theſe tribes for the guard of thoſe they left behind them, is evident. See Numb. 32.21.
Verſ. 17. According as we hearkned to Moſes in all things, ſo will we hearken unto thee.] That is, as we acknowledged Moſes and obeyed him as our ſupreme Magiſtrate, ſo will we likewiſe obey thee. Nor need we wonder that they ſhould thus expreſſe themſelves, becauſe of the frequent rebellion of this people againſt Moſes: For firſt, that mutinous generation were all deſtroyed in the wilderneſſe, and it was their poſterity, that had been more obſequious to Moſes, that made this promiſe. And ſecondly, even the people formerly had ordinarily yielded obedience to Moſes, though now and then they brake into rebellion againſt him.
OnelyOnly the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moſes.] That is, the Lord proſper thee in all thy proceedings and attempts, as he proſpered Moſes: and this they adde, either onelyonly by occaſion of the mention they had made of Moſes in the former words, the high & precious eſteem they alwayes had of him cauſing them thus abruptly to break forth into this wiſh or prayer, That the Lord would be with him as he was with Moſes; or elſe, to intimate an acknowledgment, that however they would be ready to go over with their brethren, and aid them againſt the inhabitans of Canaan; yet it was not ſo much their help as the Lords help that muſt make them victorious: We will, ſay they, paſſe over Jordan, and do in all things what thou ſhalt enjoyn us, onelyonly the Lord, that wrought ſo great things for us under the government of Moſes, afford us the ſame aſſiſtance and favour under thy government too.