Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Verſ. 1. BƲt the children of Iſrael committed a treſpaſſe in the accurſed thing.] That is, one of the Iſraelites. The people being conſidered conjunctim, as one entire body, that which was done by one of the members is here aſcribed to the whole body of Iſrael.
For Achan the ſonne of Carmi, the ſonne of Zabdi, the ſonne of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accurſed thing.] This Achan is alſo called Achar, 1. Chron. 2.7. which ſignifieth a troubler, whence he is called there Achar the troubler of Iſrael, as likewiſe the place where he was ſtoned is called the valley of Achar, that is, of trouble, verſ. 26. of this chapter. Partly the better to evidence the certain truth of the hiſtorie, and partly to implie the ſtain he brought upon his anceſtours, his genealogie is here ſet down, to wit, that Carmi was his father, and ſo Zabdi, who is alſo called Zimri, 1. Chron. 2.6. his grandfather, and Zerah or Zarah, who was the ſonne of Judah, Gen. 38.30. was his great grandfather. Indeed conſidering that Zerah was at leaſt fourteen years old when he went with his father Judah and his grandfather Jacob into Egypt, about the yeare of the world 2298. (as by computation of years gathered from the hiſtorie of Moſes may be made evident) and that from their going down into Egypt, unto the deſtruction of Jericho are uſually reckoned at the leaſt two hundred fiftie and ſix years, it may well ſeem ſtrange that in all this time there ſhould be but foure generations, Zerah the ſonne of Judah being but the great grandfather of Achan. But this doubt may well be ſatisfied by yielding that each of theſe that are mentioned were born in their fathers latter dayes. For if Zerah begat Zabdi when he was ſeventie and one years old, fiftie ſeven years after his going into Egypt, in the yeare of the world 2355. and Zabdi begat Carmi at ſeventie years old in the yeare of the world 2425. and Carmi begat Achan alſo at ſeventie years old in the yeare of the world 2495. then was Achan at their coming out of Egypt nineteen years old, and at the ſacking of Jericho about fiftie nine or threeſcore.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt the children of Iſrael.] To wit, becauſe Iſrael had ſinned, as it is ſaid before: And indeed as in the bodie we uſe to beat the back for any offence committed by the tongue; ſo in bodies politick, civill ſocieties, it is no wonder that God ſhould lay upon any of the members temporall puniſhments for a ſinne committed by another of that body; eſpecially if we conſider that God may have alwayes juſt cauſe to puniſh any of his people for ſinne in themſelves, though for the preſent he take occaſion to ſtrike for the ſinne of another, that men may learn to hate ſinne the more, which brings ruine upon more many times then the ſinner himſelf, and be the more ſtudious to bring others to fear God as themſelves do.
Verſ. 2. And Joſhua ſent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beſides Beth-aven, on the east ſide of Beth-el, &c.] This Ai in Gen. 12.8. is written Hai, and Nehem. 11.31. Aijah. It is ſaid here to have been near both to Beth-el and Beth-aven; Beth-el therefore was not farre from Beth-aven which ſignifieth the houſe of vanity, or of a lie; and in regard whereof it was that when Jeroboam had ſet up his idols in Beth-el, by ſignification the houſe of God, the prophets were wont to call it in contempt and ſcorn by the name of this neighbour town Beth-aven, the houſe of vanity. Hoſ. 4.15. Though thou Iſrael play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend, and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor ſwear, The Lord liveth. & 10.5. The inhabitants of Samaria ſhall fear becauſe of the calves of Beth-aven. Now to this Ai Joſhua ſent ſpies as before to Jericho, yet theſe men were not to go into Ai, as before into Jericho, but into the countrey about …t where they might view the paſſages, and obſerve afarre off the ſtrength and fortifications of the city; Go up, ſaith he, view the countrey.
Verſ. 3. And they returned to Joſhua and ſaid unto him, Let not all the people go up, &c.] And thus by the confidence and reſolution of theſe men, and by their ſlighting of Ai as a place of no ſtrength, that might eaſily be taken by a few of the Iſraelites, the Lord did ſecretly make way to that which he had purpoſed to do in the chaſtiſing of the Iſraelites for the ſinne of Achan. Doubtleſſe the ſpies ſpake what they thought, to wit, that it was needleſſe to carry up the whole hoſt of Iſrael againſt ſo ſmall a city as Ai was, Let about two or three thouſand go up, ſay they, and ſmite Ai, and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. But God had a further end in this which they knew not of; namely, that the Iſraelites might be ſmitten by the men of Ai (whereas had all the armie of Iſrael gone up, the inhabitants of Ai would not have dared to have ſallied out,) and withall, that this might be done but to a ſmall company of the Iſraelites to ſpeak of, that the loſſe and diſhonour might be the leſſe. And hence it was too, that Joſhua and the reſt did ſo preſently approve of this advice of the ſpies, whenas otherwiſe much might have been ſaid againſt it.
Verſ. 4. So there went up thither of the people about three thouſand men, and they fled before the men of Ai.] Notwithſtanding the men of Ai were doubtleſſe, as the reſt of the inhabitants of Canaan, greatly dejected with fear of the Iſraelites, and the Iſraelites on the other ſide much imboldned with the late wonders God had wrought for them, and particularly with the overthrow and deſtruction of Jericho, and though they went not raſhly againſt this city (for he had ſent ſpies beforehand to ſearch out the paſſages and advantages of the countrey, and whereas the ſpies had adviſed to ſend two or three thouſand, he had for the better aſſurance pitched upon the greater number, to wit, three thouſand, and thoſe no doubt of his choiceſt ſouldiers) yet when the men of Ai ſallied out, the Iſraelites fled preſently before them: which ſhews plainly, that God being offended did in an ex…raordinary manner ſtrike them with aſtoniſhment and fear.
Verſ. 5. For they chaſed them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and ſmote them in the going down.] That is, in the deſcent of a hill. So that it ſeems the Iſraelites fled at the firſt on-ſet, before a man was ſlain of them, being ſtricken with a ſtrange fear, and were onelyonly ſlain flying.
Wherefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.] That is, the whole people of Iſrael were extremely terrified and diſmaid becauſe of the flight of thoſe forces they had ſent againſt Ai. It is ſtrange alſo indeed that ſo poore a loſſe as this (for there were but ſix and thirty ſlain) ſhould drive the whole camp of Iſrael into ſuch a terrour: But God had withdrawn his ſupporting hand, and in this caſe the moſt ſtout and valiant will ſoon ſhrink and be afraid.
Verſ. 6. And Joſhua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face, &c.] To wit, becauſe the Canaanites had thus put the Iſraelites to flight. The loſſe they had received indeed was nothing to ſpeak of: for what was the loſſe of ſix and thirty men to them that had ſo many hundred thouſand in their Camp? But alas it was not their loſſe ſo much as the apprehenſion of Gods diſpleaſure that lay ſo heavy upon them. God had promiſed that no man ſhould be able to ſtand before them, Chap. 3.16. and that he would without fail drive out the inhabitants of the land before them, Chap. 3.10. their flying therefore now before the enemy, eſpecially in ſo inglorious a manner, was to them an argument, that God was offended with them, and ſo had withdrawn himſelf from their help, and hence was this heavy lamentation: even the ſmalleſt affliction, if it be looked upon as an effect of Gods anger, is terrible to the people of God. Wicked men onelyonly grieve for the puniſhment, and therefore ſo long as God viſits them with a more gentle hand by way of warning they never regard it. But the genuine children of God mourn chiefly ſtill for Gods diſpleaſure, which if it be diſcovered by a frown or the leaſt chaſtiſement it wounds them to the heart. Concerning this cuſtome of rending their clothes when they were greatly afflicted for any thing that befell them, ſee the note upon Gen. 37.29.
And put duſt upon their heads.] This was another expreſſion of grief which the Jews and other nations likewiſe in former times uſed upon any extraordinary occaſion of ſorrow, as we may ſee, 1. Sam. 4.12. Job 2.12. And when they lift up their eyes afarre off and knew him not, they lift up their voice and wept, and they rent every one his mantle, and ſprinkled duſt upon their heads towards heaven. Ezek. 27.30. And ſhall cauſe their voice to be heard againſt thee and ſhall cry bitterly, and ſhall caſt up duſt upon their heads, and ſhall wallow themſelves in the aſhes; and was practiſed at this time by Joſhua and the elders of Iſrael, 1. by way of humbling themſelves before God, even to imply what Abraham in expreſſe words acknowledged Gen. 18.27. that they were but duſt and aſhes, not worthy to appear before God, or to ſpeak unto him: 2. By way of imploring Gods mercy to them in regard of the frailty of their condition, according to that expreſſion which Job uſeth, Job 10.9. Remember, I beſeech thee, that thou haſt made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me into duſt again; and David, Pſal. 103.14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembreth that we are but duſt: and 3. By way of repreſenting their miſerable and ſad condition which with words they were not able ſufficiently to expreſſe, even that they were brought down to the very duſt, to a low and poor and deſpiſed condition, and were indeed in a manner as ſo many dead men.
Verſ. 7. And Joſhua ſaid, Alas O Lord God, wherefore haſt thou at all brought this people over Jordan, &c.] Some expoſitours ſeek to give ſuch an interpretation to theſe words, as may wholly clear Joſhua from that which the words ſeem to intend, to wit, an impatient expoſtulation with God for bringing the Iſraelites over Jordan that he might there deliver them into the hands of the Amorites to deſtroy them, and to that end they make the meaning of his words to be onelyonly this, That he deſired to know of God what it was wherewith he had provoked him to deliver them up into the power of their enemies, over whom otherwiſe they ſhould have been victorious, as if he had ſaid, It is not O Lord without cauſe that thou haſt withdrawn thine aſſiſtance from us, and ſuffered theſe uncircumciſed people to put us to ſlight, and therefore make known to us we beſeech thee what the ſinne is whereby we have forfeited thoſe promiſes thou haſt made to us, of driving out the inhabitants of this land before us; And ſo likewiſe they underſtand the following clauſe, would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other ſide Jordan, as intended onelyonly to imply how much better it had been for them to have ſtayed in the land without Jordan, then to be brought over Jordan to be deſtroyed by the inhabitants there. And indeed it cannot be well thought that either Joſhua did indeed think that God had brought them over Jordan purpoſely that the Canaanites might there deſtroy them, or that he intended to conteſt and quarrell with God for dealing ſo with him, or that he ſo much as wiſht indeed that they had not come over Jordan. Well, but yet the words do manifeſtly imply more then an humble deſire of knowing what the ſinne was wherewith they had provoked God to let the enemie prevail over them; Wherefore haſt thou at all brought this people over Jordan, &c. are manifeſtly words of Expoſtulation with God; and therefore I conceive that thus we muſt underſtand them, to wit, that though Joſhua did not think indeed that God had a purpoſe to deliver them into the power of the Canaanites, but meant onelyonly to plead with God for his poore people, that he would not repent of the good he had promiſed he would do for them, nor ſuffer the Canaanites to prevail over them, yet in expreſſing his deſire herein, being carried away with his paſſion and ſorrow, he brake forth beyond the bounds of that modeſty and reverence, wherewith it is fit that men ſhould expreſſe their deſires, when they addreſſe themſelves to ſupplicate the great God of heaven and earth.
Verſ. 9. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name?] To wit, becauſe if thy people be cut off, the idolatrous Canaanites will hereupon take occaſion to blaſpheme thy name, ſaying, as Deut. 33.27. Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this, or, the Lord was not able to give them the land which he had promiſed them: and ſo will preferre their idol-gods before the Lord God of Iſrael.
Verſ. 11. For they have taken of the accurſed thing, and have alſo ſtollen, &c.] Here the Lord ſets forth the ſeverall degrees of the hainouſneſſe of that ſinne of Achans, wherewith all Iſrael was involved, for firſt, ſaith the Lord, they have taken of the accurſed thing, that is, they have reſerved to themſelves ſome part of that which as an accurſed thing ſhould have been burnt, to wit, the Babyloniſh garment: ſecondly, they have alſo stollen, that is, they have taken of that alſo which I reſerved for my ſelf, to wit, the gold and ſilver: thirdly, and diſſembled alſo, that is, they have done this cloſely and cunningly, the party offending carrying the matter ſo as if he had done no ſuch thing (which indeed muſt needs be a great aggravation of his ſin, this being no leſſe implicitly, but a deniall of Gods omniſcience, or a bold contempt of his wrath againſt thoſe that tranſgreſſe his Laws:) and then fourthly, they have put it even amongſt their own ſtuffe, which is added as the laſt and higheſt aggravation of this wickedneſſe, becauſe this argued a remorſeleſſe reſolution to hold what he had ſo wickedly gotten, and that he was farre from being ſmitten in conſcience for what he had done.
Verſ. 13. Ʋp, ſanctifie the people, &c.] See the note upon Exod. 19.10.
Verſ. 14. And it ſhall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh ſhall come according to the families thereof, &c.] That is, the tribe upon which that lot falleth, ſhall bring all their ſeverall families, that ſo by caſting of lots, it may alſo be diſcovered which is the guilty familie: for that the guilty tribe, and then the guiltie familie, & then the houſhold were taken by lots, is evident by comparing this place with that in the 1. Sam. 14.41, 42. where the ſame phraſe is uſed, Saul ſaid unto the Lord God of Iſrael, give a perfect lot, and Saul and Jonathan were taken; And Saul ſaid, Caſt lots between me and Jonathan my ſonne, and Jonathan was taken. But why did not the Lord tell Joſhua that Achan was the partie that had ſinned, but cauſe him thus to be diſcovered by caſting of lots? I anſwer: firſt, becauſe by this means the Lord tried Achan whether he would come in voluntarily and confeſſe his ſinne; and indeed by Achans holding out ſo long, even till the lot fell upon his own perſon, there was a notable diſcovery made, how hardly men are brought to confeſſe their ſecret ſinnes, and how prone they are to flatter themſelves with a vain hope, that their ſecret ſinnes ſhall never be diſcovered: and ſecondly, becauſe hereby the Lord made known that even the moſt caſuall things, to wit, the caſting of lots are certainly governed by the providence of God, according to that of Solomon, Prov. 16.33. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole diſpoſing thereof is of God: a truth the fitter to be cleared to this people, becauſe the land was within a ſhort time to be divided amongſt them by lot.
Verſ. 15. And it ſhall be, that he that is taken with the accurſed thing, ſhall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath, &c.] That is, after he hath undergone the puniſhment due to him by the Law, as a preſumptuous tranſgreſſour of Gods command (which was, that he ſhould be ſtoned, Numb. 15.30, 35.) let him be alſo burnt with fire, according as the things anathematized, or accurſed, were to be conſumed. See verſ. 25. And all Iſrael stoned him with ſtones, and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with ſtones.
Verſ. 17. And he brought the familie of Judah, &c.] That is, the families which were foure or five, Numb. 26.20, 21.
And he brought the familie of the Zarhites man by man.] That is, the heads of that familie one after another, to wit, thoſe five mentioned, 1. Chron. 2.6. The ſonnes of Zerah, Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, Dara, five of them in all, and ſo Zabdi was taken, that is, the lot fell upon his poſterity and houſehold, who were brought man by man.
Verſ. 18. And he brought his houſhold man by man, &c.] That is, Joſhua, as above verſ. 16. So Joſhua roſe up early in the morning, &c.
Verſ. 21. And behold they are hid in the earth, in the midſt of my tent, and the ſilver under it.] That is, and the ſilver you ſhall find under the garment, or rather (as the originall may be underſtood) wrapt up within the garment, to wit, becauſe it conſiſted of ſo many ſeverall peices of coyn, and this he expreſſeth, that by this particular relating how they were hid, it might be the more evident that he ſpake truly.
Verſ. 22. So Joſhua ſent meſſengers, and they ran unto the tent, &c.] This running of the meſſengers to Achans tent, to fetch the things ſtollen which he had confeſſed were hidden there, might well proceed from their eager and earneſt deſire to clear themſelves from the accurſed thing which had kindled Gods anger againſt them: (for they were fetched not onelyonly to diſcover the truth of what Achan confeſſed, but alſo that they might be burnt, as God had commanded verſ. 15.) yet it may be alſo, that God commanded them to runne, leſt any upon Achans confeſſion ſhould get thither and remove them elſewhere.
Verſ. 24. And Joſhua and all Iſrael took Achan, &c.] Here the ſtory relates how Joſhua and the Iſraelites took Achan, with the things he had ſtollen, his children, and all that he had, and carried them down to the valley, called afterwards upon this occaſion, the valley of Achar, that they might be there burnt, as God had commanded. Now amongſt other things there being here particular mention made of his oxen, and his aſſes, and his ſheep, &c. it may be gathered from thence, that he had before a competent eſtate, and did not therefore ſteal thoſe things for want, which he took out of the ſpoyl of Jericho, but out of mere covetouſneſſe for the further inriching of himſelf, which was doubtleſſe a great aggravation of his ſinne.
Verſ. 25. And all Iſrael stoned them with ſtones, and burned them with fire after they had ſtoned them with ſtones.] So that both Achan and his ſonnes and daughters were ſtoned. Now though this Joſhua might not have done by the ordinary Law, Deut. 24.16. The father ſhall not be put to death for the children, neither ſhall the children be put to death for the father: yet here it was juſt, becauſe God commanded it; yea though they were no way conſenting to their fathers ſinne: for firſt, God might have reſpect if they were of grown years, to the puniſhment of other ſinnes whereof he knew them guilty, or might take them away in mercy: but however though they were infants, at leaſt ſome of them, to take away the life of innocents by this means, was no injuſtice in God, no more then when he takes them away by the biting of a beaſt or a ſerpent, or by cauſing them to fall into the fire or water, or by the violence of a feaver, or any other means. Gods judgements are many times unſearchable, they are alwayes juſt.
Verſ. 26. And they raiſed over him a great heap of ſtones.] To wit, as a monument to give warning to poſterity not to provoke God by tranſgreſſing his Law as Achan had done, and withall, as a means to prevent that none of the people ſhould meddle with the gold and ſilver, which as an accurſed thing was caſt into the fire.