10 One H259 man H376 of you shall chase H7291 a thousand: H505 for the LORD H3068 your God, H430 he it is that fighteth H3898 for you, as he hath promised H1696 you.
And five H2568 of you shall chase H7291 an hundred, H3967 and an hundred H3967 of you shall put ten thousand H7233 to flight: H7291 and your enemies H341 shall fall H5307 before H6440 you by the sword. H2719
[[A Psalm of David.]] H1732 Plead H7378 my cause, O LORD, H3068 with them that strive H3401 with me: fight H3898 against them that fight H3898 against me.
The LORD H3068 shall fight H3898 for you, and ye shall hold your peace. H2790
And ye have seen H7200 all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath done H6213 unto all these nations H1471 because H6440 of you; for the LORD H3068 your God H430 is he that hath fought H3898 for you.
And Jonathan H3083 said H559 to the young man H5288 that bare H5375 his armour, H3627 Come, H3212 and let us go over H5674 unto the garrison H4673 of these uncircumcised: H6189 it may be that the LORD H3068 will work H6213 for us: for there is no restraint H4622 to the LORD H3068 to save H3467 by many H7227 or by few. H4592
And he found H4672 a new H2961 jawbone H3895 of an ass, H2543 and put forth H7971 his hand, H3027 and took H3947 it, and slew H5221 a thousand H505 men H376 therewith.
I will send H7971 my fear H367 before H6440 thee, and will destroy H2000 all the people H5971 to whom thou shalt come, H935 and I will make H5414 all thine enemies H341 turn their backs H6203 unto thee. And I will send H7971 hornets H6880 before H6440 thee, which shall drive out H1644 the Hivite, H2340 the Canaanite, H3669 and the Hittite, H2850 from before H6440 thee. I will not drive them out H1644 from before H6440 thee in one H259 year; H8141 lest the land H776 become desolate, H8077 and the beast H2416 of the field H7704 multiply H7227 against thee. By little H4592 and little H4592 I will drive them out H1644 from before H6440 thee, until thou be increased, H6509 and inherit H5157 the land. H776 And I will set H7896 thy bounds H1366 from the Red H5488 sea H3220 even unto the sea H3220 of the Philistines, H6430 and from the desert H4057 unto the river: H5104 for I will deliver H5414 the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 into your hand; H3027 and thou shalt drive them out H1644 before H6440 thee. Thou shalt make H3772 no covenant H1285 with them, nor with their gods. H430 They shall not dwell H3427 in thy land, H776 lest they make thee sin H2398 against me: for if thou serve H5647 their gods, H430 it will surely be a snare H4170 unto thee.
And the men H582 of the garrison H4675 answered H6030 Jonathan H3129 and his armourbearer, H5375 H3627 and said, H559 Come up H5927 to us, and we will shew H3045 you a thing. H1697 And Jonathan H3129 said H559 unto his armourbearer, H5375 H3627 Come up H5927 after H310 me: for the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 them into the hand H3027 of Israel. H3478 And Jonathan H3129 climbed up H5927 upon his hands H3027 and upon his feet, H7272 and his armourbearer H5375 H3627 after H310 him: and they fell H5307 before H6440 Jonathan; H3129 and his armourbearer H5375 H3627 slew H4191 after H310 him. And that first H7223 slaughter, H4347 which Jonathan H3129 and his armourbearer H5375 H3627 made, H5221 was about twenty H6242 men, H376 within as it were an half H2677 acre H4618 of land, H7704 which a yoke H6776 of oxen might plow. And there was trembling H2731 in the host, H4264 in the field, H7704 and among all the people: H5971 the garrison, H4673 and the spoilers, H7843 they also trembled, H2729 and the earth H776 quaked: H7264 so it was a very great H430 trembling. H2731 And the watchmen H6822 of Saul H7586 in Gibeah H1390 of Benjamin H1144 looked; H7200 and, behold, the multitude H1995 melted away, H4127 and they went H3212 on beating down H1986 one another.
So Gideon, H1439 and the hundred H3967 men H376 that were with him, came H935 unto the outside H7097 of the camp H4264 in the beginning H7218 of the middle H8484 watch; H821 and they had but H389 newly H6965 set H6965 the watch: H8104 and they blew H8628 the trumpets, H7782 and brake H5310 the pitchers H3537 that were in their hands. H3027 And the three H7969 companies H7218 blew H8628 the trumpets, H7782 and brake H7665 the pitchers, H3537 and held H2388 the lamps H3940 in their left H8040 hands, H3027 and the trumpets H7782 in their right H3225 hands H3027 to blow H8628 withal: and they cried, H7121 The sword H2719 of the LORD, H3068 and of Gideon. H1439 And they stood H5975 every man H376 in his place round about H5439 the camp: H4264 and all the host H4264 ran, H7323 and cried, H7321 and fled. H5127 H5127 And the three H7969 hundred H3967 blew H8628 the trumpets, H7782 and the LORD H3068 set H7760 every man's H376 sword H2719 against his fellow, H7453 even throughout all the host: H4264 and the host H4264 fled H5127 to Bethshittah H1029 in Zererath, H6888 and to the border H8193 of Abelmeholah, H65 unto Tabbath. H2888
These be the names H8034 of the mighty men H1368 whom David H1732 had: The Tachmonite H8461 that sat H3427 in the seat, H7675 H3429 chief H7218 among the captains; H7991 the same was Adino H5722 the Eznite: H6112 he lift up his spear against eight H8083 hundred, H3967 whom he slew H2491 at one H259 time. H6471
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 23
Commentary on Joshua 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Jos 23:1, 2. Joshua's Exhortation before His Death.
1. a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies—about fourteen years after the conquest of Canaan, and seven after the distribution of that country among the tribes.
2. Joshua called for all Israel—The clause which follows seems to restrict this general expression as applicable only to the officers and representatives of the people. The place of assembly was most probably Shiloh. The occasion of convening it was the extreme age and approaching death of the venerable leader; and the purport of this solemn address was to animate the chosen people and their posterity to a faithful and unswerving continuance in the faith and worship of the God of Israel.
Jos 23:3. By Former Benefits.
3. ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you—The modesty and humility of Joshua are remarkably displayed at the commencement of this address. Dismissing all thoughts of his personal services, he ascribed the subjugation and occupation of Canaan entirely to the favoring presence and aid of God; and in doing so, he spoke not more piously than truly. This had been promised (De 1:30; 3:22); and the reality of the divine aid was seen in the rapid overthrow of the Canaanites, which had already led to the division of the whole land among the tribes [Jos 23:4].
Jos 23:5-11. By Promises.
5-11. the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, as the Lord your God hath promised you, &c.—The actual possessions which God had given were a pledge of the complete fulfilment of His promise in giving them the parts of the country still unconquered. But the accomplishment of the divine promise depended on their inviolable fidelity to God's law—on their keeping resolutely aloof from all familiar intercourse and intimate connections with the Canaanites, or in any way partaking of their idolatrous sins. In the event of their continuing in steadfast adherence to the cause of God, as happily distinguished the nation at that time, His blessing would secure them a course of brilliant and easy victories (Le 26:7; De 28:7; 32:30).
11. Take good heed, therefore, that ye love the Lord your God—The sum of his exhortation is comprised in the love of God, which is the end or fulfilment of the law (De 6:5; 11:13; Mt 22:37).
Jos 23:12. By Threatenings in Case of Disobedience.
12, 13. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations—As marriage connections with the idolatrous Canaanites would present many and strong temptations to transgress it, these were strictly prohibited (Ex 34:12-16; De 7:3). With his eye, as it were, upon those prohibitions, Joshua threatens them with the certain withdrawal of the divine aid in the further expulsion of the Canaanites (a threat founded Ex 23:33; Nu 33:55; De 7:16).