7 And when they cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 he put H7760 darkness H3990 between you and the Egyptians, H4713 and brought H935 the sea H3220 upon them, and covered H3680 them; and your eyes H5869 have seen H7200 what I have done H6213 in Egypt: H4714 and ye dwelt H3427 in the wilderness H4057 a long H7227 season. H3117
And it came H935 between the camp H4264 of the Egyptians H4714 and the camp H4264 of Israel; H3478 and it was a cloud H6051 and darkness H2822 to them, but it gave light H215 by night H3915 to these: so that the one came not near H7126 the other H2088 all the night. H3915
And when Pharaoh H6547 drew nigh, H7126 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 lifted up H5375 their eyes, H5869 and, behold, the Egyptians H4714 marched H5265 after H310 them; and they were sore H3966 afraid: H3372 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried out H6817 unto the LORD. H3068
And Moses H4872 stretched forth H5186 his hand H3027 over the sea, H3220 and the sea H3220 returned H7725 to his strength H386 when the morning H1242 appeared; H6437 and the Egyptians H4714 fled H5127 against H7125 it; and the LORD H3068 overthrew H5287 the Egyptians H4714 in the midst H8432 of the sea. H3220 And the waters H4325 returned, H7725 and covered H3680 the chariots, H7393 and the horsemen, H6571 and all the host H2428 of Pharaoh H6547 that came H935 into the sea H3220 after H310 them; there remained H7604 not so much as H5704 one H259 of them.
Or hath God H430 assayed H5254 to go H935 and take H3947 him a nation H1471 from the midst H7130 of another nation, H1471 by temptations, H4531 by signs, H226 and by wonders, H4159 and by war, H4421 and by a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and by a stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 and by great H1419 terrors, H4172 according to all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 did H6213 for you in Egypt H4714 before your eyes? H5869
And Moses H4872 called H7121 unto all Israel, H3478 and said H559 unto them, Ye have seen H7200 all that the LORD H3068 did H6213 before your eyes H5869 in the land H776 of Egypt H4714 unto Pharaoh, H6547 and unto all his servants, H5650 and unto all his land; H776
For the children H1121 of Israel H3478 walked H1980 forty H705 years H8141 in the wilderness, H4057 till all the people H1471 that were men H582 of war, H4421 which came out H3318 of Egypt, H4714 were consumed, H8552 because they obeyed H8085 not the voice H6963 of the LORD: H3068 unto whom the LORD H3068 sware H7650 that he would not shew H7200 them the land, H776 which the LORD H3068 sware H7650 unto their fathers H1 that he would give H5414 us, a land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey. H1706
And Israel H3478 saw H7200 that great H1419 work H3027 which the LORD H3068 did H6213 upon the Egyptians: H4714 and the people H5971 feared H3372 the LORD, H3068 and believed H539 the LORD, H3068 and his servant H5650 Moses. H4872
And your children H1121 shall wander H7462 in the wilderness H4057 forty H705 years, H8141 and bear H5375 your whoredoms, H2184 until your carcases H6297 be wasted H8552 in the wilderness. H4057 After the number H4557 of the days H3117 in which ye searched H8446 the land, H776 even forty H705 days, H3117 each day H3117 for a year, H8141 H3117 H8141 shall ye bear H5375 your iniquities, H5771 even forty H705 years, H8141 and ye shall know H3045 my breach of promise. H8569
Moreover thou leddest H5148 them in the day H3119 by a cloudy H6051 pillar; H5982 and in the night H3915 by a pillar H5982 of fire, H784 to give them light H215 in the way H1870 wherein they should go. H3212 Thou camest down H3381 also upon mount H2022 Sinai, H5514 and spakest H1696 with them from heaven, H8064 and gavest H5414 them right H3477 judgments, H4941 and true H571 laws, H8451 good H2896 statutes H2706 and commandments: H4687 And madest known H3045 unto them thy holy H6944 sabbath, H7676 and commandedst H6680 them precepts, H4687 statutes, H2706 and laws, H8451 by the hand H3027 of Moses H4872 thy servant: H5650 And gavest H5414 them bread H3899 from heaven H8064 for their hunger, H7458 and broughtest forth H3318 water H4325 for them out of the rock H5553 for their thirst, H6772 and promisedst H559 them that they should go in H935 to possess H3423 the land H776 which thou hadst sworn H3027 H5375 to give H5414 them. But they and our fathers H1 dealt proudly, H2102 and hardened H7185 their necks, H6203 and hearkened H8085 not to thy commandments, H4687 And refused H3985 to obey, H8085 neither were mindful H2142 of thy wonders H6381 that thou didst H6213 among them; but hardened H7185 their necks, H6203 and in their rebellion H4805 appointed H5414 a captain H7218 to return H7725 to their bondage: H5659 but thou art a God H433 ready to pardon, H5547 gracious H2587 and merciful, H7349 slow H750 to anger, H639 and of great H7227 kindness, H2617 and forsookest H5800 them not. Yea, when they had made H6213 them a molten H4541 calf, H5695 and said, H559 This is thy God H430 that brought thee up H5927 out of Egypt, H4714 and had wrought H6213 great H1419 provocations; H5007 Yet thou in thy manifold H7227 mercies H7356 forsookest H5800 them not in the wilderness: H4057 the pillar H5982 of the cloud H6051 departed H5493 not from them by day, H3119 to lead H5148 them in the way; H1870 neither the pillar H5982 of fire H784 by night, H3915 to shew them light, H215 and the way H1870 wherein they should go. H3212 Thou gavest H5414 also thy good H2896 spirit H7307 to instruct H7919 them, and withheldest H4513 not thy manna H4478 from their mouth, H6310 and gavest H5414 them water H4325 for their thirst. H6772 Yea, forty H705 years H8141 didst thou sustain H3557 them in the wilderness, H4057 so that they lacked H2637 nothing; their clothes H8008 waxed not old, H1086 and their feet H7272 swelled H1216 not.
When your fathers H1 tempted H5254 me, proved H974 me, and saw H7200 my work. H6467 Forty H705 years H8141 long was I grieved H6962 with this generation, H1755 and said, H559 It is a people H5971 that do err H8582 in their heart, H3824 and they have not known H3045 my ways: H1870
The God G2316 of this G5127 people G2992 of Israel G2474 chose G1586 our G2257 fathers, G3962 and G2532 exalted G5312 the people G2992 when G1722 they dwelt as strangers G3940 in G1722 the land G1093 of Egypt, G125 and G2532 with G3326 an high G5308 arm G1023 brought he G1806 them G846 out of G1537 it. G846 And G2532 about G5613 the time G5550 of forty years G5063 suffered he G5159 their G846 manners G5159 in G1722 the wilderness. G2048
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 24
Commentary on Joshua 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
Jos 24:1. Joshua Assembling the Tribes.
1. Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem—Another and final opportunity of dissuading the people against idolatry is here described as taken by the aged leader, whose solicitude on this account arose from his knowledge of the extreme readiness of the people to conform to the manners of the surrounding nations. This address was made to the representatives of the people convened at Shechem, and which had already been the scene of a solemn renewal of the covenant (Jos 8:30, 35). The transaction now to be entered upon being in principle and object the same, it was desirable to give it all the solemn impressiveness which might be derived from the memory of the former ceremonial, as well as from other sacred associations of the place (Ge 12:6, 7; 33:18-20; 35:2-4).
they presented themselves before God—It is generally assumed that the ark of the covenant had been transferred on this occasion to Shechem; as on extraordinary emergencies it was for a time removed (Jud 20:1-18; 1Sa 4:3; 2Sa 15:24). But the statement, not necessarily implying this, may be viewed as expressing only the religious character of the ceremony [Hengstenberg].
Jos 24:2-13. Relates God's Benefits.
2. Joshua said unto all the people—His address briefly recapitulated the principal proofs of the divine goodness to Israel from the call of Abraham to their happy establishment in the land of promise; it showed them that they were indebted for their national existence as well as their peculiar privileges, not to any merits of their own, but to the free grace of God.
Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood—The Euphrates, namely, at Ur.
Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor—(see Ge 11:27). Though Terah had three sons, Nahor only is mentioned with Abraham, as the Israelites were descended from him on the mother's side through Rebekah and her nieces, Leah and Rachel.
served other gods—conjoining, like Laban, the traditional knowledge of the true God with the domestic use of material images (Ge 31:19, 34).
3. I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan—It was an irresistible impulse of divine grace which led the patriarch to leave his country and relatives, to migrate to Canaan, and live a "stranger and pilgrim" in that land.
4. I gave unto Esau mount Seir—(See on Ge 36:8). In order that he might be no obstacle to Jacob and his posterity being the exclusive heirs of Canaan.
12. I sent the hornet before you—a particular species of wasp which swarms in warm countries and sometimes assumes the scourging character of a plague; or, as many think, it is a figurative expression for uncontrollable terror (see on Ex 23:28).
14-28. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth—After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods that were among them"—a requirement which seems to imply that some were suspected of a strong hankering for, or concealed practice of, the idolatry, whether in the form of Zabaism, the fire-worship of their Chaldean ancestors, or the grosser superstitions of the Canaanites.
26. Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God—registered the engagements of that solemn covenant in the book of sacred history.
took a great stone—according to the usage of ancient times to erect stone pillars as monuments of public transactions.
set it up there under an oak—or terebinth, in all likelihood, the same as that at the root of which Jacob buried the idols and charms found in his family.
that was by the sanctuary of the Lord—either the spot where the ark had stood, or else the place around, so called from that religious meeting, as Jacob named Beth-el the house of God.
Jos 24:29, 30. His Age and Death.
29, 30. Joshua … died—Lightfoot computes that he lived seventeen, others twenty-seven years, after the entrance into Canaan. He was buried, according to the Jewish practice, within the limits of his own inheritance. The eminent public services he had long rendered to Israel and the great amount of domestic comfort and national prosperity he had been instrumental in diffusing among the several tribes, were deeply felt, were universally acknowledged; and a testimonial in the form of a statue or obelisk would have been immediately raised to his honor, in all parts of the land, had such been the fashion of the times. The brief but noble epitaph by the historian is, Joshua, "the servant of the Lord."
31. Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua—The high and commanding character of this eminent leader had given so decided a tone to the sentiments and manners of his contemporaries and the memory of his fervent piety and many virtues continued so vividly impressed on the memories of the people, that the sacred historian has recorded it to his immortal honor. "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua."
32. the bones of Joseph—They had carried these venerable relics with them in all their migrations through the desert, and deferred the burial, according to the dying charge of Joseph himself, till they arrived in the promised land. The sarcophagus, in which his mummied body had been put, was brought thither by the Israelites, and probably buried when the tribe of Ephraim had obtained their settlement, or at the solemn convocation described in this chapter.
in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought … for an hundred pieces of silver—Kestitah translated, "piece of silver," is supposed to mean "a lamb," the weights being in the form of lambs or kids, which were, in all probability, the earliest standard of value among pastoral people. The tomb that now covers the spot is a Mohammedan Welce, but there is no reason to doubt that the precious deposit of Joseph's remains may be concealed there at the present time.
33. Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him in … mount Ephraim—The sepulchre is at the modern village Awertah, which, according to Jewish travellers, contains the graves also of Ithamar, the brother of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar [Van De Velde].