The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 228

ing. On the other hnnd, as we ho.ve seen, of Israel by Shalmaneser, while, on the thc1·0 is no attempt in eh. viii. 30-35 to other hand, it undergoes a siege among the emphasise thus the obedience to the com- fenced cities of Judah (2 Kings xviii. rn; m1md in Dent. xxvii, 2-8. It is from xix. 8). The cause (see Blunt ' Unde- minute details of this kincl, which escape sigaed Coincidences,' part ii. 27) of this the superficial observer, that the authen- retarn is not far to seek. The Levites cast ticity of the Book of Deuteronomy is estab- off the authority of Joram "because he had lished. Until this very day. The fonn of forsaken the Lord God of bis fathers" (2 the expression here is singularly different Chron. xxi. 10, 11). It probably remarned from the expression found elsewhere when independent-for it was not likely to have the meaning suggested by the Authorized joined itself to Israel, either from geo- Version is to be conveyed. But for the word graphical position or religious principles- iV. we should translate '' on the self-same until the accession of Joash terminated the day," as in Gen. vii. 13, &c. ,V. may be a • connection between the royal house of Judah and the descendants of the wicked slip of the pen for SV. which is seldom, if Ahab. Libnah, or the white city, has been ever, used of time (only, if at all, in Psa. identified with Tell es Safieh, the Blanche xlviii. 15, and Prov. xxv. 11), though the Ga,·de of the Crusaders. See Stanley, • Sinai idiom is found in Arabic, in Greek (as in and Palestine,' pp. 207, 258. Lieut. i1r' ijµar,), in German (as in auf den 7'ag.) Conder, however, supposes it to have been and in English, " on that day ; " or we may, Eleutheropolis, now Beit Jibrin, and Capt. with Keil, refer back to ver. 18, and trans. Warren believes he has found it at Tuna. late "they cast them into the cave where Vandevelde saggests yet another site. they had been hid, and where they ho.d But Lieut. Conder's description of the hill placed great stones unto that very day." on which Tell es Safieh stands as " a white For there may have been an interval of precipice of many hundred feet" (' Pal. Exp!. several days between the confinement of Fund, Quart. Paper,' Jaly, 1875), would ac- the kings in the cave and their death at the count for the name Libnah. hands of Joshua. See note on ver. 21. Ver. 31.-AndJoshua.passed. No indica- Ver. 28.-And that day, i.e., the day of tion oI time is given in the rest of this chap- the battle of Beth-boron. Not only did ter. The campaign was probably an affair Joshua smite his enemies "nnto Mak- of some weeks, though none of the cities kedah," but the incarceration of the kings could have made a prolonged resistance. in a cave at Ma.kkedah showed that in the Ver. 33.-Then Horam king of Gezer. It headlong flight of the enemy, Makkedah, is remarkable that, as Gezer lay somewhat which though not mentioned by name out of the line of march, Joshua dicl not among the cities of the confederation, was capture it. Accordingly, in spite of the no doubt, to a certain extent, implicated in a.lleged carelessness of our compiler, who is it. It is worthy of remo.rk that while credited with having put together shreds of Libna.h, Debir, and Ma.kkedah a.re mentioned the various narratives in the most perfunc- among the cities destroyed in this campaign, tory manner, he takes care to add (eh. xvi. thoagh they are not named among the cities 10) that the inhabitants of Gezer were not of the league, Jo.rmuth, on the contrary, driven out. In like manner, with the single though it is one of the cities named, does exception of Hebron, the people of which not appear to have brnn ta.ken with the must have at once chosen another king, rest. With the edge of the sword. Literally, he carefully omits the mention ol the " to the mouth of the sword," from its king in the cities which had lost their devouring character. All the souls. All kings in the battle before Gibeon. See the human beings. The ban under which also note on ver. 32. Thus o. careful everything in Jericho was laid did not examina.tion of the narrative puts the apply to the other cities, though (see noto care nnd accuracy of the history .ery on eh. viii,<:26) all the inhabitants, without carefully before us. With rego,r<l to the distinction. were to be exterminated. situation of Gezer, it has Leen accumtcly Ver. 29.-All Israel. The expression is determined by the Palestine Exploration not to be pressed in a literal sense. " All Societv. The Levitical boundaries, with Isrnel " is simply equivalent to " all his Greek· and Hebrew inscriptions, signifying disposable tl'oops." Libnah. This belonged the boandary of Gezer, have been discovered to the lowlands of Palestine. See note on by M. Ganneau (see 'Quarterly Po.per' for eh. ix. 1 • also oh. xv. 42. It bec11me a October, 1874). Tell cl Jezer was first Levitical ~ity. It revolted from Judah in identified by M. Ganneau with Gezer. Con- the reign of J oro.m (2 Kings viii. 22). It tinuing his researches, he fow,d on a slab seems to have returned to its nllegi11noe, of rock nearly horizontal and very nearly ~nee we find it not included in the conquest two inches in length a bilingua.! inscription, 170 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. (cH. X, 1-43,'