up the waters of Fordan e from before the children of 13- 29-
Hrael, until we were paſſed over, that their heart melt- Ex94- T |
ed f, neither was there ſpirit in them any more,becauſe *'? of the children of Iſrael. | 4 Theſe and the Canaanites are mentioned for all the reſt,as bei the chief of them for number, and power, and courage b This 2 added to diſtinguiſh them from the other Amorites, Eaſtward from Jordan, whom Moſes had ſubdued. c So the proper place of this Na- tion was on both ſides of Jordan. d The Midland Sea, all-long the Coaſt of it, which was the chiefſeat of that people, though divers Colonies of them were come into, and ferrled in other places e Which was their bulwark on the Eaſt-fide,where the 1jraelites were for it is very probable they had taken away all Bridges near thoſe parts ; and the /ſraelites having been ſo long in thar Neighbouring Country, and yet not making any attempt upon them, they were grown ſecure ; eſpecially now, when Jordan ſwelPd beyond Its or= dinary bounds ; and therefore they did not endeavour to hinder their paſſage. f They loſt all their courage, and durſt atrempt nos thing upon the Jſraelites, not without Gods ſpecial providence,that the 1ſraelites might quietly participate of the two great Sacraments of their Church, Circumciſion and the Paſſover, and thereby be prepared for their high and hard work, and for the poſieſſion of the Holy and Promiſed Land, which would have been Defiled by an Uncircumciied People.
2 At that time g the LORD faid unto Foſbua, Make
+ Heb. aayre
h thee * ſharp knives #5, and circufyiciſe again the chil- * Exod: dren of Iſrael the ſecond time &. | 4. 25. g As ſoon as ever they were come to Gilgal, which was on the yas.
ren:h day ; and fo this might be execured the next,or the eleventh day,and thatin the morning : on the thirtcenth day they were ſore of their wounds, and on the fourteenth day they recovered, and at the Even of that day kept the Paſſover. h Or, prepare, or make vea- ay, as this word 1s ſometimes uſed. As it was not neceſſary for thoſe who had ſuch Knives already to make others for that ule ; ſo it is not probable that ſuch were commanded ro do ſo, but only to make them ſharp and fit for that work. 7 Called in Hebrew, Knives of Flints, not as if they were all neceſſarily ro be made of Flints,but becaute ſuch were commonly uſed, eſpecia)ly in thoſe parts where the:e was but little Iron ; and becauſe ſuch Knives were oft uſed 'n this woik, as the Jewiſh Doors norte, and in ſuch like works, as the Heathen writers relate. Thus we call that an Ik-horn, which :s made of Silver, becauſe thoſe Urenſils are commonly made of Ho:n. k& He calleth tiis a Jecond Circumciſion, not as if theſe ſame perſons had been Circumciſed once before, either by 7oſbua, or by any other, for the contrary is athrmed below, v, 5 but with reſpe& unto the body of the People, whereof one part had been Circums ciſed b-fore, and the other at this time, which is called a ſerond: :ime, in relation to ſome former time wherein they were Circiim- ciſed, either, 1. in Egypt, when many of the people, who poſſibly for fear or favour of the Egyptians, had negle&ed this Duty; were by the command of Meſes ( who had been awakened by the remems brance cf his own negle& and danger thereupon ) Ci-cumciſed ; which during the Ten Plagues, and the grievous confuſion and conſternation of the Egyptians, they might eaſily find opportunity to do. Or 4. art Sai, when they received the Paſſover, Numb 9: 5: which no uncircumciſed perſon might do, Exod. 12. 48. and therefore it may not ſeem improbable, that all the Children born in that firſt year afrer their coming out of Fgypr, and all they who peradventure might come out of Egypt in their uncircumciſion; were now Circumciſed. Obj. 1. All that came out of Egypt were Cirs cumciſed, v. 5: Anſ. 1, This may be true, but he doth not fay when and where they were Circumcited; nor doth he deny that this was done to ſome of them, either in time of the Plagnes in Egypt, orat Sinai 2. All is very oft uſed of the greateſt part, as is confeſſed Obj. 2. All the people that were born in the Wilderneſs were not Circums ciſed, v. 5. An}. 1. Underſtand this 'alſo of the greateſt part. 2; This is limited to them that were born by the way, as it is faid there, and emphatically repeated, wv. 7. z.e. in their Journeys and Travellings ; which iniinuats the reaſon why they were not Cir- cumciſed, becauſe they were always uncertain of their ſtay ir any : place ; and were conſtantly to be in a readineſs for a removal when God took up the Cloud : Bur this reafon ceaſed at Sinai, where they knew they were to abide for a conſiderable time ; and ſeing they took that opportunity for the celebration of the Paſſover,it is like= Iy they would improve it alſo, to the Circumciſion of their Chil- dren or others, which they ought to prize highly, and to embrace a'l occaſions offered for it ; which though the people might, ir is not likely that Moſes would negle&.. Obj. 3. hey are ſaid to have remained uncircumciſed Forty whole Years in the Wilderneſs, v. 6: Anſw., i. e. for almoſt forty years ; as the ſame Phraſe is uſed; Numb, x4, 33, 34. and 32; 13. when there was above one year of that nhmber paſt and gone. Or 3. in — and ſo the fenſe may be; The h 2 L 2 firs
flints.
Yep. v. Fj O |» ſl firſt Circumciſion conferred upon 4brahem, and continued in his Poſtecity, hath been for many years negle&ted or omitted ; and ſo thar grear and ſolemn pledge of my Covenant with you, 15 11 a manner wholly loſt, and therefore it is but fit and necetlary to have this long intercupted praftice of Circumciſion revived, and to have Abrahams Poſterity circumciſed a ſecond time for the renewing of the Covenant b:tween them and me again.
Fr 10s (A ' 3 And Joſhua made him ſharp knives, and circum- HITEr, G:- cifed /the children of Ifrael mat the * hill of the fore- 0109 £22-" ckins. | | | I (i. e.) He cauſed this to be done ; and, becauſe it was to be done ſpeedily, the Paſſover approaching, it was neceſſary to _ many hands in it, either Prieſts and Levites, or other Circumciſe perſons, who, at leaſt in thoſe circumſtances, were permitted to doit. -+:(7.e.) Such of them as were uncircumciſed. And,though it be not mentioned, it is morethan probable, that the Jraelites be- yond Jordan were Circumciſed at the ſame time.