The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 270

enticements. The only safeguard in tLe ro,. The phrase which is "before " (')!)"Sl/) war is strength, oJertness, courage, patience. The faint-hearted and unwatchful alike fail Egypt seems to exclude the idea of the Nile, in the contest, which can be carried on suc- since the Nile flowed through the centre of cessfully only by him who has learned to Egypt, and it is impossible to make J!:l"Sll keep guard over himself, and to direct his equivalent to ::l~8.~. As Drueius re~-~rk;, ways by the counsels of God, moreover, the Nile is always called either Ver. 2. -This is the land which yet re- ma!neth. The powerful league of the Philis- "lt('. or " the river of Egypt." The interpre- tines, as well as the tribes near them, tation which bas found most favour of late, remained uneubdued, In the north, like- therefore, refers this expression to a small wise, the neighbourhood of Bidon, and the river that flows into the sea at the extreme territory of Ccele, Syria, which lay between southern border of Palestine. This river Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, was as yet was known as the "river of Egypt" (Gen. in the hands of the enemy. Rabbis Kimchi xv. 18), and is now called the Wady-el-Arisch e.nd Solomon Jarchi translate by" borders." (cf. also eh. xv. 4, 47, as well as Num. xxxiv. Masius suggests the French marque (which 5; 1 Kings viii. 65; Isa. xxvii. 12, where the was the old German mark), and the modem word is nahal, or winter torrent, a word German grenze. All the borders of the inapplicable to the Nile). For Sihor, or Pb1l1st1nes. Literally, all the circles (Geli- Shichor, see Isa. xxiii. 3; Jer. ii. 18, and loth) of the Philistines. The expression is especially 1 Chron. xiii. 5, which seems found in several places in this book (see decisive against the Nile. Which is counted oh. xviii. 17; xxii. 10, 11). We may com- to the Ca.naanite. These words are con- pare the expression the circles of Swabia, nected by the Masorites with what follows : Franconia, &c., in the history of Germany. The jive l(jrds of the Philistines are reckoned The expression here may have more affinity to the Canaanite. The five lords of the with what is known as the "mark system" Phllistines. The Philistines (Deut. ii. 23. Cf. in the history of ancient Germany, e.nd refer Gen. x. 14, e.nd 1 Chron. i. 12) are supposed to the patch of cultivated ground which to be of Egyptian origin. Ewald (also extended for some distance round each city. Hitzig, ' Geschichte des Volkes Israel,' p. 20) But this is rendered improbable by the fact believes Capbtor to be Crete, and supposes that one circle only retained its name (eh. the Cberethites and Pelethites who formed x.x. 7 ; xxi. 32), and is still known as Galilee David's body-guard (2 Sam. xv. 18) to be (see notes on these passages). Galilee was Cretans and Philistines (see Ezek. xxv. lG). too large a district to have been originally a But this opinion is disputed by many clearing round a town. Geehur (see note on commentators of note, and is far from eh.xii. 5). Ewald (see also Hitzig,' Geechichte probable in itself. They were David's most dee Vol.kee Israel,' p. 20) conjectures that trusted and faithful troops, o.nd it seems these Geshuritee were the aboriginal inhabit- harclly probable that so truly national 11 ants of the country (see 1 Sam. xxvii. 8), and monarch would have assigned the post of were the same as the Avitee or Avvites. See honour around his person to the hereditary next verse, where the Avvites are distin- enemies of his race. Ritter, however, be- guished from the five lords of the Philistines. lieves the Cherethites and Pelethites to be It is worthy of remark that the name Philistines, and appeals to 1 Sam. xxx. 14, Talmai, the name of one of the " sons of and still more forcibly to Zeph. ii. 4, 5. It An11k" (eh. xv. 14), comes in again as the should be remembered, too, that Ittai was 11 name of 11 king of Geshur (2 Sam. iii. 3 ; Gittite, or native of Gath (see 2 Sam. xv. 21). xiii. 37). It occurs, however, as a Hebrew The term here used, translated lords (.,a trap,, name in Bartholomew, or Bar-Tolmai, i.e., LXX.), is peculiar to the Philistines. It is the son of Talmai, or Tolmai, one of the to be found also in Juclg. iii. 3; 1 Sam. v. 8, twelve apostles. Ewald supposes th11t these &c. In 1 Kings vii. 30 the wonl means an aborigines were dispossessed by the Cauaan- axle, or perhaps the outside plating of the itieh tribes, and that the old name of Geshur wheel, and in the kindred languages it sig- was still applied to those regions on which nifies 11 wheel. The expression is remark- this primitive race had retained its hold. able in connection with the phmse "circles Ver.3.-FromSihor. Tbisword,whichhas of the Philistines." The Eshka.lonitee. The the article in Hebrew, is literally t/te black inhabitants of Ashkelon, as the Giitites are river. This has been thought to be the Nile, of Gath. Aleo the Avttes. Litemlly, '' mul known to both Greeks and La tins by that title. the Avites." There is no u also" in the The Greeks called it µ,~er~. So Virgil says original, though the Aviles or Anm are sup- ofit, ".lEgyptum nigrafcecundat arena." The posed (sec Deut. ii. 23, and note on G~shuri Vulgate has " a fluvio tul"bido qui irrig11t in the last verse) to hnYe been aborigines .&gyptum." The LXX. translates by aoi,c,1- preceding the Cauaan~es, o.nd dispossesse,l  Tl'lE BOOK OF JOSln:tA.