It was o.fterwards conquered by David veniences of depopulated districts. There- (2 Sam. xxi. 20 ; 1 Chron. xviii. 1 ; xx. 6). fore it was Joshua's policy to leave the We find it in Solomon's jurisdiction, Canaanites to be extirpated by degrees, and though under the government of one of its to encourage the Israelites to cultivate the own royttl family (1 Kings ii. 39). Reho- arts both of war and of peace ; to nourish a boam fortific d it (2 Chron. xi. 8). Hazael, martial spirit by remembering that nume- the powerful king of Syria., wrested it from rous and active enemies still dwelt in their J ehoash, and wo.s only bought off from midst, while yet they were not neglectful of assailing Jerusalem. Uzziah re-took it once the importance of a settled and civilised, an more (2 Chron. xxvi. 6). Hezekiah seems agriculture.I and pa.ifoeral life. See also to have retained it (2 Kings xviii. 8). After Judges iii. 1, 2. This purpose wi,.s de- this we hear no more of it. Modern travel- feated, not only by the usual effects of lers and commentators have identified it with civilisation upon hardy or savage tribes, but Beit-Jibrin (the house of the mighty-per- also by the Israelites becoming addicted haps a reminiscence of Goliath and his to the pleasant but enfeebling vices of the kindred), now Eleutheropolis (so Knobel). races they had supplanted. We see in the Others suppose it to be the Blanche Garde of Israelitish history the best exemplification the Crusaders, or Tell-es-Safieh, an opinion of St. Paul's theory that the " law worketh supported, among others, by Mr. J. L. wrath," although it is "holy, just, and Porter and Lieut. Conder. See, however, the good." The excellence of the moral pre- note on Libna.h, eh. x. 29. Ashdod. Later cepts delivered by Moses did but serve to Azotus, now Esdud. Here the ark was manifest more clearly the inherent de- carried after the disastrous defeat related in pravity of our nature (Rom. iii. 20 ; v. 20; 1 Sam. iv. It was conquered by Uzziah (no vii. 7, 8), and its need of e. Saviour, who doubt it had formerly been reduced by should render obedience possible by the David), who built forts to overawe it (2 gift of regeneration, and the infusion of His Chron. xxvi. 6), but it fell into the hands of own Spirit. According to their divisions. Sargon, king of Assyria, a little later (fsa. Litere.lly, their divisi011S by lot, the word xx. 1). It is frequently mentioned by the being derived from the same root as the prophets, and we find that Jona.than, the word Ha.!ak in ver. 7, because a smooth stone brother of Judas Maccab!l!us, burnt the was usually employed in casting lots. Hence temple of Dagon there (1 Mace. x. 83, 84). it came to mean any authoritative division It is mentioned as A.zotus in Acts viii. 40. or distribntion, as the courses of the Levites (1 Chron. xxili. 6), the classification for pur- Ver. 23.-Joshua took the whole la.:dd. poses of enlistment (1 Chron xxvii. 1) and The word must not be pressed to mean that the like. And the land rested from wa.r. That every Canaanitish stronghold was re.zed or is to se.y, the Canaanites were so thoroughly appropriated. The word ~::i, as has been cowed and dispirited that they dared offer before remarked, has a very loose significa- no further resistance to the Israelites in tion in Hebrew. What is meant is simply their task of portioning out the land. They this. Joshua had established an unques- were quite contented to be allowed to live tioned military preponderance in Palestine. in peace in such of their cities whieh re- He had broken down all resistance ; but mained, and had no disposition to court an before he completed his conquests to their overthrow such as took place o.t the battles full extent, he had to provide for the of Gibeon and Merom, with its inevitable peaceable settlement of the tribes in the results of the absolute extermination, not territory he had seized. The complete only of every one who took up arms, but of extermination of the Canaa.nites formed every human being in the city to which they no part of his commission or his plan belonged. Thus the Israelites were able to (Deut. vii. 22 ; cf. Exod. xxili. 29, 30). give their whole attention to the survey and To have effected it would have been to apportionment-of the territory according to throw the land out of cultivation, and to the relative size and importance of the expose its possessors to the usua,i incon- tribes.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-28.-The continuation of the struggle. The same class of thoughts is suggested by this chapter as by t~e former. Vje have, as before (1), the co_nfederacy of evil against good, (2) the oonfilct, (3) the victory, (4) the utter destruction of the enemy. But the course of the narrative gives a somewhat different form to our reflections. JOSHUA. u 194 THE DOOR OF JOSHUA. [oH, XI, 1-28,