Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Joshua · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
AND Joshuah rose early in the morning, and they returned from Shittim, and V. 1.came to Jordan, &c.
For [early in the morning] the Vulgar Latine hath, [in the night,] but against both the Hebrew, Septuagint, and Chaldee, all which have it in the morning. It sheweth Joshuah his diligence and forwardnesse in the execution of his office. At what time this remove to Jordan was made, I have shewed upon Ch. 1. 11.
And after three dayes, the officers went through the Host, and commanded the people, V. 2, 3.saying, When ye see the Arke, &c.
Hereby it is not meant three dayes after they came to Iordan, but after the warning given before, Ch. 1. 11. and therefore it is to be understood, that in one of those dayes they came to Jordan, and so went over in the time before limited by Joshua. The Vulgar Latine, for these words, they lodged there, v. 1. hath these, they tarryed there three dayes, and of this stay, saith Lyra, some yeeld this reason, Lyra.because the waters did then overflow, that they might be somewhat abated, before they passed; but he rejecteth this, and yeeldeth another, because God had not yet revealed to Joshuah, how they should passe over, but this was done after 3 days. But there being no mention of three dayes stay in the Hebrew, but onelyonly that they lodged there, it is rather to be held, that they passed over the next day, even when the waters of Iordan were at the highest, as is shewed, v. 15. which served the more to magnifie the miracle here following. The Officers that had before, Ch. 1. 11. warned them of this passage within three days, the time being now come, direct them in their marching, to goe after the Arke carryed by the Priests, keeping yet a distance of 2000 Cubits from it, that seeing it afarre V. 4.off, they might hereby be directed in the way. This marching on, as Lyra noteth, was different from others in former times, because then some of the Tribes went before, and some followed after, the Arke going in the midst; but Numb. 10. 2, 17now all must follow after it: whereby it seemeth that the cloud went before them no more, as in times past to direct them, Exod. 13. but the Arke supplyed that office; and it is generally held, that the cloud vanished at the death of Moses, Aug. Qu 3. Tost. Qu. 1. 6. Masiusso Augustine, Tostatus, Masius, Ferus, &c. But why do the Priests carry the Ark, when as that Office was before assigned to the Cohathites, Levites, Numb. Qu. 4. 15? Answ. Because of the miracle that was now to be wrought: Ordinarily the Levites carryed it, but when any thing extraordinary was to bee done, the Priests, as more holy and nearer to God, bare it themselves, and thus the peoples eyes were drawn to be more attent to some great worke to bee wrought. So likewise at the destruction of Jericho the Priests againe bare it, Ch. 6. and into Solomons Temple, 1 Kings 8. The distance of 2000 Cubits was, as to bee the better directed in the way, so for reverence to the Arke, the signe of Gods presence; thus also it was appointed, Numb. 2. 2. that they should keepe farre off from the Tabernacle, which most probably was the distance here named, 2000 Cubits, that is, a mile, v. 5. Some hold this distance mystically to set forth 2000 years to the time of Christ. Calvin, besides the reverence for which this distance was set, will have another end to be, that they might hereby understand that Gods presence is not limited within such strait bounds, but that it is with his people, even when he seemeth to be farre off. And by this meanes the way was made by the Arke going so farre before them through Jordan before their entrance, and they had time to see and consider, and admire and believe the power and presence of God with them.
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctifie your selves, for to morrow the Lord will V. 5.doe wonders amongst you.
How the people were to sanctifie themselves, we may see before, upon Exod. 19. where the like command is given, viz. according to the rites of those times, by washing and abstaining from their wives. The word rendred [sanctifie] saith Calvin, doth as well signifie [prepare] but that of sanctifying is more proper, and by sanctifying themselves men are prepared for God by his miraculous power to come neare unto them, which otherwise might turne to their destruction; see also, Josh. 12. Some, he saith, too restrainedly understand the putting away of all filthinesse, that there might be nothing to hinder their passage; Yet by their outward sanctifying the purging of the conscience from sin, the opening of the heart, and putting away all things that might hinder the work of grace, was set forth, as Ferus hath it, shewing the like in John the Baptists Ferus.preparing the way of the Lord, and I am. 1 21. 1 Pet. 2. 1, 2. For to morrow will the Lord doe wonders amongst you. The Lord holdeth them still in suspence, and doth not particularly declare what he would doe, that they might reverently expect his good pleasure. Yet it is most probable that hee had before revealed it to Ioshua.
Then Joshua spake to the Priests, saying, Take up the Arke of the Covenant, and passe V. 6.over before the people.
Bonfrerius the Jesuite here maketh a question how Ioshuah could command Bonfrerius.the Priests, seeing they are not under the secular power, but onelyonly under the High Priest: and answereth that Ioshuah was not onelyonly a Prince, but a Prophet; and therefore all were to be directed by him. But he speaketh thus because of that Popish Tenet, that Priests are not subject to the King, but onelyonly to the Pope, which is contrary to Rom. 13. 1. where every soule is bidden to be subject to the King. Because Joshua was now Ruler over all next under God, he was directed by God, and so commanded all both Priests and People. For his bidding them to take up the Arke, and passe over, but not declaring how they should doe this, it is to be understood that Joshua privately communicated unto them, what the Lord would doe, as he doth by and by to all the people, v. 9. 10, 13.
And the Lord said to Joshua, This day will I begin to magnifie thee before the people, V. 7.&c.
That is, by the great miracle, which I will now worke in dividing the waters of Iordan, as for Moses the red Sea was divided; that thus Joshua might bee known to be gracious with the Lord, as Moses had been. That by his conduct the people should passe over Jordan, it is not to bee doubted but Joshua was before certified, but particularly by what meanes, it is not probable, that it was revealed till this morning.
Command th… Priests, saying, When ye are come to the brinke of the waters of Jordan, V. 8.ye shall stand still in Jordan, &c.
Here because it is ordered, that the Priests bearing the Arke should stand still when they came at the brink of Jordan, but v. 17 they are said to have stood in the midst of Jordan, whilst all the people passed over, so likewise Chap. 4. 10. a great question ariseth, how the act done, answereth to the precept here given? Masius saith that by the word foreign rendred brinke, the further part of the River And. Masius.is to be understood, because it signifieth either extreame, and so the Priests came thither, before the people entred, there being betwixt the entrance and it 2000 Cubits. But Serrarius will have the entrance meant and therefore determineth Serrarius.that they made two stations, one at the brinke of the River, where they stayed a while till the waters wee gone away, which was not done instantly, but by degrees, and the other, when removing further, they came into the midst. The Hebrewes, saith Lyra, hold, that they stood at the entrance, till all Lyra.the people were gone over, but this he saith, is against the Text, seeing they stood in the midst. That of Serrarius is most probable of all these, and in making another stand in the midst, they followed a further direction from the Lord so to doe, although it bee not expressed. And this direction to stand still in the midst, till all things were done, seemeth to have beene given long before by Moses to Joshua, by that which is said, Chap. 4. 10. according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. He therefore most probably first informed Joshua of this miraculous dividing of the waters to come, and directed him about the Priests bearing of the Arke in this way, and standing still in the midst of the River, and the setting up of 12 stones for a monument hereof, which because it was not hitherto mentioned, as being spoken to Joshua in private, and not yet to bee divulged, it is there commemorated. Thus, if wee hold two stands, but the words inforce us not to hold any more then one, and that in the midst of Jordan; for Tostatus.hee saith not, yee shall stand still upon the brinke, but, when yee are come to the brinke, yee shall stand still [in Jordan:] that is, when yee bee come to the brinke, and the waters giving way, yee descend into the bottome of the River, yee shall stand still there: wherefore both Lyra and Tostatus acknowledge but one stand in the midst of Jordan. For the distance of 2000 Cubits before appointed to bee kept from the Arke, if it bee doubted how it could be kept, seeing the Arke stood still, and they passed by? That of Masius, saying, that the River was thus much over, satisfieth not, for neither is it probable that in the greatest overflowing it was 2000 Cubits over, seeing ordinarily it is reported by such as have seen it in that place, not to be above 30 Cubits over, and if it were so many at this time, yet the people when they came by it, were nearer. It is therefore to be held, that the space being great, that was now dryed by the falling of the waters downward, from which the waters upward were cut off, as is shewed, v. 16. That they went this distance from the Arke on that side, the Arke standing towards that part of the River which was gathered on heapes, as a bulwarke to keep them from flowing all the time that they passed through.
And Ioshua said to the children of Israel, Come hither and heare the words of the V. 9.Lord your God, &c.
That is, saith Lyra, to their Rulers, for he could not speake to all the people Lyra.to be heard. Hereby wee may see, that Joshua went in all things according to the direction which he had from the Lord, although it be not before expressed.
Hereby yee shall know, that the Lord will drive out before you the Canaanites, Hivites, V. 10.&c.
The thing, that he calleth them here to attend unto, is the miracle now to be V. 11, 12.wrought, so soon as the Priests feet that bare the Arke, should touch the waters of Jordan, he saith, they should be divided, those below being cut off, and those V. 13.higher in the River being gathered into heapes, and hereby they should bee assured of the expulsion of the seven Nations by Gods almighty power from before them. And he biddeth them to have 12 men in a readinesse, of each Tribe a man, not telling them here for what cause, but meaning, that they should take up each one a stone out of Jordan, to be set up for a monument, as he leaveth it to be expressed, untill Chap. 4. 2. In numbring the 7 Nations, hee mentioneth the Amorites for one, but they with their two Kings were already subdued; wherefore it is to be understood that there were others of them which dwelt together with the Canaanites, who are here meant; for they dwelt in Jericho, Josh. 24. 11. For these words, v. 11. Behold the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of the whole earth goeth before you. Hebr. the word foreign signifying Covenant, hath two pricks above it, which is a note of distinction; and therefore Masius hath, The Arke of the Covenant, the Lord goeth before you. But the Chaldee, A. Masius.Septuagint, and Jerome render it, the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord: so likewise Pagnine, Arias Montanus, Tigurini interpretes, &c. not regarding those pricks of the Masoreths: yet if that reading be followed, it may carry a good sense, thus, The Arke of the Covenant, and with it the Lord of the whole earth goeth before you, a signe of whose presence it is. Joshua telling them of the miracle that God would now doe upon Jordan, laboureth to confirme their faith about his expelling of the heathen before them; for if they should see his power to be so great, as that he could stay the course of that great River, the waters being now at the highest, and that hee did it for their sakes; what doubt could they make of his expelling the heathen, and putting them in possession of the land of Canaan, which hee had also promised? And hereby we Note. are taught upon the marvailous things done by the Lord for us, to build our confidence touching his promises of things to come.
As Joshua had foretold, so it commeth here to passe, when the Priests bearing V. 14, 15, 16the Arke touched the brink of the River, The waters that came downe from above, stood and rose up upon an heape, very farre from the City Adam, which is beside Zaretan; and those that came downe towards the Sea of the plaine, even the salt Sea failed, and were cut off. And to increase the miracle, it is inserted, v. 15. For Jordan overfloweth all his banks in the time of harvest.
This may seem strange, saith Augustine, seeing our harvest is not till long after Aug. Qu. ….this time, & harvest time commonly is no time for waters so much to abound in. But it is to be understood, that in those parts corn was so forward, that it began even in that month, which was the first to be ripe, witnes their bringing the morrow Levit. 22.after the Passeover, which was the 16 day of this monethmonth, a sheafe of first Deut. 16.fruits of their Corne to the Lord, so that this time there was a time of waters abounding by the falling of the latter raine, which usually fell plenteously but twice in a yeer, after the Corne sown, and towards the ripening thereof. For the time of harvest, here the Septuagint have foreign, the harvest of wheat; but the Hebrew, Chaldee, and all others, speake of the harvest onelyonly; and it is certain that in those parts the barley harvest was long before the wheat harvest, as hath beene noted in speaking of the sheafe of first fruits, Deut. 16. and foreign signifieth not onelyonly wheate, but all kinde of bread corne.
There is beside the cause forementioned, another cause by some spoken of, why the waters of Jordan overflowed at the spring time, viz. the melting of the show upon mount Libanus, which lay there in great quantity, and now being melted, fell into this River, and from the whitenesse of the snow lying there, it was called Libanus, signifying white, according to Jerome, and the snow of Libanus is spoken of, Jer. 18. 14. For the waters rising up upon an heape, this was a wonderfull worke of God, not onelyonly staying them from their course, but keeping them still within their bounds, when such an huge quantity came flowing continually downe, all the time that the children of Israel passed over: for had a stop onelyonly of their current been made, it might have been thought that this was done by diverting the streame some other way, which might bee by the labour of men, or the flood would have spread it selfe all over the plains thereabouts, to the great detriment of that Countrey, it being now harvest time almost. But they being made to rise up upon an heap, like an huge mountaine, they daring not, as it were, for reverence to come nigh the Arke, the immediate and mercifull hand of God appeared herein, and all the people, before they came nigh, could not but see and be affected at so great a wonder. Very far off from the City Adam, beside Zaretan: this reading [from Adam,] is in the margin it being in the line in Adam; but the meaning is, that the swelling of Jordan up like a mountaine, extended from Adam to the place where the waters were cut off, and so it is indifferent whether it be read from, or in, or by Adam. This City is little spoken of, and therefore so obsoure, that it is described by another, Zaretan neare unto it. Adami is mentioned, Iosh. 19. 33. in the Tribe of Nephthali, and by this name it is rendred here by some Copies of the Septuagints Translation, but that is so farre from Jordan, being on the north of Canaan, that it cannot be meant. Adricomius saith, that this City was in the Tribe of Adricomius.Reuben, a little above Bethabara; and againe, that Bethabara was between it and Zaretan, Adam being more north and Zaretan more south, but both upon the east banks of Jordan. Of a City called Zartana… by Jezreel, we read 1 King. 4. 12. and of Zartan in the plaines of Jordan by Succoth, 1 Kings 7. 46. which last, although rejected by Adricomius, seemeth to bee the City here meant, and not another no where named in the Scriptures, for so obscurum should be described per obscurius. How farre off this City was from the place of the peoples passing over, I cannot find, but sure we are, that it was very farre by the words of the Text, and so the swelling of Jordan very great, and extended in a great length, so that many more might to their terrour see this miraculous thing, and not the Israelites onelyonly, for whom it was wrought.
The salt Sea, this is otherwise called the dead Sea, the Sea of Sodome, into which the waters of Iordan did run, for nothing lived in this Sea; and if any fishes were brought out of Iordan in hither, they dyed. It is thought by some that the place thus dryed for the people to passe over, was that where Bethabara afterwards stood, signifying the house of passage, in which place Iohn was baptizing when Iesus came to him. Mystically by the cloud now vanished, which The Mysterie. Ferus.before, in the time of Moses was set to guide the people in their way, but now the Arke went before them, was set forth that in the time of the Law all things were obscure; but under the Gospel, when Iesus came, they were made manifest, to be beheld with open face. And morally, that whilst we live here, wee are as it were under a cloud, and see but darkly, in comparison of that wee shall 1 Cor. 13.doe after death, for then we shall see face to face: And as the Arke went into Iordan before them, so Iesus goeth before us in Baptisme and in death, that wee might not feare. Againe, as they were bidden to looke at the Arke, and follow it; so we must not looke at the examples of men, for they may erre, but altogether at Christ his Word, our most sure direction: And therefore as the Ark was so placed that all might see it, and not the foremost onelyonly; so the Word must be handled, that all may understand it. Lastly, as for reverence to the Arke all kept farre off from it; so Christ and his Word must bee reverenced, neither may we over curiously pry into his Mysteries; Thus Ferus. Gods saying to Ioshua, This day I will begin to magnifie thee, figured out his Origen. Hom 4.magnifying of Iesus, when he went into Iordan to be baptized by the voyce comming from heaven, and the Spirit upon him, after which he was also magnified by many miracles. The Priests going before and bearing the Ark, which had three things in it, the Testament, the Pot of Manna, and Aarons Rod, did Ferus.figuratively teach, that Ministers should goe before the people in teaching the Law, administring the bread of life, and directing them through the holinesse of their owne lives. Lastly, their passing through water into Canaan, figured Ferus.out the afflictions through which the faithfull must passe into the heavenly Canaan, in the way, especially when they are nearest the entrance, they seeing the huge floods of temptations ready to overwhelme them, but then we must specially fixe our eyes upon the Arke Christ by saith, and so wee shall bee preserved.