PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua
Alfred Plummer [1841-1926] · 388,731 words · 426 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 241
linked together in o.rming e. soul with the whole armour of God (Eph. vi. llJ.- W. F. A. Ver. 40.-The extermination of the Oanaanites. The apparent cruelty of the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan arouses moral and religious questions of great i?,terest, especially those which are suggested by the conduct of Joohua…
817 wordsSECTION 242The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 242
there be the least flaw, implicit tnrnt cannot be expected of us. Herein all heathen systems of religion are defect.iYe, presenting to us a deity whom we cannot worship, a creature maimed, lial>le to the same passions as ourselves. The Christian re- ligion bears traces of its Divine origin in the grandeur of its concep…
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th~ ~are.elites, whilet_ we exp~ct and fu:id such purity and such an anticipation of the opm1ons of modern times as Justly entitles the "the law of Moses" to be considered a revelation from God, yet would it have been Quixotic to take no account of prevalent opinions and tendencies, to demand of the Israelites exactl…
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or fortified town. Like the names above see at once that it is simply one element of tha mentioned. it was by no means an uncom- Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, which ex- mon name. Beside the present Hazoi-, tends due nC'Tth aud south for e. clistnnce of which was in northern Palestine, two cities sixty hours. This is …
972 wordsSECTION 245The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 245
36 (60 in some editions); o.nd 'Epist.' 50, 10, Mizpeh to be equivalent to Belle Vue in S6, The o.llusions to it by Horace, Virgil, modem days. But the meaning " watch- Jnveno.l, and other clo.esico.l a.uthors are too tower " suggests ideas more in keeping with numerous for qnoto.tion. We may take o.e those rode times,…
1,004 wordsSECTION 246The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 246
tinent in its r0ar. Y0t there arc mimv " the waters of height," would seem to features common to the history of the answer to this, the highest of the iulo.nd Israelit,es in Canaan, and of the Teutonic lakes of Palestine. The Jordan rans through tribes in Britain (see Introduction). As it, and it is o.lso the reservoi…
962 wordsSECTION 247The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 247
secondary influences of individual cbe.re.cter, (see eh. x. 42). The issue of every battle we must not forget th11t the Israelites were is in God's hands. The natural man also Rust11ined at this moment by the assur- attributes it to human skill. The spiri- ances of Divine protection given e.t Jericho, tual man, whether…
974 wordsSECTION 248The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 248
prolong~d as far as Sarepta, the Zarephath in the middle ages, so these Phcenicio.11 of t,he Old Testament, eight miles to the cities were placed upon hills, that they aout,h, "·hich ste.nds on a rising ground near might be more easily defended. The vo.rious the sea. and shows the remains of ancient tribes of Palestine…
955 wordsSECTION 249The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 249
Israel had sprung up in the time of David explorers have failed to settle its situation. (see_ 2 Sam. xix. 41-43). But Dr. Eder- Selr. This mountainous region was well she1m has suggested another explanation. known as the territory of Esau (see Gen. Judah, he says (see eh. xiv. 6; xv. 1) xxxii. 2). Baal-gad In the va.l…
945 wordsSECTION 250The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 250
dai/,'- The campaign in southern Israel forms of their inhabitants, was ent111sted la;ted for weeks, perhaps even months. But the task of o,ercoming these antagonists, the rarupaig-n in northern Palestine must and thus Qf proving the truth of their own ham lasted longer. The vast host which words. Thus it ever is in…
970 wordsSECTION 251The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 251
It was o.fterwards conquered by David veniences of depopulated districts. There- (2 Sam. xxi. 20 ; 1 Chron. xviii. 1 ; xx. 6). fore it was Joshua's policy to leave the We find it in Solomon's jurisdiction, Canaanites to be extirpated by degrees, and though under the government of one of its to encourage the Israelites …
875 wordsSECTION 252The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 252
I. JosHU" NEEDED SPECIAL EN0OURAGEMENT ON0E MORE, in spite of his previous sig1rnl victory. This was because he had a new class of eneh1ies to contend against. These kings, with the king Razor at their head, seem to have possessed a higher ci,ilisation than the southern tribes. We read (vers. 4, 6) of their chai·iot…
833 wordsSECTION 253The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 253
though the ground on this aide of it is undoubtedly better surveyed. Concernina God, we shall be always in need of a revelation, however much He may reveal Himself in His works. So that it is still as true ae it ever was, in reference to our spiritual condition, that truth ie hidden from the "wise and prudent" in th…
884 wordsSECTION 254The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 254
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Yer. 1-5. -Many adversaries. Another league is here. One in the south de- stroyed ; another in the north is formed. A formidable one scattered ; one more so gathers. Folll' kings are mentioned, and probably a dozen others of those mentioned in the following chapter are associated with them…
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Ver. 15.-God's commandment and man's faithfulness. I. GoD's COlDIAND· MENT IS ENDURING. The co=andment to Moses is transmitted to Joshua. God's will is changeless. What is right is right eternally. We must not regai·d God's laws as obsolete when they are ancient. The precepts of the Bible are not the less binding upon…
1,052 wordsSECTION 256The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 256
Ver. 20.-Doomed to destruction. The evil men do often appears to be attributed in Scripture to the Dime will and agency (Exod. iv. 21; J udg. xiv. 4; 1 Kings xii. 15; Rom. ix. 17. 18). Ree.son and conscience, indeed, confirm the view St. James girns of the history of all transgression (James i. 13-15). Every ma.n's sin…
1,189 wordsSECTION 257The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 257
sin is always greater than the suffering. The just God is also the God of love. His justice paYes the way for His mercy. The triumph of Israel is to be tm·ned to the account of the human race, since the establishment of the sons of Abrah11m in the la,nd of promise is a necessary condition and antecedent of the univers1…
851 wordsSECTION 258The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 258
in nil their complexity by an instinctive apprehensiveness which '' scents the danger from afar." While there are giants it is desirable that there should be some fear of the:m, Fo~ fear, wit~in bounds, makes men brace up their energies- take all precaut1~ns a!;amst surp~rne, sends them to God for guidance and for help…
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on the too easily affected imagination which needlessly dreads a foe, whose outwo.rd bigness is no accurate measure of the dimensions of his real furce.-G. Yer. 23.-Rest from war. These words bring us a gi·ateful sense of relief. We are wea.ry of reading the long catalogue of bloody yictories-how of one city after Rno…
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Ver. 28.-Victor.l/ and rest. I. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN WARFARE IS DESTINED TO END IN VICTORY. (1) Victory is promised in God's Word. From the first promise that " the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent " (Gen. iii. 15), to the latest assurance of a " crown of life '' to those who are " faithful unto…
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reqnisit.e for complete and grand success. Even when he had tro.versed the land he st.ill believed in the perfect possibility of its conquest, and had all a hero's difficulty in belie,iug in anything tending to prevent it. But God's promise came, not as the yonug man hoped or expected. Youth sails too fast, underr&tes …
785 wordsSECTION 262The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 262
der is not cleo.rly defined, but the boundary to the region, though Hermon has really extended far further eo.etward in the north three peaks (see note on eh. xi. 3). And than in the south, since the territory of Og all the pla.1.n on the east. The Aro.bah was much more extensive than that of Sihon. (see eh. iii. 16…
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the land, in the days before the Israelitish naturally than those of Zilpah, 1Lre entirely invasion, from the inc1ll'sions of the tribes on omitted. the other side of Jordan (Num. xxiii. 14). Ver. 7.-And these are the kings of the The position of Pisgah has not been precisely country. We now proceed to the enumero.- id…
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• the remainder being daughter, or depen- The present name, Aid-el-Ma or Mieh, the dent cities, or else, perhaps, like Gibeon, fe11,st of the hundred, may be a misappre- cities whose government was not regal. hension of the word Adulla.m similar to that See eh. ix. 3, and Introduction. which converts the Welsh "yr e…
983 wordsSECTION 265The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 265
Rn<l Knobel identify with S1trona, or city is mentioned e.s one of the cities of pur- Snroneh, a pl1tee near the sea of Tiberias. ,·eynnce to Solomon's court (1 Kings iv. 12), See, howeYer, Acts ,iii. 32----38. Madon is with Deth-shee.n, Taanach, e.nd Megiddo, mmtioned in eh. xi. 1, and hits been eon- It has been id…
983 wordsSECTION 266The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 266
HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-24.-The erIJtent of the conquest. A few detached considerations occur to us here. I. Goo WILL NOT BE WORSE THAN His WORD. The reduction of the whole land had not yet been effected, but it had been rendered possible if Israel were disposed to follow up his advantage. The list of cities captured cov…
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beat.en general, of plans unwisely formed and forces unhappily employed. Those wb'? follow God's guidance in all the affairs of life are fighters in a, comba,t in which then· success confers blessmgs on themselves a.nd on society at large. All who refuse God's ~dance in their general affe.irs are fighters in a combat i…
792 wordsSECTION 268The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 268
world iii not large enough for all men to live on the most fertile soil and in the most genial climate. (2) Diversity is also necessitated by the difference in human cap,1citie8. Since these sources of diversity are found in nature, they must be sanctioned by God. Therefore to complain of them is (a) futile, (b) dis…
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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XIII. 1-33. sessions of particule.r families, still Jess of individual landowners. J oshna and Caleb THE DIVISION OF THE TEIIBITOBY.-Ver. 1. are the only exceptions. Knobel observes -Now Joshua was old. This is uswilly re- that the most powerful tribes were first garded as the second part of the …
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enticements. The only safeguard in tLe ro,. The phrase which is "before " (')!)"Sl/) war is strength, oJertness, courage, patience. The faint-hearted and unwatchful alike fail Egypt seems to exclude the idea of the Nile, in the contest, which can be carried on suc- since the Nile flowed through the centre of cessfully …
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by the Philistines. Keil, however, dis- (Delitzsch), "on the north.west slopes of putes this view, and holds that we have Lebanon,' amid exquisite groves (Conder). 110 eYidence that any but 1t CanMnitish Here the Syrinn Astarte was worshipped, people dwelt in south-western Palestine. and the ruins of her temple, dedica…
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is said to have "recovered" (v. 28) Hamath xii. 2, instead of "the city that is in itaclf. This "entering in of Ha.moth" com- the midst of the river," we find simply mences o.t the end of the region ea.lied Cmle "the middle ('11n) of the river." Bnt as 2 Syria, according to Robinson, 'Later Biblical Sam. xxiv. 5 stands…
1,006 wordsSECTION 273The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 273
See note on chap. xii. 5, of which this pas, Keil asserts, signify fi,·e in any place in Holy sage is little else but a repetition. Writ, but it is used of the shewbread in Yer. 12.--0iants. See note on eh. xii. 4. Levit. xxiv. 7, 9, It thus cnme to mean any Yer. 14.-0nly unto the tribe of Levi. sacrifice, whether o…
1,011 wordsSECTION 274The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 274
meon, Kirio.tha.im (or Kirjatho.im, o.a it is Bik'e.h when he speaks of the great valley here called), Ataroth, Nebo, Aroer, had of Ccele Syria, Ciccar when he speaks of fallen into the hands of Mesha at the re- the territory ,lae north of Jordan. With the bellion, and that be ho.d erected a citadel at princes of Midla…
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boundary of the children of Reuben was southernmost point of the sea of Galilee. Jordan and the natural bound&.1-y thus Many of these places e.lso are mentioned in formed.·, As Dean Stanley reminds us in Isa. xv. and Jer. xlviii. (see noto 11bove, his 'Lectures on the Jewish Church,' Reu- ver, 16). ben. 11s predicted b…
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border. Litcrnlly, Jorda,n and a border The word used for "tribe " in the firs\ and (sM note on ver. 23). The edge. Ifather, second half of this verse ia not the same. tho end (see note on ver. 24). Some German critics ha,ve derived an argu. Ver. 28.-Th!e le the Inheritance of the rnent for the hypothesis that the ru…
1,241 wordsSECTION 277The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 277
HOMILETICS. Chap. XIIT.-XIV. Ver. 5.-The allotment of the inheritance. I. THERE COMES A TIME WHEN WE MUST GIVE PLACE TO OTHERS. Joshua felt that his end was drawing nigh, and most likely, since we are not told otherwise, as in the case of Moses, his natw·al force was abated. So with ourselves. We cannot expect to see …
958 wordsSECTION 278The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 278
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-Life ending and the work not done, The rest of the land from war, then (eh. xii. 23), was not that of final and completed victory. It was only a tempo- rary truce. The whole land was not yet in the -possession of Israel, but enough of it was subdued to prove God's absolute sovereig…
1,178 wordsSECTION 279The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 279
l. TDE GREATNESS OF DUTY AND THE LIMITS OF TIME TOGETHER URGE UPON US THE NEED FOR DILIGENT Sl!:RVICE. (1) We must not postpone the commencement of work. Joshua began to serve God in his youth ; yet his work was not finished in his old age. (2) We must not be satisfied with any amount of work done. Joshua lmd accomplis…
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has this double character-it is always at once a possession and II responsibility His gifts resemble, say, a colonial estate needing to be cleared; a good house half built - requiring to be finished before it can be used ; a mine requiring to be wrought. They are always of -vast value to those who will develop their va…
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(see verse 14). (1) They who serve a.t the alta.r ha.ve a. right to live by the altar (1 Cor. ix. 7). Thie is (a) just (1 Cor. ix. 11), (b) necessa.ry for unhindered service, ancl (c) not injurious to true devotion Bo long a.s the serva.nt of God does not degra.de his voccttion into a tracle by working for money instea…
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knows thrtt His threitt~nings, like His promises, cannot fail. Of this we ho.ve o. striking proof, both in the punishment which came upon Balaam, during the war fo1· the conquest of Ca1rnan, and in the blessing of Caleb. I. For nrn,ny years Balaam had been untrue to his own conscience, in going back to the idolatries …
826 wordsSECTION 283The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 283
strength of integrity; the keen perception which can discern the essential cliJierences and clestinies of things ; the fear of God to which" the secret of the Lord is always revealed "-you get a character of the first quality, one that has in it the making of a Moses or an Auraham, one who could and should have been on…
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Gilead and _Bashan." These cities include the group which fonn euch a striking strongholn m the northern part of the land beyond Jordan. Mr. Porter, in his • Giant Cities of Bashan,' has described the surprising strength of the architecture of these cities-the failure of even three thousand years of change and wear …
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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XIV. 1-15. can be little doubt that Keil is right in sup- posing this original division to have been in Ver. 1. -Tribes. The word here for outline merely. It is obvious from the on- "tribes," in connection with the word ward course of the narrative (especially eh. " fathers," is the one which imp…
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" Aowing- with milk and honey," and with the obvious coherence of the whole ne.rrn." all the produce of a southem sky. The tive. areR of land assigned to e1teh of the Le- Ver. 7.-Forty yea.re old. The Hebrew Yitical cities wos definitely marked out (see expression is " the son of forty years." Jlium. xxxv. 4, 5), and s…
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still for battle with the most forniidable suggest that they went iogether, that the foee. spies we.nt different ways, either eepnmtely Ver. 12.-Thls mountain. The neigh- or in pairs, and that Caleb visited Hebron, bourhood of Hebron is described by Bartlett and that Joshua beard the account of it 'Egypt to Palestine…
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coupled with his zeal for his adopted country and tribe, 01· from the combination ol o.ll these, it is not necessary to decide. Sufficient to remark (1) that he was beloved by the people ; and (2) that he was a favourite character in the inspired Jewish history. I. THE BRAVE MAN WINS RESPECT. This is sure to be the…
1,153 wordsSECTION 289The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 289
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-5.-The allotment of the tribes. This record of the division of the land among the tribes is suggestive of principles that are ce.pe.ble of a wider and more general e.pplice.tion, and e.lso of one that is narrower and more individual. Note- I. THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT DETERMINES …
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go in and possesR it for themselves. God will drive out the Canaanites tl111.t 11re still there, not without them, bnt "f1·om. befo1·e them." (eh. xiii. 6). The decision of the lot seems t.o have l.u1d reference only to the general local situation of the tribes; the acttml extent of the territory in each case was left …
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submitted to the lot did not choose the best for themselves. They allowed a division which was fair for all. In business we are too selfish and grasping. The principle of competition should yield to the principle of co-operation. It is wicked for the able and clever to grow rich by taking advantage of the weakness and …
1,142 wordsSECTION 292The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 292
Ver. 6-14.-Caleb and his inheritance. Caleb is one of those Scripture cha- racters in whom we feel a personal interest not measured by the amount of historical information given us respecting him. Scanty as the materials a:ue, they present us with a moral portrait very real and life-like and full of dignity. All that w…
1,240 wordsSECTION 293The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 293
nerrr and rngge~ted what seemed an exceedingly wise plau--to send men first to spy ont the land -and dire was the ultimate effect I \Ve do not inculcate i-o,shness ; we only say that courage is sometimes better than caution, and quick action than slow resol.es. \Ve need a holy enthusiasm that will minimise dangers a…
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o.n~ the hindrances to the ~ork of .~i;;h-p_rincipled statesmen and philanthropists which stay the progress of liberty, e1vilisat10n, and natwnal prosperity. II. WE HAVE MEANS FOR OVERCOMING THE" ANA.KIMS." 1. God with us. This fact i_s Caleb's ground of confidence. _God does not only approve of the right; He aids 1_t…
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II. A RF.WARD SOUGHT LITTLE TO DE DESIRED IN THE EYES OF SOME. Hebron "·as a large city, a royal city, but the surrounding hills were the foetnesses of giants, who must be attacked and driven away. Before the owner coukl settle clown on the, estare he must dislodge the former proprietors. No easy conquest was to be…
781 wordsSECTION 296The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 296
reckoned on more than natural probabilities, arguing, "The Lord is with us; and thoir defence is departed from them." But overborne by the numbers of those on the other side, and by the unbelief of the crowd, they can only grieve over what they cannot avert. And Israel turns back to the wilderness-where the carcases of…
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immortnl. But there were besides, special rewards. (a) Accumte light. Good judg- ment grew from it. Knowledge of the possible, a grnnd self-measurement, in which no Yan it- exaggera.t.ed nor dismay diminished powers marked him. "A good under- standing have all they (.bat loye Thy law." ,valk with God and the light in w…
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•_source of His people's streng~h. for th_at in ~e,rd battle ,which e,ll must fight. (3) By the grace of Chnst the Christ1e,n will ultrme,tely enJoy '' rest from war." This is promise (a) for the individual Christian in heaven (Heb. iv. 9), (b) for the whole human family at the time of the complete triumph of Christ…
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excessiw "·ealth and excessive poverty. A third idea, lying at the fonndation of tills legislation, "·as that the equality of the citizens is the condition most favourable to the well-bemg of the State. All exaggerated differences of condition tend to <livide and alienR,te classes, depriving the land in some degree of …
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I. Goon MEN ARE NEEDED FOP. si.:cOND PLACES AS WELL AS FIRST. "\Ve cannot all be statesmen, ntlers, missionaries. There are many more humble positions than exalted ones. Twelve spyships for one lordship. Good men are needed for all stations. Men who fear to do wrong, who fear to grieve God, and who have no other fear. …
785 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.