EXPOSITION. ''er. 21.-This verso is identical with (Josh. vi. 23). This history is not preserved JoAh. xv. 63, except thnt there we rend in the parallel place in Josh. xvi. "the children of ,Judah" instead of "the Ver. 28.-Put the Ce.nae.nites to tribute, children of Benjamin," e.e in this verse. or made them tributaries, aa in vers. 30, 33, The boundary line between Judnh nnd i.'e. imposed forced labour upon them, as tho Jerusalem passed through JEnus or JEBUBJ, Gibeonites were made hewers of wood and ns Jerusalem was anciently called (see Josh. drawers of water (Josh. ix. 21, 27; sec ] xv. 8; xviii. 28; Judges xix. 10, 11 ; 1 Chron. Kings ix. 21 ). xi. 4, 5). J ebus was not finally held by the Ver. 32.-The Asherites dwelt among the Israelites till the time of David (see eh. xix. Ce.nae.nites. In verses 29 and 30 it was 10, note.) said that the Ca.naanites dwelt among the Ver. 22. -The house of Joseph, i. e. Israelites; but here we read that the Asher- Ephraim, but probably here spoken of as ites, and in ver. 33 that N aphtali, dwelt " the house of Joseph " because in the among the Canaaniks, which seems to imply original document, from which both this that the Canaanites were the more numerous chapter and Josh. xv. 63, and xvi., xvii. are people of the two, yet the Israelites were taken, the mention of " the lot of the able to keep them in subjection. children of Joseph" occurs, embracing both Ver. 36.-The going up to Akre.bbim. See Ephraim and Manasseh. See Josh. xvi 1 Josh. xv. 3, Maaleh-acrabbim. In Numb. and xv. 23, with which the twenty-first and xxxiv. 4 "the a.scent of A.kra.bbim." The twenty-second verses of this chapter are whole name, put into English, is "the manifestly identical ascent, or going up, of Scorpions," a moun- Ver. 23.-Bethel, now Beitin. The name tain pass so called from the abundance of (house of God) had been given by Jacob scorpions found in the whole region- The (Gen. xxviii. 19), but obviously would not exact locality is uncertain, but it is thought be likely to be adopted by the Canaanitish to be the pass El-Sa/eh, immediately to the inhabitants, by whom it was called Luz. As south of the Dead Sea. The neighbourhood soon, however, as the Ephraimites conquered to Mount Hor and Petra is indicated by its it, they reimposed the name, in memory of connection here with "the rock," in Hebrew their father Jacob. The Saxon charters has-selah, which is the distinctive name of exhibit an analogous change in such tran- the rocks or cliffs on which Petra is built, sitions of name, as that from Bederickswwth and the name of Petra (the rock) itself. to Bury St. Edmunds, which took place Speaking roughly, a line drawn westward after the transfer of St. Edmund's body to from El-Safeh to the Mediterranean Sea, the church there, the old name continuing near the "river of Egypt," formed the for a time along with the new one, but at southern boundary of Judah, and of the last disappearing. Amorites whom they displaced. The battle Ver. 24.-We will show thee mercy. with the Amorites (Deut. i. 44), in which Compare the saving of Re.bah a.live, with the Israelites were discomfited and plll'SUed, all her house, at the ta.king of Jericho is thought to have been at El-Safeh,
HOMILETICS. Vera. 21-36.-Weakfaidh poducing weak action. This section, contrasted with the preceding, gives ua an instructive picture of a weak faith-not of absolute unbe- lief forfeiting the whole promise of God, but of a weak faith-coming short of the fulnesa of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Caleb's faith, we have seen, was strong, and ao his success was full. The faith of the tribes here enumerated was weak, and so their success was only partial. In the career of those who are of weak or little faith we may notice the following features which usually belong to them :- I. THE WANT OF A HIGH AIM. These tribes did not rise to the full purpose of God to give them the land for their possession. They were content with a partial posses- sion. So many Christians do not aim at perfect obedience to the law of God, or a. perfect conformity to the mind of Christ, but are content with a. conventional standard of Christian morality, very far below the measure of the stature of the fulneaa of Christ. They do not aim high enough in knowledge, or in character, or in works, or in godliness, or in the victory over sin, or in self-control, or in heavenly- mindedness. II. 'l'HE OVER-ESTIMATE OF DIFFICULTIES. These tribes thought the iron chariots 16 THE BOOK OF JUDGE8. [en. r. 21-36.