a. The first twelve chapters form a continuous narra- tive, which seems never to halt or flag. The descrip- tion is frequently, so minute as to show the hand not merely of a contemporary, but of an eye-witness. An awful sense of the divine Presence reigns tliroughout. ■\^'e are called out from the din and tumidt of each bat- tle-field to listen to the still small voice. The progress of events is clearly foreshadowed in the first chapter (vers. 5, 6). Step by step we are led on through the solemn preparation, the arduous struggle, the crowning triumph. !Moving everj^thing aromid, yet himself moved by an unseen power, the Jewish leader rises high and calm amid all.
b. The second part of the book (ch. xiii-xxi) has been aptly compared to the Domesday-book of the Norman
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conquerors of England. The documents of which it consists were doubtless the abstracts of such reports as were supplietl by the men whom Joshua sent out (xviii, 8) to describe the land. In the course of time it is prob- able that changes were introduced into their reports— whether kept separately among the national archives, or embodied in the contents of a book— by transcribers adapting tliem to the actual state of the country in later times when political divisions were modified, new towns sprung up, and old ones disappeared (com p. the two lists of Levitical towns. Josh, xxi, and 1 Chron. vi, 54, etc.).
II. Desii/n.— The object of the book is manifestly to furnish a continuation of the history of the Israelites from the point at which it is left in the closing book of the Pentateuch, and at the same time to illustrate the faithfuhiess of Jehovah to his word of promise, and his grace in aiiling his people by miraculous interference to obtain possession of the land promised to Abraham. The ground idea of the book, as Maurer {Comment, p. 3) ob- serves, is furnished by God's declaration to Joshua, re- corded i, 5, 6, that the work which jNIoses commenced he shoidd linish by subduing and dividing to the tribes of Israel the Promised Land. The book, therefore, may be regarded as setting forth historically the grounds on which the claims of Israel to the proprietorship of the land rested ; and as possessing, consequently, not mere- ly a historical, but also a constitutional and legal worth. As illustrating God's grace and power in dealing with his people, it possesses also a religious and spiritual in- terest.
III. Unity. — On this head a variety of opinions have been entertained. It has been asserted, 1. That the book is a collection of fragments from tlifferent hands, put together at different times, and the whole revised and enlarged by a later writer. Some make the num- ber of sources whence these fragments have been de- rived fen (Ilerwerden, Disp.de Libra Jos. Groning. 1820); others Jive, including the reviser (Knobel, Exeget. lib/:. pt. 13 ; Ewald, Gesch. der Israel, i, 73 sq.) ; while others content themselves with three (Bleek, Mnleit. ins. A. T. p. 325). 2. That it is a complete and uniform composi- tion, interspersed with glosses and additions more or less extensive. 3. That the lirst part is the composition of one author; but the second betrays indications of being a compilation from various sources (Hiivernick, Eiideit. II, i, 34). 4. That the book is complete and imi- form throughout, and, as a wliole, is the composition of one writer. It is impossible here to enter into all the details of this discussion. The reader will tlnd these fully pivsnitcl by De Wctte. /.7/(/, /^ ins. A.T.,4ti\i and SllliMM,,,,.,,! cliliMU-.; Ihivcniirk. AV„/(.iV.I,i, 1; Kouig, All-l..-<hiiun,ll. Stiidkii. i. 4; .Muiircr, Comment.; Keil, Commonl. E. T. p. 3; Blcek, Kiidnt. ins. A. T., p. 311 ; Knobel, in the Exer/et. Ilandbuch, pt. 13 ; and Davidson, Introd.totheO.T.i,iVl.
a. Events alleged to be twice narrated in this book are, Joshua's decease, ch. xxiii and xxiv ; the command to appoint twelve men, one out of each tribe, in con- nection with the passing over Jordan (iii, 12 ; iv, 3) ; the stoning of Achan and his dependents (vii, 25) ; the setting of an ambush for the taking of Ai (viii, 9, 12) ; the rest from war of the land (xi, 23 ; xiv, 15) ; the com- mand to Joshua concerning dividing the land (xiii, C) ; anil the granting of Hebron to Caleb (xiv, 13 ; xv, 13)'. This list we liave transcribed from Knobel (Exeyet. lldbk. xiii, 408). Is it incredible that Joshua should have tiriee assembled the representatives of the people to address them before his decease? Jlav he not have felt that, spared beyond his expectation, it behoved him to avail iiimself of the opportunity thus afforded to ad- dress once more to the people wo'rds of counsel and ad- monition'? In the case of the grant to Caleb of He- bron there is undoubtedly a repetition of the same fact, but It IS such a repetition as might proceed from the same pen; for the two statements are made in different connections, the one in connection with Caleb's per- sonal merits, the other in connection with the bounda-
ries and occupation allotted to Judah. The taking of Ai will be considered further on. As for the other in- stances, we leave them to the judgment of our readers.