Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Joshua · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
HEre againe Joshua yet living, to shew his sollicitude for the peoples good, assembleth them in Sechem before the Lord, and maketh his last exhortation to them. Calvin thinketh this assembling of them, to bee the same with Calvin.that, Ch. 23. and that here is onelyonly set forth how he dealt with them more at large. And Comestor joyneth this and that together as one. But Lyra and Ferus, Schol. Histor. Lyra. Ferus.and others hold it to have been done at another time, when Ioshua was yet nearer the time of his death, and the History seemeth to make it plaine that it was so. But why did he assemble them in Sechem, seeing the Tabernacle was in Qu. Shiloh? Answ. The Arke was at this time brought thither, that the people standing before it, might be moved with the more reverence, and the more carefully keep the Covenant now to be renewed. For the standing place of it was in Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was, but now it seemeth that the Arke was in Sechem; for when a great stone was set up there for a remembrance of this renewed Covenant, it is said to have been set up by the Sanctuary, v. 26. and Joshua wrote this Covenant there in the book of the Law, which book was kept in the side of the Arke, Deut. 31. 26. One Sept. Copy for Sechem here hath Shiloh, but all others Sechem. Some thinke Sechem and Shiloh to be all one, but they are deceived; for Sechem was 36 miles from Ierusalem, and Shiloh but 4, see H. B. Patriarchs travailes.Ch. 18. Sechem was neare to mount Ephraim, where Ioshua dwelt and in mount Gerizim, where the blessings and curses had been read, Iosh. 8. 33. wherefore they are in this place now specially assembled.
Your Father dwelt on the other side of the flood, &c. that is, of Euphrates in Chaldea, V. 2.and they served other Gods, of this see Gen. 11. & 12. To move them the more to obedience, hee recounteth Gods benefits towards them, and beginneth with Terah and Abraham, shewing what they were, and what his singular favour was to Abraham, I multiplyed his seed, saith he, and gave him Isaac; that is, first causing Isaac to come of him, and of Isaac Jacob, whose seed was so multiplyed. The V. 3.benefits recounted are 13, as Ferus numbreth them. But how is it said, v. 11. The men of Jericho fought against you, when as they kept within their walls, till that V. 11.they were miraculously throwne downe? Answ. Because they prepared to fight, and fortified their City against them.
And I sent the bornet before you, which drove them out; of this promised, see Exod. V. 12.23. 28. and how it is to be understood. This thing, although we read not of it before, as performed according to the Letter, when they subdued the Kings of the Amorites, Numb. 21. yet here it is shewed to have been done, and that they subdued them not with their sword and their bow.
The foundation of remembring Gods benefits being laid, he now exhorteth V. 14.them therefore to feare God, and to serve him, and to put away the strange Gods which their Fathers served beyond the flood, and in Egypt, whereby hee discovereth a thing not hitherto touched, that they sinned by idolatry in Egypt, whereby the grace of God is yet more magnified towards them. In bidding them to put away the strange Gods, it may seem to be intimated, that they had such still amongst them, and much more, v. 23. But their former zeale shewed, Ch. 22. and the commendation given them, Ch. 23. 8. make to the contrary, as Aug. Qu. 29. in Iosh.Augustine reasoneth at large. And if so, the meaning then is, turn not to strange Gods any more, for they which turne not to them, but abhorre them, put them from them. So likewise Calvin. Yet some hold, saith Lyra, that some of them Calvin. Lyra.had idols at that time, which they brought with them out of Egypt, applying hitherto that of Amos 5. 26. recounted againe by Stephen, Acts 7. But this seemeth not to be so, because then upon this Covenant making, there would have been some mention of their putting away of these Gods. Wherefore Augustine concludeth, that their erroneous imaginations touching God in their hearts, were their false Gods, which hee would have them to put away, and to conceive rightly of him, which who so doth not, serveth false Gods, although hee hath no idols made with hands.
If it seemeth evill to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom yee will serve, V. 15.&c. This is not spoken to set them at liberty to serve God or idols, but knowing that yet they were generally bent to serve the Lord, hee useth this rhetoricall passage to draw from them a voluntary profession to serve God, that having publikely professed this, they might be the more obliged, and so moved thus to doe with perseverance. Moreover, he addeth his own example to move them, saying, I and my house will serve the Lord: and it worketh with them accordingly, v. 16, 17. He gave them their free choice, saith Ferus, to shew that the service Ferus.of God should not bee coact, but free and voluntary. Hee did it but as Moses, set before them the way of life and of death, that they might choose which to enter into. Hee saith, If it seemeth evill, &c. because of the great charge of Sacrifices, and the many Rites about the service of God, as Lyra hath it.
And Joshua said to the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord, for hee is an holy God, &c. V. 19.Neither was this spoken to discourage them, but that resolving to serve God, they might the more seriously consider of it, and so serve him, as to put away all sinne and idolatry, which no way agree, but are intolerable in his servants. For Joshua knew well enough, as Moses before him, the perversenesse of their disposition, and therefore hee seeketh all wayes to stimulate them to their duty, and so he bringeth them the second time to professe his service, v. 21. and the third time, v. 24 and then hee maketh a Covenant with them, v. 25. V. 21. V. 24, 25.Whence note, that it is no easie matter to serve the Lord resolvedly indeed, without mingling the service of sinne with his service, which hee will by no Note. meanes endure. In making this Covenant, there is no mention made of any solemne Rites used, as Exod. 24. yet Comestor saith, that water was poured out to intimate, that God would so spill them, that they should never bee gathered Schol. Histor.up again if they brake this Covenant; but seeing the Scripture saith nothing of any Rite, it is best to leave this undetermined: it is most probable that the Old Covenant being now onelyonly renewed, there were none but solemne protestations onelyonly, and the writing hereof in the booke of the Law, and the setting up of a stone there for a monument, as followeth, v. 26. The booke V. 26.of the Law was Deuteronomie, which was written by Moses, and kept in the side of the Arke, Deut. 31. 24. The stone is said to bee set up for a witnesse, under an Oake by the Sanctuary, that is, neare the place where the Arke stood for the present, for the planting of trees by the Sanctuary, where the standing place of it was, is forbidden, Deut. 16. 21. A great stone is a most durable thing, and therefore this is set up to continue for many ages, as before upon mount Ebal, the Law was written upon stones, Josh. 8. 32, 33. and the Chaldee Paraphrast speaketh of this stone, as having these things written upon Chal. paraphr. V. 27.it for a memoriall, being therefore called a witnesse, v. 27. and said to have heard all these words, which some apply to them, saying, yee have heard: whereas it is Hebr. it hath heard, because they thought it absurd that hearing should be applyed to a stone. But it is thus spoken by a Prosopopeia, as Moses biddeth the Heaven and the Earth to heare, Deut. 32. and Esa. 1. 2. Jer. 2. 12. And all things have hearing and speech for God, and against his rebells. Augustine August. qu▪ 30. in Josh. The Mysterie.thinking it unreasonable, that hee should say, that stone heard, expoundeth it Allegorically of Christ the chiefe stone in the spirituall building; for hee heard, and shall testifie against the rebellious Jewes; and this stone, saith hee, was under a tree, although hanged upon a tree, because through his humility he submitted himselfe to this, and hee calleth the tree terebinthus, from whence an humor commeth that is sanative, shewing the vertue that floweth from Christ hanged upon a tree. Jerome and the Septuagint also call it terebinthus. Lastly, Augustine examining the reason why Joshua amongst all his admonitions, saith nothing in reproving them for permitting the Canaanites to dwell amongst them, whom they were so strictly charged to destroy utterly, yet they suffered them to live, and tooke tribute of them; Hee resolveth, that it was a sinne of infirmity, the people not being of courage enough to prosecute their Victories begun under Joshua his government, or because they were weary of so long continued Warres; wherefore, as Paul saith, At my first defence no man stood to me, the Lord lay it not to their charge: so this was not imputed to them, but in mercy pardoned.
Here Joshua dyeth, and is buryed in his inheritance of Timnah-serah, on the north side of the hill Gaash. This is againe commemorated, Judg. 2. 9. but V. 29, 30.for Timnath-serah, there is Timnath-heres, see what was noted upon this before, Chap. 19. 50. his age is set downe also, 110 years. The hill Gaash most probably was an hill upon mount Ephraim, and not a distinct place from it, so Jerome and Adricomius; Jerome noteth here, that Joshua being dead, no mention Hyeronym. The Mystery.is made of mourning for him, as when Moses dyed, to intimate mystically, that under the Gospel, the happinesse to come to the faithfull being more clearely opened, wee should not mourne, but rejoyce when the faithfull servants of God dye. And it may bee added, in that no man knew of the Sepulchre of Moses, but Joshua his Sepulchre is notified, that wee might hereby bee admonished to seeke to Jesus for justification, but not to the Law, which if wee doe, wee shall surely never finde it, as the body of Moses, who gave the Law, could never bee found by any after his death.
And Israel served the Lord all the dayes of Joshua, and all the dayes of the Elders that overlived Joshua, &c. Here is the great commendation of the servant V. 31.of God, Joshua, by his godly care the people were contained in obedience, an example worthy the imitation of all Christian Princes. The Elders overliving Joshua were Caleb and Eleazar, and divers of the Levites; for all the other Elders dyed in the wildernesse; this same is repeated, Judg. 2. 7. and v. 10. and also all that generation was gathered to their fathers, and another generation rose after them, which knew not the Lord, &c. How long these Elders who are called that generation, lived after Joshua, it is uncertaine, but by computing the times following unto Solomon, it appeareth that it was not many yeares. For Solomon 1 Kings 6. 1.began to build the Temple 480 yeares after their comming out of Egypt, the 4 yeare of his reigne, unto which time, if we reckon to Othniel the first Judge after Joshua, 40 yeares, Judg. 3. 11. to Ehud 80 yeares, v. 30. to which Shamgars time may also be counted; to Deborah 40 yeares, Judg. 5. ult. to Gedeon 40, Judg. 8. 28. to Abimelech 3, Ch. 9. 22. to Tolah 23, Ch. 10. 2. to Jair 22, v. 3. to Iephthah 6, Ch. 12. 7. to Ibzan 7, v. 9. to Elon 10, v. 11. to Abdon 8, v. 14. to Samson 20, Ch. 15. ult. to Eli 40, 1 Sam. 4. 18. to Samuel and Saul 40, for they are put together, Acts 13. 21. to David 40, 1 King. 2. 12. to Solomon 4. all together make 423, unto these adde Moses 40, and the whole is 463: so that here were but 17 yeares for Joshua and the Elders that overlived him. I have followed, I confesse, another reckoning, Acts 13. 21. making the yeares of the Judges many more, as Melchior Canus doth, adding to the yeares of the Judges, the yeares of their oppressions by divers enemies; but now seeing that that account can no way be reconciled with 1 Kings 6. 1. I rather subscribe to them that bring those oppression times under the years of the Judges, for although thus counted they make but 377, yet 17 of Joshua and the Elders being added, and 40 of Moses, the whole is 434 to the end of the Iudges, so that it might well bee said about 450 yeares. V. 32. The bones of Joseph V. 32.carryed from Egypt, Gen. 50. Exod. 13. are buryed in Sechem, bought by Jacob, Gen. 33. 19. and given to Joseph, Gen. 48. 22. This most probably is spoken of here, out of time, for it was done before, but is now mentioned, because Shechem was last spoken of, ver. 33. Eleazar dyeth, and is buryed in an hill belonging to Phinees his sonne, that was given him in mount Ephraim. It is said now to belong to Phinees, because it was his when his Father was dead. It is said to have been given him, because the High Priest had that place extraordinary, for the Priests had nothing in Ephraim, see Chap. 21.