The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 246

tinent in its r0ar. Y0t there arc mimv " the waters of height," would seem to features common to the history of the answer to this, the highest of the iulo.nd Israelit,es in Canaan, and of the Teutonic lakes of Palestine. The Jordan rans through tribes in Britain (see Introduction). As it, and it is o.lso the reservoir for numerous the sand that is upon the sea shore. This other stre1tms. "In the centre of this poetic phrase is common in the Hebrew plain, half morass, half tarn, lies the "Titings (see Gen. xxii. 17; nxii. 12; Jndg. uppermost lake of the Jordo.n "-the little ni. 12; 1 Sam. xiii. 5; 1 Kings iv. 20, &c.). lake PhiaJa excepted-" about seven miles Solomon's capacious intellect is compared long, and at its greatest width six miles to the sand on the sea shore, in 1 Kings iv. broad, the mountains slightly compressing 29. The word translated " shore" is ''lip" it at either extremity, surrounded by an o.1- in the original, a word which adds to the most impenetrable jungle of reeds, o.bound- poetry of the passage. And horses and ing in wild-fowl, the sloping hills near it chariots very many. Literally, many ex- scoured by herds of gazelles" (Stanley, ceedi11g/y. The Israelites appear to have • Sinai and Palestine,' p. 382). held ca"<"alry and chariots in great awe (see Ver. 6.-And the Lord said unto Joshua. Exod. xiv. 18, and the song of triumph iu The encouragement was not unnecessary. Exod. :,c,. ; cf. also eh. xvii. 16, 18; Judg. The task before Joshua was harder than any i. 19; i,. 3). In later times they appear to that bad yet befallen him. The enemy was have become more used to them. See, for far more numerous and better equipped. And instance. l Sam. xiii. 5, where the historian it is a well-known fact that men of tried gives their number, large e.s it was, instead courage are often daunted by unaccustomed of regarding it as past all compntation. dangers. Therefore all Joshua's strength of This tattle must have taken place on level mind was required to inspirit even men who ground, or the chariots would have been had experienced God's wonderful support useless. Accordingly the historian fixes its at the passing of the ;rordan, at the siege scene on the banks of " the waters of of Jericho, at the battle before Gibeon, now llfcrom," where such ground is to be found- that they were face to face with the un- another instance of his historical accuracy wanted spectacle of a vast host, furnished (see 1andevelde, Journey ii. 413, who with all the best munitions of war known places the battle on the great plain south- to that age. The Israelites had nothing to west of the latter). The use of chariots in depend upon but their own tried valour, and battle dates from an early period. Homer's the reliance they felt upon God's support. heroes are described as driven to battle in "Unequal in arms and tactics,'' says Ewald them. But perhaps the scythe-chariots are (' Hist.Israel.,'ii. 2. C.), "they could oppose here meant, which are not found on early to the Canaanites only courage and con- Eg:n:,tian monuments, but which Xenophon fidence." To-morrow about this time. in his Cyrop1Bilia says were introdnced by The promise was made on the eve of the Cyrus. We find them, however, in use in encounter, but not, of course, as some Brite.in, in the days of Julius C1Bsar, and have supposed, while Joshua was still at they could hardly have obtained the idea GilgaL We are not told how long Joshua from the Persians. Pott.er (Antiquities, was on the march. Probably (as in eh. ii.) bk. iii. eh. i.) says that they were gradno1ly he had sent scouts forward, who brought abandoned when they were found more hlm intelligence on the day before the dangerous to those who used them than to battle of the vastness of the host, and the enemy. That this kind of chariot is the formidable nature of its equipment. here meant seems pretty certain from the The martial spirit Joshua bad infused into alarm they caused. No snch alarm would the host, and the spirit of faith in God have been caused by chariots simply used begotten of His recent acts of favour, to convey the chieftai:i.,s to the fight (see contrast remarkably with the conduct of Gesenius, s.v. ; Xenophon, Cyr. vi. 4; and 2 the Israelites described in Num. xiv. To Mace. xiii. 2). All their hosts. The LXX. each servant of God His own specie.I gift is reads r.,:J''.;l~Q their kings, for c::tn)Q, vouchsafed. Moses was the man to inspire the Israelites with a reverence for law. Yer. G.-The waters of Merom. Robin- Joshua had the special aptitudes for the son and the later travellers generally leader in a campaign. It is a confirmation identify this with the Samochonitis (Joseph, of this view that, in the one successful Ant. v. 1; Bell. Jud. iii. 9. 7; iv. i. 1), now engagement recorded during the forty years' Hnleh. Keil and Delitzsch deny this, but wandering in the desert, Joshua, not Moses, it may Le regarded as established, on the was the leader of the troops, while the aged authority of !litter, Vandevelde, Tristram, law-giver remained at a ilistance, encourag- in short of all who have visited Pa.Jestine ing them by his prayers (see Exod. xvii. during tho last thirty years. But its name, 8-13). But while we thus regard the (lH. xr. 1-23.l THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 189