1 And it cometh to pass when all the kings of the Amorite which `are' beyond the Jordan, towards the sea, and all the kings of the Canaanite which `are' by the sea, hear how that Jehovah hath dried up the waters of the Jordan at the presence of the sons of Israel till their passing over, that their heart is melted, and there hath not been in them any more spirit because of the presence of the sons of Israel.
Amalek is dwelling in the land of the south, and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite is dwelling in the hill country, and the Canaanite is dwelling by the sea, and by the side of the Jordan.'
and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his butlers, and his burnt-offering that he causeth to ascend in the house of Jehovah, and there hath not been in her any more spirit.
and she saith unto the men, `I have known that Jehovah hath given to you the land, and that your terror hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted at your presence. `For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea at your presence, in your going out of Egypt, and that which ye have done to the two kings of the Amorite who `are' beyond the Jordan; to Sihon and to Og whom ye devoted. And we hear, and melt doth our heart, and there hath not stood any more spirit in `any' man, from your presence, for Jehovah your God, He `is' God in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath.
And it cometh to pass in the morning, when the wine is gone out from Nabal, that his wife declareth to him these things, and his heart dieth within him, and he hath been as a stone.
from afar having stood because of the fear of her torment, saying, Wo, wo, the great city! Babylon, the strong city! because in one hour did come thy judgment.
For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon `is' for a desolation, Ashdod! at noon they do cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up. Ho! O inhabitants of the sea-coast, Nation of the Cherethites, A word of Jehovah `is' against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines, And I have destroyed thee without an inhabitant. And the sea-coast hath been habitations, Cottages `for' shepherds, and folds `for' a flock.
And I -- I have destroyed the Amorite from before them, Whose height `is' as the height of cedars, And strong he `is' as the oaks, And I destroy his fruit from above, And his roots from beneath.
then the king's countenance hath changed, and his thoughts do trouble him, and the joints of his loins are loosed, and his knees are smiting one against another.
and it hath come to pass, when they say unto thee, For what art thou sighing? that thou hast said: Because of the report, for it is coming, And melted hath every heart, And feeble hath been all hands, And weak is every spirit, And all knees go -- waters, Lo, it is coming, yea, it hath been, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'
Thus said the Lord Jehovah to Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity `Are' of the land of the Canaanite, Thy father the Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.
Howl ye, for near `is' the day of Jehovah, As destruction from the Mighty it cometh. Therefore, all hands do fail, And every heart of man doth melt. And they have been troubled, Pains and pangs they take, As a travailing woman they are pained, A man at his friend they marvel, The appearance of flames -- their faces!
For, lo, the kings met, they passed by together, They have seen -- so they have marvelled, They have been troubled, they were hastened away. Trembling hath seized them there, Pain, as of a travailing woman.
And at the completion of these things, drawn nigh unto me have the heads, saying, `The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite,
And the king calleth for the Gibeonites, and saith unto them -- as to the Gibeonites, they `are' not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorite, and the sons of Israel had sworn to them, and Saul seeketh to smite them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah --
And Canaan hath begotten Sidon his first-born, and Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite; and afterwards have the families of the Canaanite been scattered. And the border of the Canaanite is from Sidon, `in' thy coming towards Gerar, unto Gaza; `in' thy coming towards Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, unto Lasha.
`And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorite from the presence of His people Israel, and thou wouldst possess it!
five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Zidonian, and the Hivite inhabiting mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering in of Hamath;
And it cometh to pass, after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel ask at Jehovah, saying, `Who doth go up for us unto the Canaanite, at the commencement, to fight against it?'
and if wrong in your eyes to serve Jehovah -- choose for you to-day whom ye do serve; -- whether the gods whom your fathers served, which `are' beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling; and I and my house -- we serve Jehovah.'
because the mountain is thine; because it `is' a forest -- thou hast prepared it, and its outgoings have been thine; because thou dost dispossess the Canaanite, though it hath chariots of iron -- though it `is' strong.'
And the sons of Manasseh have not been able to occupy these cities, and the Canaanite is desirous to dwell in this land,
The king of Jericho, one; The king of Ai, which `is' beside Bethel, one; The king of Jerusalem, one; The king of Hebron, one; The king of Jarmuth, one; The king of Lachish, one; The king of Eglon, one; The king of Gezer, one; The king of Debir, one; The king of Geder, one; The king of Hormah, one; The king of Arad, one; The king of Libnah, one; The king of Adullam, one; The king of Mekkedah, one; The king of Beth-El, one; The king of Tappuah, one; The king of Hepher, one; The king of Aphek, one; The king of Lasharon, one; The king of Madon, one; The king of Hazor, one; The king of Shimron-Meron, one; The king of Achshaph, one; The king of Taanach, one; The king of Megiddo, one; The king of Kedesh, one; The king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; The king of Dor, at the elevation of Dor, one; The king of the Goyim of Gilgal, one; The king of Tirzah, one; all the kings `are' thirty and one.
`And I have sent the hornet before thee, and it hath cast out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee;
Peoples have heard, they are troubled; Pain hath seized inhabitants of Philistia. Then have chiefs of Edom been troubled: Mighty ones of Moab -- Trembling doth seize them! Melted have all inhabitants of Canaan!
In that day hath Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, `To thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Phrat, with the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 5
Commentary on Joshua 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
Israel have now got over Jordan, and the waters which had opened before them, to favour their march forward, are closed again behind them, to forbid their retreat backward. They have now got footing in Canaan, and must apply themselves to the conquest of it, in order to which this chapter tells us,
Jos 5:1-9
A vast show, no doubt, the numerous camp of Israel made in the plains of Jericho, where now they had pitched their tents. Who can count the dust of Jacob? That which had long been the church in the wilderness has now come up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, and looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. How terrible she was in the eyes of her enemies we are here told, v. 1. How fair and clear she was made in the eyes of her friends, by the rolling away of the reproach of Egypt, we are told in the following verses.
Jos 5:10-12
We may well imagine that the people of Canaan were astonished, and that when they observed the motions of the enemy they could not but think them very strange. When soldiers take the field they are apt to think themselves excused from religious exercises (they have not time nor thought to attend to them), yet Joshua opens the campaign with one act of devotion after another. What was afterwards said to another Joshua might truly be said to this, Hear now, O Joshua! thou and thy fellows that sit before thee are men wondered at (Zec. 3:8), and yet indeed he took the right method. that is likely to end well which begins with God. Here is,
Jos 5:13-15
We have hitherto found God often speaking to Joshua, but we read not till now of any appearance of God's glory to him; now that his difficulties increased his encouragements were increased in proportion. Observe,
And (lastly) Hereby he prepares him to receive the instructions he was about to give him concerning the siege of Jericho, which this captain of the Lord's host had now come to give Israel possession of.