; Properly ſo called, as Joſh. 3. 17. Queſt, How could theſe ſtones be a Monument of this work, when they were not ſeen, but gene- rally covered with the Waters of Jordan? Anſw. Theſe ſtones are not the ſame with thoſe which a man could carry upon his ſhoulders, ver: 5. and therefore might be very much larger ; and being ſet up in two rows one above another, they might poſſibly be ſeen, at leaſt ſome times when the Water was low,and eſpecially where the Wa- ter was commonly more ſhallow, as it might be ordinarily in this place,though not at this time, when Jordanoverflowed all its banks. Add to this, That the Waters of Jordanare ſaid to be very pure and clear; and therefore theſe ſtones,though they did not appear above ir, might be ſcen in it, either by thoſe who ſtood upon the ſhore, becauic that River was not broad ; or at leaſt by thoſe that paſſed in Roats upon the River, who could cafily diſcern them by the pe- culiar noiſe and motion of the Water occaſioned by that heap of ſtones. And this was ſufficient, eſpecially conſidering that there was another more diſtin& and viſible Monument of this Miracle ſet up in Gilgal, k This might be written, either 1. by Joſhua who wrote this Book near 20 years after this wasdone : Or, 2. by ſome other holy man divinely inſpired and approved of by the whole Jewiſh Church, who inſerted this and ſome ſuch paſſages both in this Book, and in the Writings of Moſes.
1o For the prieſts which bare the ark, ſtood in the midſt of Jordan, until every thing was finiſhed that the LORD commanded Joſhua to ſpeak unto the people /, according to all that Moſes commanded Joſhua mz: and
the people haſted and paſſed over n»
1i. e. To command the people to do. » Which he did not parti- cularly,but in the general ; becauſe he commanded Joſhua to obſerve and do all that God had commanded him by Moſes, and all that he ſhould command him any other way. » z. e. Paſſed over with haſte, which is noted as an Argument of their fear, or weakneſs of their Faith ; as on the contrary, the Prieſts are commended that they ſtood firm, and fixed, and ſettled in their minds, as well as in the poſture of their Bodies. |
11 And it came to paſs when all the people were clean paſſed over, that the ark of the LORD paſſed 0- ver, and the prieſts in the preſence of the people o.
o The people looking on, and beholding this wonderful work of God with Att-ntion and Admiration.
12 And * the children ofReuben, and the chiidren of Gad, and half the Tribe of Manaileh, paſſed over armed before che reſt of the children of Iſrael, as Moſes
\ ſpake unto them :
13 About torty thouſand | prepared for war, paſſed over before the LORD p unto bactel, to the plains of Jericho.
p Either, x. befoze the Ark, by which they, as well as the reſt paſſed when they went over Jordan. Or 2. in the preſence of God who diligently obſerved whether they would keep their Fromuſe and Covenant made with their Brethren, or nor.
14 On that day-cthe LORD * magnified Joſhua ir the ſight of all Iſrae)],and they feared him,as they feared Moſes, all the days of his life. |
i5 And the LORD ſpake unto Joſbua, ſaying,
16 Command the Prieſts that bear * the ark of the teſtimony, that they come up 7 out of Jordan.
q For being now in the middle, an loweſt, and deepeſt place of the Rive:, ( of which ſee on Job. 3. 17.) they are mo!t properly ſaid to aſcend or go up to the land ; which word is thrice uſe in th1s and the two next following Verſes.
17 Joſhua therefore commanded the Prieſts r, ſaying, Come ye up out of, Jordan.
» Who ſtayed contentedly in the River, till God by Joſbua called them out. _ |
18 And it came to paſs, when the prieſts that bare the ark of the Covenant of the LORD, were come u; out of the midſt of Fordan, and the ſoles of the prielis feet were Þ lift up unto the dry land, that the waters of Fordan returned unto their place s, and F Bowed over all his banks, as they did before. |
s Came down from their heaps, and returned with all convenient ſpeed into their proper Channel, according to their natural and u- ſual courſe.
.v And the people came out of Fordan on the tenth day of the firſt month ?, and encamped in Gijgal #, in theeaſt border of Fericho. |
t To wit, of Niſan, which wanted but 5 days of 4o years from the time of their coming out of Fgypr, which was on the fifte-nt* day of this month. So punQual 1s God in the performing of his word, whether promiſe« or threatned. And this day was very ſea- ſonable to1 thz taking up of the Lambs which were to be we: four days after,accor.iing to the Law, Exod. 12:3,6. u A place ſocal led hereafter upon a following occaſion, Joſh. 5. 9g. So here it 1s an Anticipation.
2c And thoſe twelve ſtones which they took out of Fordan, did Foſbua pitch in Gilgal x.
x Which moſt probaÞly were placed ſeverally and in order like ſo many little Pillars, fhich was moſt proper to keep up the remem-
rance of this miraculous Benefit vouchſafed to this people.
21 And he ſpake unto the children of Iſrael, ſaying, When your children ſhal ask their fathers f in time co come, ſaying, What mean theſe ſtones >
22 Then ye ſhal ler your children know, faying,Iſra- el came over this Fordan on dry land.
24 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Fordan from before you, until ye were paſſed over, as
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3 (i.e.) My ſelf and Caleb, and all of us here preſent ; for this Wi! | Benefit, though done to their Fathers, is juſtly and rightly faid to Wil | be done to themſelves, becauſe thev were then in their Parents loyns ; and their very being, and all their Happineſs, cepenced upon that Deliverance.
24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that ic ;s mighty, that ye might fear the LORD your God þ for ever.
GHAP. YV.
The Amorites and Canaanites hear »f this and are afraid, 1. The Males born in the Wilderneſs are Circumciſed, 2---9. The Paſſcver is celebrated, 10. They eat of the Corn of the Land, and the Mama ceoſeth, 11, 12. Chrift a#ppeareth to Joſbua in form of a Man of War; he worſbips him; the place of his preſence holy gruund, 13----15. ;
AND it came to paſs when all the kings cf the
Amorites a which were on the fide of Jordan | weſtward 6b, and all the kings of the Canaanites c, which ; were by the Sea d, *heard that the LORD had dried * Nomb! |