The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 285

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XIV. 1-15. can be little doubt that Keil is right in sup- posing this original division to have been in Ver. 1. -Tribes. The word here for outline merely. It is obvious from the on- "tribes," in connection with the word ward course of the narrative (especially eh. " fathers," is the one which implies ge- xvili.) that no very minute accuracy in detail nealogiceJ descent (see note on eh. xiii. could possibly have been arrived at. The 29). Eleaza.r the priest, and Joshua country was roughly mapped out at first, the son or Nun, and the heads or e.nd the complete adjustment of boundaries the fathers or the tribes. A picture of was a matter which would naturally be put national unity; the head of the Church, off until the land were actually in possession. representing the religious aspect of the community ; the head of the State, repre- Ver. 4.-For the children of Joseph were senting its civil aspect ; the heads of the two tribes (see Gen. xlviii. 5) : therefore they tribes, to signify the general assent of the gave. There is no " therefore " In the body politic. A work so begun was likely original. The passage is a simple repetition to be satisfactorily carried out. And ac- of what we find in eh. xiii. 14, 33, and is cordingly the distribution of the land, added here to explain how the twelve tribes recognised as carried out according to the who actually divided the land were com- will of God, displayed no partiality, and posed. Suburbs. Rather, "pasture lands ; " exeited no jeeJousies. liternlly, places where the cattle were driven Ver. 2.-By lot was their Inheritance. out to pasture (cf. Nu.m. xxxv. 2; 1 Cbron. The commentators, following the Rabbis, xiii. 2, where the Hebrew is " cities of have amused themselves by speculations how driving out "). We may illustrate this the lot was taken. The question is of no great phrase by the similar arrangements made practico.l importance ; but no doubt the by the Germanic tribes in early times. contrivance wo.s a very primitive one, as "The clearing," says Professor Stubbs, in his 'ConstitutioneJ History of England,' p. the word ~)U a smeJI pebble, used here, 49, "is surrounded by e. thick border of wood seems to imply. What is of more import- or wo.ste. . . . In the centre of the clear- o.nce is the fact that the distribution of ing the village is placed. . . . The fully territory was the result of no one's caprice, qua.lilied freemo.n has a share in the lo.nd or ambition, or intrigue. The whole matter of the community. He bas a right to the wo.s referred to God, o.nd the leader of the enjoyment of the woods, the pastures, the Israelitish hosts and the high priest pre- meadow and the arable lo.nd of the mai·k. sided over the ceremony. It was a common . . . The use of the meadow land is defi- belief o.mong the Gentiles, as well as the nitely apportioned. . . . When the gmss J ewe, tbo.t the us'e of the lot wns to refer begins to grow the co.ttle are driven out, the mo.tter to a Divine decision. So we read and the meo.dow is fenced round and in the Proverbs, "The lot is cast into the lo.p, divided into as mo.ny equo.l shares o.s there but the whole disposing thereof is of the are mark-families in the village. For tho Lord " (Prov. xvi. 33; cf. xviii. 18). It is arable land similar meo.sures are tllken, 11 strong evidence for the truth of this no.r- although the task is somewhat more com- rative that we read of no conflicts between plex" (see note on eh. xiii. 23). Some the various tribes respecting the division of similar arrangement must have to.ken place territory. Jeo.lousies sprung up between the in the primitive Jewish settlement of Po.Jes- tribes, ns the narratives in Jud.g. viii., ix., tine. For the rude buts of the Teutonic xii. ; 2 Snm. xix. 43, are sufficient to show. tribes we must substitute the more civilisctl But in no one co.se wo.s there any complo.int "cities, weJ!ed up to heaven," of the Pbu,- of unfo.irness, o.ny o.tterupt to disturb the nicilm races ; for the sctmty supply of gram territorio.l nrrangement mnde o.t the time of and pasture, provided by a northern climate, &he origiuo.l settlement in Palestine, There we must substitute the rich plenty of a. lauu 230 THE BOOlt OF JOSHUA. [C!i. XIV. 1-1/1,