; 35 There was not a word of all that Moſes command- ed, which Joſhua read not f before all the congregation of Iſrael, * with the women and the little ones, and the ſtrangers that * were converſant among them g.
f Therefore he read nct the Bleſſings and. Curſes only, as ſome think, but the whole Law, as themanner was when all Iſrael Men and Women, were aſſembled together, as we read Deut: +1: 10, 11 I2. £ i. e. Who were Proſelytes, for no others can be ſuppoſed to be with them at this time. :
ESA P.. IX. | The Kings of Canaan hear of Joſhua's exploits; conſult together, and con- clude to fight againſt Irael, 1-2, The Gibeonites feigning then ſelves to be of a far countrey, obtain a League, 3-==15. The Craft is diſcovered ; the Promiſe which was confirmed with an oath remains firm
I6----20, But for a puniſhment they are condemned to perpetual ſlavery,
21====27,, WS AND it came to paſs when all the kings which were
on this ſide Jordan,in the hills, and in the valicys
and in all thecoaſt of the great ſea over againſt Leba-
non, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite :
the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebulice heard rhereof :
2 That they gathered themſelves together # to fight with Joſhua, and with Iſrael with one * accord.
intoa league or confederation to do this.
3 and b when the inhabicantsof Gibeon c heard what Jolbua had done unto Jericho, and to Ai,
b Or,But; for he ſhews that theſe took another and a wiſer courſe c A great and royal city of the Hivites, 7of: 10: 2: and 11: 19. ;
4 They did work wilily,and went and made as if they had been ambaſladours #, and took old ſacks upon their alles, and wine botries, old and rent, and bound up
d Sent from a far country, as they ſay, v. 6. ;
5 And old thoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them ; andall the bread of their provi- tion was dry and mouidy :
6 And they went to Joſhua, unto the camp at Gilgal e, and ſaid unto him,andto the men of Iſrael f, We be come from a far country : now therefore g make ye a league with us. ,
.e The place of their Head-quarters. f To wit, thoſe who uſed to meet in Counſel with 7obua, ro whom it belonged ro make Leagues, as it here follows, even the Princes of the Congregation;
not the common people, as appears both from v. r5, 18 from common uſage of all Ambaſſadors, who generally 7K bra or
word :ſch, here uſed, ſometimes nores men of eminency and digni- ty. . g Becauſe we are not of this people, whom, as we are inform- ed, you are obliged utterly to deſtroy ; that which appeared ſutf- ciently, by the 1/raelites prattice in deſtroying the Amorites beyond Jordan, and the people of Zericho and 4i, without anv #lowance for Sex or Age ; and by common rumour, and the report of the J/rae- lites and other p=rſons who dwelt among them,or had converſe with them,as Rahaband all her kindred ; and by the nature ofthe thing becauſe they were to poſſeſs that whole Land, and were not to mix themſelves with the people of it.
7 And the men of If{tael ſaid unto the Hivites g,Per- adventure ye dwell among us þ, and how ſhal we make 4 league with you? _
g i.e. The Gibeonites who were Hivites, Joſ: 11: 19. hi.e, In this Land, and ſo are of that people with whom we are forbidden to make any League or Covenant, Exod: 23: 32,33, 34. Deut: 7: 2: and 20: 15, 16. : |
8 And they faid unto Joſhua, We are thy ſervants 5, And Joſhua ſaid unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye &?
; We deſire a League with you upon your own ferms; we are ready to accept of any conditions. & For this free and general con- cefſion of theirs gave Joſhua juſt cauſe to ſuſpe& that they were of the curſed Canaanites. |
9 And they ſaid unto him, From a very far country thy ſervants are come, becauſe of the Name of the LORD I thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt ». |
! Being moved thereunto by the report of his great and glorious nature and works ; ſo they gave them hopes that they would em- brace their Religion. w They cunningly mention thoſe things only which were done ſome time ſince, and fay nothing of the di- viding of Jordan, nor of the deſtruftion of Jericho and 47, as if they _ ſo far off that the fame of thoſe things had not yet reached them. :
10 And* all that he did to the two kings of the Amo-
rites,that were beyond Jordan,to Sithen king of Heſbbon,
and to Og king of Baſhan, which was at Aſhtaroth. x1 Wherefore our Elders and all the inhabicants of our
your ſervants, therefore new make ye a league withus.
12 This our bread we took hot for our proviſion out of our houſes, on the day we came forth to go unto you : but now behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy.
27. 14. @ Which words come in not by way of Explication, as if | - | IF the words of the Law were nothing elſe beſides the Bleſſings and 13 And theſe bottles of wine which we filled, were Curſes ; but by way of addition, to note that thele were read over | Z M new,”
the miſtake of them that think the ſame things were both read and
meſſage to, and treat with Princes, not people. And the Hebrew +
*Deut.3þ ||
12. * Heb. walked.
5 a Not attually, as the following Hiſtory ſhews ; but they entred —
/
"Num. 21: 24, 33+
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long journey- © 14 And*the men » took of their vifuals o, and ask- ed not counſel at the mouth of the LORD p.