Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Verſ. 2. TAke ye twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, &c.] being paſſed over Jordan the Lord repeats the charge given them before, chap. 1. verſ. 12. And indeed therefore was it there onelyonly briefly touched becauſe it was to be here again more largely expreſſed.
Verſ. 3. Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the Prieſts feet ſtood firm, twelve ſtones, &c.] In the ſeventh verſe the reaſon is expreſſed why theſe twelve ſtones were to be taken up out of Jordan, about the place where the Prieſts had ſtood with the ark, and to be carried to the place where they were to lodge that night, which was Gilgal, verſ. 19. namely that they might there ſtand as a memoriall to ſucceeding generations of this miraculous work, when the Lord was pleaſed to divide Jordan before the ark that the twelve tribes might paſſe over to take poſſeſſion of the land which he had given them for an inheritance: But may ſome ſay, ſeeing the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and one half of the tribe of Manaſſeh, had already their inheritance aſſigned them without Jordan, yea and were already in poſſeſſion of it, why were theſe tribes with the reſt to teſtifie their thankfulneſſe by ſetting up this memoriall of Gods miraculous dividing of Jordan before them? Now for the anſwer of this, it is not enough to ſay, that about fourtie thouſand of theſe tribes went over Jordan at this time with the reſt of their brethren to aſſiſt them in their warres, and that becauſe theſe ſtones were ſet up in the name of the whole tribes, and therefore the queſtion ſtill remains why theſe tribes were to come in for a ſhare in erecting this monument of Gods praiſe, that had for their particular no ſhare in the merciemercy? The truer anſwer therefore I conceive to be this, That theſe tribes were to joyn with the reſt herein, firſt, Becauſe the whole people of Iſrael though conſiſting of twelve ſeverall tribes were yet all one body, and therefore no good could be done to any of the tribes, but the whole body muſt needs have an intereſt in it, and ought to be thankfull for it: and ſecondly, Becauſe hereby they might ſhew that the land which was allotted them without Jordan was a part of that land of promiſe, the poſſeſſion whereof was thankfully acknowledged in thoſe twelve ſtones which were now ſet up in Gilgal.
Verſ. 9. And Joſhua ſet up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, &c.] even this alſo no doubt the Lord had given in charge to Joſhua, though it be not expreſſed, and that for the ſame end that the other were ſet in Gilgal. For though they were hid under water yet the report of their being there ſet might be a memoriall of that great work; and beſides, at a low ebbe they might happely be ſeen, at leaſt the daſhing of the waters againſt them might be perceived.
And they are there unto this day.] This clauſe could not be written by Joſhua; and yet that proves not that Joſhua wrote not this book; ſince many ſuch paſſages we find here and there even in the books of Moſes.
Verſ. 10. For the Priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan untill every thing was finiſhed that the Lord commanded Joſhua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moſes commanded Joſhua.] This clauſe, according to all that Moſes commanded Joſhua, cannot be ſo underſtood, as if Moſes had particularly commanded Joſhua that which was now done by the Prieſts and people in their paſſage over Jordan. For Moſes had never ſpoken of any ſuch thing to Joſhua, but Joſhua had received theſe directions immediately from God. But the meaning of theſe words is onelyonly this, that all was done as God commanded Joſhua, which was according to what Moſes had given Joſhua in charge: Moſes had commanded Joſhua to ſee that all things were done according to the word of the Lord, and ſo it was in this particular of their paſſage over Jordan, according to the charge he had received from Moſes, all things were done as the Lord commanded.
And the people haſted and paſſed over.] This haſte which they made in paſſing over was not ſo much becauſe a multitude of people were to paſſe over in a few houres, and were afterwards to go as farre as Gilgal that day, as from their fear and weakneſſe of faith; the ſight of that mountain of waters which ſeemed ready to overwhelm them could not but ſcare them, and hence it was that every man made all the ſpeed he could out of that vale of the ſhadow of death. Now this is the rather added in this place, the more hereby to extoll the faith of the prieſts, who ſtood ſtill without moving in the midſt of Jordan till the whole camp of Iſrael were gotten over into the land of Canaan, and all other things were done concerning the ſtones ſet up in Gilgal, and in the midſt of Jordan, as God had appointed.
Verſ. 13. About fourty thouſand prepared for warre paſſed over, &c.] To wit, of Ruben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manaſſeh, the reſt being left in garriſon for the defence of the land, their wives, children, and cattell: for at the laſt numbring of the people, there was of the Reubenites fourty three thouſand ſeven hundred and thirty, and of the Gadites fourty thouſand five hundred, Numb. 26.7, 18. beſides the half of Manaſſehs tribe, who were in all fifty two thouſand ſeven hundred, Numb. 26.34.
Verſ. 19. And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the firſt monethmonth.] Which was the very day whereon, by the Law, the lambe for the Paſſeover was to be ſet apart, Exod. 12.3. And hereby it is clear, that it was full fourty years within foure or five dayes, from the coming of the Iſraelites out of Egypt, to their entrance into the land of promiſe; for they came out of Egypt on the fifteenth day of the firſt monethmonth, and now on the tenth day of the firſt monethmonth they entred the land of Canaan.
Verſ. 23. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you untill ye were paſſed over, &c.] The Iſraelites are appointed thus to anſwer their children for many generations after, when they ſhould inquire concerning thoſe ſtones that were ſet up in Gilgal, even as if that miracle had been wrought for them in their own perſons, the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, &c. and that becauſe in that the Lord did this for their Anceſtours, he did it for them, who were then in the loyns of their Anceſtours, and that in regard of the profeſſion of the ſame faith, they might look upon that which was done for their Anceſtours, as a pledge of his fatherly love to them alſo, and his care of their welfare.