The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 128

with vers. 13, 17. "covered with luxuriant vegetation'' (Biri- Ver. 10.-For. Rather, and. This verse lett, 'From Egypt to Pales':ine,' p. ,J5~. See does not give 11 reason for the last. The also note on eh. iii. 16). The valley nar- priests which ba.re the a.rk stood. This rows to a gorge at Jericho, through which must have been a majestic sight. While the Kelt, according to Robinson the ancient the people " basted" to cross, either that Cherith, flows, the source of a.II the verdure they might effect the passage during the which once bloomed· arouncl the city. The day, or, more probably, because they crossed gorge of the Kclt Canon Tristram describes in fear and trembling, partly in spite of, and as'' tremendous," but he believes the Cherith partly because of, the miraculous inter- to have been eastward of Jordan, following position on their behalf, the priests bea,ring Mr. Greve, who is here disposed to accept the ark of God, the visible symbol of 'His the tradition of Eusebius and Jerome. presence, stood solemnly still at the brink of Ver. 14.-0n that day the Lord magnified the river, nor did they stir until every one of Joshua. This was not, as Calvin remarks, that mighty host 1-.:;.d passed over. Then, the chief aim of the miracle. But it was, when all had safely crossed, the ark of God nevertheless, one important result of it. was borne across the bed of the river, and as Joshua was the appointed leader of the soon as the soles of the priests touched the Israelites, and he was under God's special highest point that the waters had reached protection and guidance. But however on the other side, they returned to their much God may overrule our human nature place, and all was as it had been before. to His own purposes, He never abro«ates Well might the Israelites erect a double the laws of its working. Confidence in a memorial of a scene so wonderful as this I leader, from a human point of view, is one All tha.t Moses comma.nded Joshua. (Deut. of the most essential requisites for success xxxi. 23). And the people hasted and in war. Therefore in the crossing of the passed over. " Unde et ego arbitror, quia Jordan we find Joshua directing all the nobis quoque venientibus ad baptismum operations, though the direction of affairs salutarem, et suscipientibus sacramenta might have been put into other harnls, thtit Verbi Dei, non otiose, nee segnitur res ge- of Eleazar the high priest, for instance. renda est, sed festinaudum est, et perurgen- But this was the public attestation of the dum" (Orig., Hom. v.). secret intimation God had given J oshu11 Ver. 12.-Armed (see eh. i. 14). Before (eh. i. 5) : "As I was with Moses, so will I the children of Israel Not necessarily "in be with thee : I will not fail thee nor forsake front of," but "in the sight of," as in thee." From this point onward we see no Num. viii. 22. The Israelites were witnesses signs of hesitation on the part of the Israel- of the fulfilment of the pledge given them ites ; nothing but the most unwaverin" by their brethren. But the usual place of confidence in the Divine mission, as well these tribes was not with the vanguard. See as in the extraordinary natural gifts, of their last verse, where the so.me words are trans- leader. lated " in the presence of," Ver. 15.-And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying. :Meyer and ethers, accord- Ver. 13.-Prepa.red for war. ,i,~wvo,, ing to the methocl of 11 certain school, re,,anl LXX. Literally, disencumbered, like the this ns an ext.met from another docm,;ent, Latin expedittts. Unlike Num. xxxi. 5, the which is equirnlent to saying that the Book Hebrew has the article here. The meaning of Joshua is a compilation of the most therefore may be " equipped men of the unintelligent kind, a conclusion which is host," i.e., the light - armed and active refuted by e,·ery line of the Book. A Yivi<l among them. li we translate thus, it is ancl picturesque narrative, such as we have clear that all their 111med men did not go before us, coulcl hardly have been brought over Jordan. The impedimenta were left together by the liberal use o[ scissors uncl behind, under a strong guard (see notes on paste, with utter disregard of the coherence eh. i. 14). The plains of Jericho. Here of the extt·acts. It is not cleniecl that the the LXX. and Theodotion have rr)v 'Iepix,;, \\Titer of the Book of Joshua may have ,ro;\,v, Symmacbus renders by aoiK71rov, the compiled his history from contemporary Vulg11te by cainpestria. The original is documents (see Introduction). All that is 111:J")Y literally, the deserts or 11ncultivated affirmed is that in so doing be used his lund~ (see note on eh. iii, 16). They formed 1llateri11ls with onlinary common sen,se, A11 64 THE BOOK OP JOSHl7A. [CH. IV. 1-24.