I Sam: 14: 9: Pſal: 4: 4: Jonah 1: 13: the ceffation of the Tongues mo« tion being put ſynecdochically for the ceſſation of any other Mo- tion or Attion. = 7: e; Till they had utterly deſtroyed them, as is »
. mentioned in the following Chapter. &# Either of a man ſo calle
or of the righteous or upright, wherein poſſibly the memorable Afions of worthy men were recorded, and this amongſt the reft.And this Book was written and publiſhed before Joſhua wrote his,and ſois fit= - ly alledged here.But this,as well as ſome few other Hiſtorical Books; 1s loſt;not being a Canonical Book, and therefore nor preſerved by the Jews with the ſame care as they were. b Here is ne mention of the Moon, becauſe the Suns ſtanding was the only thing which Jo- ſhua deſired and needed ; and the Moons ſtanding he detixed only by accident to prevent irregularity in the motions of thoſe Celeſtial. Lights. Some take this to be but-a Poetical Phraſe and Relation of the Viftory, that Joſhua did ſo many and ſuch great things in that day, as if the Sun and Moon had ſtood ſtill and given him longer time for it. But the frequent Repetition, and magnificent Declara- tion of this wonder, manifeſtly confutes that fancy. That the Suri and Moon did really ſtand ſtill, is affirmed Hab: 3: 11:and Sirach 46. 5, 6. And if it ſeem ſtrange to any one, that ſo wonderful a Work obferved by the whole World that then was, ſhould not be-men- tioned inany Heathen Writers ; he muſt needs be ſatisfied, if he conſiders,that it is confeſſed by the generality of Writers, Heathens and others, that there is no certain Hiſtory or Moriument in Hea« then Authors of any thing done before the T-0jan Wars, which was a thouſand years after Joſbua's time ; and that all time before thar,is called by the learnedſt Heathens, the uncertain, unknown, or obſcure time, c Not Mathematically, in the very Meridian cr middle p
of that Hemiſphere ; bur morally, and with ſome Latitude, when it had begun a, little to decline, the conſideration whereof ſeems ts have given Joſhus occaſion for his deſire. 47. e. For the ſpace of 4 whole day. Underſtand an artificial day between Sun-rifing and Sun-ſetting; for that was the day which Joſbua needed and dehred,
a diy to give him light for his work-.
14 And there was nb day like that e, before it, or after it, that the LORD k2arkned -unto the voice of a man f: for the LORD foughtfor Iſrael gs. n
e To wit, in thoſe parts of the World in which he kere ſpeaks; and about which the Compariſon is here made : vain. therefore is that ObjeQion,that the daysare longer near the Northern and Sbu- thern Poles, where they are conſtantly longer at certain Seafons; - and that by the order of Nature ; whereas the length of: this da was purely contingent, and granted by God in anſwer to Joſhua's Prayer, as is here added. 06j. In HezekiaHfs time, and at his Prayer there was a day which may ſeem to have been longer; for the Sun went back ten Degrees in ten hours, and then returned again ten Degrees in ten hours, and ſo it was 20 hours longer than a' common day, and ſo longer than this. 4»/.It is not certain, either that eacly Degree deſigned an hour, and not rather half art hour, or a quar-. 'ter, as others think ; or that the Sun returned thoſe: ten Degrees as ſlowly as he went down before or after, Beſides, it wasnow near - Summer Solſtice, when the day was Iongeſt, and about 14 hours
cauſe there is not the leaſt evidence that Hezekiabs 'day 'was longer, but rather of the contrary ; it is nach more reaſohtiable 'to beheve this Sccipture-aſſertion, than to deny or queſtion upon. meer Syp- poſitions, or idle Conje&ures. f.'To wit, in ſuchamanner to.alrer the Courſe of nature, and of the heavenly Bodies, thataman might - have more time to-purſue and deſtroy his Enemies. ig This /is ad- ded as the reaſon why God was fo ready to anſwer pans Petition herein, becauſe he was engaged and reſolved to fight for Ie, and that ina more than ordinary manner. , | SN ID
r5 © And Joſhua returned b; and all Hradl With him, unto. the camp to Gilgal- 6
h Not immediately, or upon the ſame day, but after he had dif patched the matter which here follows ; as appears by v, 43. where the very ſame words are repeated to ſhew, that that wat the mean« ing of them. © And they are put here to cloſe the general diſcourſe of the fight which begun v; io: and ends here ; which being; done, | he particularly deſcribes ſome” remarkable Paſſages, , and clofeth them with the ſame words. * 6 2 :
16 But theſe five kings i fled; and hid themſelves in a cave k at Makkedah/. DA Wen
z: Named above v. 3. % As a place of moſt ſecrecy or, ſectrity ; but there is no-eſcaping the eye or hand of God, who here brought them.into a net of their own making. . /Heb. i» Makke#ah, not Ut. | the Ohm, that was nor yet taken ; bat in the Territory of it ;
| aSIN Gio%0n, v.10, CE p + 4 17 And it was told Joſhna, faying, The fire kings
.
are found hid in a cave at Makkedah,
2 M 2 13 And
than the other. 2, This was moſt agreeable to the covrſe. of the _ +
mies z. 7s not this written in the book of + Jaſber a? + Or, #þ\| fo the Sun ſtood {till 5 in the midit of heaven c; and haſt- »prighr. "|| 101141
and that being doubled, the Artificial day was 28 hourg: and bes », -*|
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of the cave, and ſet men by it, for to keep them. | 19 And ſtay ye not m, but purſue after your enemies,
and + ſmite the hindmoſt of them » , ſuffer them not to.
enter into their cities «; for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand p. | m Loſe not your opportunity by ad floth or negligence." Their rereward, all whom you c#n' overtake. o Whereby they will reco- ver their ſtrength, and renew the War, p Your work will be eaſte, God hathalready done the work to your hands. :
20 And it came to paſs when Joſhua and the children of Iſrael 9 had made ancnd of flaying them with a ver oreat ſlaughter, till they were conſumed, that the ret which remained of them, entred into fenced cities.
9 i, e. Joſbus by the children of 1-9el; or the Children of Jſrael, 7, 6. a Party of them by the Command, Direttion and Encourage- ment of Joſbus ; for Joſhua himſelf went not with them, but abode in the Siege before Makkedab, v. 21.
21 Angall the people returned to the camp r to Jo-
ſhua at Makkedah ip peace : * none moved his tongue