f As is uſualin the cloſe of muſical ſounds. g Not all of it ; which was not only unneceſlary, but inconvenient, and might have given the people better opportunity of eſcaping, but only a conſiderable part of it where the J/razlites might fitly enter : For Rahab's houſe was not overthrown, verſe 22. þ Heb. wnaer zr, (i: e.) below the place they ſtood in : Or, #n its place: It was not
- battered down with Engines, which would have made part of itfall
out of its place ; but-it fell out without any force, and of its own accord, and therefore in the place it did formerly ſtand 1n.
6 And Joſhua the ſon of Nun called the Prieſts, and ſaid unto them, Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and let ſeven Prieſts bear ſeven trumpets of rams horns be- fore the Ark of the LORD.
7 And he ſaid unto the people, Paſs on, and compaſs the city, and let him that is armed # paſs on before the
Ark of the LORD. |
; God would have them armed both for the defence of them-
. ſelves, and the Ark, in caſe the enemies ſhould make a ſally upon
them, and for the Execution of the Lord's vengeance upon that City.; | 4 "And it came to paſs when Joſhua had ſpoken unto the people,that the ſeven prieſts bearing the ſeven trum- pets of rams horns paſſed on before the LORD, & blew with the trumpets: and the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD followed them. . And the armed men went before the Priefts that blew with the trumpets: ſand the F rereward came &, after the Ark, the Prie#Fs 1, going on, and blowing with
the Trumpets.
k Which being oppoſed to the armed men, may ſeern to note the unarmed people, who were deſircous to be ſpeftators of this won- derful work. 1 Which is rightly ſupplied here from verſe 4.
10 And Joſhua commanded the people, ſaying, Ye ſhall not ſhout m, nor | make any noiſe with your voice; neither ſhall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you ſhout, then ſhalbye ſhout.
m Becauſe ſhouting before the time appointed, would be inef- fe&ual, and ſo might give them ſome Diſcouragement, and their
encmies matter of inſulting, IE '- Ix So the Ark of the LORD compalſſed theeity, go-
ing about it once: and they came into the camp;-and lpdged in the camp. Tp og
12 And Joſhua roſe early in the morning, and the Prieſts took up the Ark of the LORD.
12 And feven Prieſts bearing ſeven trumpets of rams horns before the Ark ofthe LORD, went on continually, and blew with the trumpets : and the armed men went before them, but the rereward came after the Ark of the LORD, rhe Prieffs going on and blowing with the Trumpets. |
14 And the ſecond day they compaſled the city once, and returned into the camp 2 fo they did fix days.
15 Andit came to paſs on the ſeventh day, that _-
roſe early about the dawning of the day, and compal- |
{ed the city after the ſame mannei ſeven times: only on that.day they compaſſed the city ſeven times.
16 Andit came to paſs at the ſeventh time,when the prieſtsblew with the trumpets,Joſhua ſaid uncothe people, Shout », for the LORD hath given you the city.
» To teſtifie your Faith in God's promiſe, and thankfulneſs for |
this glorious Mercy, and to encourage your ſelves and Brethren,
_ and to ſtrike a terrour into your enemies.
17 And the city (tall be F accurſed o, eves it, and all that «re therein, to the LORD p : only Rahab the hat-
.2, lot ſhall Jive, ſhe, and all that «re with ber in the houle,
becauſe *ſhe hid the meſſengers that we ſent. 0 (i. e.) Devouted to utter deſtrution; Levit. 27.21, 19» Dent.
12. This he ſpake by inſtin& or dire&ion from God, as is evident || from 1 Kings 16. 34. f Partly becauſe the firſt-fruits were appropri- | ated to God ; Partly leſt the foldiers being glutred with the ſpoil of þ
+ this rich City, ſhould grow ſenſual and ſluggiſh intheir work; and
partly to ſtrike the greater terrour into the reſt of their enemies.
£0 $H VU 4.
take of the accurſed thing, and make the camp of Irael
a curſe 9, and trouble it.
might take what occaſion he ſaw fit to infli& this puniſhment. _ 19 But all the filver, and gold, and veſlels of braſs and iron 7, are | conſecrated untothe LORD s: they ſhall come into the treaſury of the LORD x. x r Except that of which Images were made, which were to be utterly deſtroyed, Exod. 32. 20. Deut. 7. 25. 5 Being firſt made to paſs through the fire, Numb. 31. 22, 23.
uſe of any private perſon or Prieſt.
20 Soche people ſhouted when the Priets blew with the Trumpets: and it came to paſs when the people heard the ſound of the Trumpets, and the people ſhout- ed with a great ſhout, that * the wall fell down + flat, ſo that the people went up into the city, every man ſtraight before him, and they took the city.
21 And they utterly deſtroyed all that was inthecity, both man and woman, young and old #, and ox, and ſheep, and aſs, with the edge of the ſword.
% Being commanded to do ſo by the Sovereign Lord of every mans life ; and being informed by God before that the Canaanites were abominably wicked, and deſerved the ſevereſt puniſhments. As for the Infants, they were guilty of Original ſin, and otherwiſe at the diſpoſal of their Creator, as the clay is in the hands of the Porter ; bur if they had been wholly innocent, it was a great fa- vour to them to take them away in infancy, rather than reſerve them to thoſe dreadful calamities which thote who ſurvived them were liable to. 5
22 But Joſhua had ſaid unto the two men that had ſpied out the country, Go into the harlots houſe x, and bring out thence the woman, and all thar ſhe hath, * as ye ſware unto her. | |
x Which, together with the wall upon which. it leaned, was left ſtanding, either by a ſpecial favour of God to her, or for the rea:z ſoh alledged upon, verlie 5.
23 And the young men that were ſpies, went in,and
her brethren,and all that ſhe had: and they brought out all ther kindred, & left them without the camp of Iſrael y;
3 Till they were cleanſed from the impurities of their Gentile ſtate, and inſtrufted in the Jewiſb Religion, and ſolemnly admitted into that Church in the uſual way, to which Rahab's good Counſel and Example had doubtleſs very much prepared them; and this ſtupendious work of God confirmed their purpoſes.
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the ſilver, and the gold, and the veſſels of braſs, and of iron, they put into the treaſury of the houſe of the LORD.