' ſbua took only ſome of them, partly becauſe they were ſufficient for - his purpole, and partly becauſe ſome were fit to be left, both to ſecure. their own Wives,Children,and Poſſeſſions,and to prevent their drance in their enterprize whom Canaan.
I 5 Until the LORD have given. your brethren reſt.
. 5 be' bath given you, - and they alſo have poſſeſſed the
andwhich the LORD your God giveth them : then ye ſhall return unto the land of your poſſeſſion, and enjoy
It, which Moſes the LOR D's Servant gave you on this ſide Jordan, toward che Sun-riſing.
x6 And they anſwered þ Joſhua, ſaying,All that thou
. -*commandeſt us, we will do, and whitherſoever thou | ſerideſt 3 we will go.
.b (i,.c.) The Renbeniter, &c. mentioned werſe 12. to whom Jo- 's. Diſcourſe is confined, werſes 13, 14, 15. No doubt the other Tribes expreſſed the ſame thing ; but this is only recorded con-
: wy ee. lp 568 becauſe that might ſeem moſt doubtful, and the o-
;e of the. reſt was unqueſtionable.
+d *f
ording as we hearkned unto Moſes inall things
us
God be with thee, as he was with Moſes &. 5 The ſame obedience which we owed, and thoſe of us who are now alive generally performed to Moſes, we promiſe unto thee. - k This is not a limitation of their obedience, as if they would not -obey him any further or longer than he was proſperous or ſucceſ]-
- ful ; bur an additional Prayer for him. As we have hereby pro-
miſed thee our obedience, ſo our Prayer ſhall be, That God would
. eG and grotper thee, 'as he did Moſes. | - 18 Whoſoerer be be that doth rebel againſt thy com- _ mandment, and yrill not heacken unto thy words in al}
that thou commandeft him 7, he ſhall be put to'death :
only be ſtrong, ang of a good courage.
ople pafſed nor over till three dayes after the Spies | Anſw: Theſe words, though placed here, | ſeem-not to have been delivered byyfoſbus till after the return ofthe |
mies on that ſide from giving them diſturbance or hin-| P
I Not repugnatit to God's commands ; for none can be ſo fooliſh
| to think, that if he had commanded the people to blaſpheme God,
or worſhip Idols, the people were obliged to obey him therein. C H A P . Io . ;
Joſhua ſends two Spies to Jericho; they are ſought after ; Rahab hide: them ; deceives the Meſſengers, 2 —— 7. She acknowledges that God had given them the Land ; her Reaſons, 8 — 11. The Covenant between hey and them, 12==—212 Their Return and Relation, 22==24.
ATP Joſhua the ſon of Nun ſent 4 out of Shittim,
view the land, even Jericho f: and they went *, and
Called alſo Abel-ſhirtim, Numb. 33. 49. c Not twelve, as Mojes did, THeb, ls,
partly becauſe the people of Canaan were now more alarm'd than in Moſes his time, and more ſuſpicious of all ſtrangers ; and partly be- cauſe thoſe were to view the whole land, theſe bur a ſmall parcel of it. 4 (1. e.) To learn the ſtate of the land and people, and what wa and method they ſhould proceed in. Ir is gvident enough, Thar Joſhua did not this out of diſtruſt, as the people did, Deur. ». and it 15 moſt probable, he had God's command and dire&ion in it, for the encouragement of himſelf and his Army in their preſent Enter- Prize. e With reference not to his enemies, which being the con- ſtant and neceſſary praftice of all Spies, was needleſs to be menti. oned ; but to the Iſraelites, withour their knowledge or deſire. And this ſeems added by way of oppoſition unto the like Aion, Deut. 1. where it was done with the peoples privity, and upon their motion: And therefore 2n account was given, not only to Moſes, but alſo to the Congregation ; Whereas here it was given to Joſbus only, v. 23. which was a good Caution to prevent the inconveni- ency which poſſibly might have ariſen, if their report had been doubrful or diſcouraging. f (i. e.) The land about Jericho, toge- ther with the Ciry. Heb. The Land and Jericho, (i.e. )eſpecially Jericho. So and is uſed, 2 Sam. 2. 3o. 1 Kings 11. 1. Pſal. 18.1. * They obeyed Joſhua's command, even with the hazard of their own lives, conſi- dering that they were under the prote&ion of divine Providence, which could very eaſily many ways ſecure them; or being willing to ſacrifice their lives in their Countrey's ſervice. g So the Hebrew word 1s uſed, Judges 11. 1. and 16. 1. 1 Kings 3. 16. Exek. 23. 44. and ſo it is rendred by two Apoſtles, Heb. 11. 31. James 2. 25. ſuch ſhe either now was, or formerly had been ; and ſuch a perſons houſe they might come to with leſs obſervation than to an Hoſteſs,as ſome render it, or to a publick Vicualing-houſe. And ſuch a courſe of life was very common among.the Gentiles, who eſteemed Fornica- tion to be either no fin, or a very ſmall and trivial one. h Or,
themſelves to reſt ; but they were diſturbed and hindred from their Intentions upon the following diſcovery.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, ſaying, Be- hold, there came in men hither to night z, of the chil- dren of Irael, to ſearch out the country,
; This evening, by comparing this with verſe 5.
3 And the King of jericho ſent unto Rahab, ſaying, Bring forth che men that are come to thee, which are entred into thine houſe: for they be come to ſearch out all the country, |
4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them k, and ſaid thus, There came men unto me, but I wiſt
not whence they were /: |
k Or, But the Woman had taken , and had hid them to wit, be- fore the Meſſengers came from the King ; as ſoon as ſhe underſtood from her Neighbours or common Rumor, that there was a ſuſpici- on of the matter, and gueſſed rhar ſearch would be made. And this is juſtly mentioned as a great and generous aCt of Faith, Heb. 11. 31. for the t1d apparently venture her life upon a ſtedfaſt per- ſvaſon of theTruth of God's Word and Promiſe given to the 1/-a- elites. I Her anſwer contained in theſe and the following words, was palpably falſe, and therefore unqueſtionab'y ſinful ; howſoe- ever, her intention was gocd therein : See Rom. 3.8. But it is very robable, ſhe being an Heathen, might think, What, ſome Chriſti- ans have thought and ſaid, That an officious lie is not unlawful. Or at worſt, this was her Infirmity, which was graciouſly pardon- ed by God, and her Faith was amply rewarded.
the gate 72, when it was dark, that the men went our : whither the men went, I wot not: purſue after them quickly, for ye ſhall overtake them.
m Either of her houſe, or rather of the City which was fſkut at a certain time.