The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 316

tbc Canaanites. '.I'he eastern face rises like hills, or elevated spots (Naphetb, see note, a steep cone, most inco1Tectly stated by eh. xi. 2). Gesenius compares the name R-0binson to be ' black, and apparently Tremont. 'fhe reference is to Endor, volcanic ; ' and by Poiter, ' probably a T1tanach, and l\fegiddo. Keil suggests crater.' Certainly there are many blocks p1'Dvince, but be does not explain bow a of basalt lying about, but the hill is simply derivatfre of ~1) can have this latter signi- a limestone bluff." (Tristram, 'Land of fication (cf. Psa. xlviii. 3. Beautiful for its Israel,' p. 501). He goes on, "How clearly height (~1)) is Mount Zion). The LXX. and t.lw cletnils of the sad end of Saul were re- Vulgate regard it as a proper name, and cnJled as we stood on this spot" (the sum- translate, "the third part of Nopheth." mit of the cone). "There was the slope of They are puzzled by the expression here, as Gilboa. on which his army was encamped in eh. xi. 2. before the battle. Round that hill he slunk Ver. 12.-Would dwell. The LXX. and b:, night, conscience-stricken, to ,isit the Vulgate translate, "began to dwell," an ob- wit.eh of Endor. Hither, as being a Canaan- vious mistake here, though the word some- it.ish fortress, the Philistines most naturally times has this signification. They willed to brought the trophies of the royal slain, and dwell there, in spite of their defeats, and hung them up just, by this wall. By the their purpose was not frustrated. Yasir, and across that plain below ns, the Ver. 14.-And the children of Joseph. gallant men of Jabesh-Gilead buni.ed on The attitude of the children of Joseph their long night's march to stop the in- throngbout the history of the twelve tribes dignity offered to Israel, and to take down is in precise accordance with the·.bint given the bodies of their king and bis sons." here. They were proud of their numerical Jabesh-Gilead was not far off, and though preponderance over the remaining tribes. in full ,-iew of the mountain, yet the men of Thus they, and they only, ventured to re- Jabesh could creep along the Ghor by night monstrate with J oshna about the inadequacy and climb the steep face of the rock unsus- of the portion allotted to them. Such a pected by the warriors above ; while the sensitiveness was likely to degenerate into roar of the brook would drown all the insolence when the authority of the great sounds they might make (see Thomson, leader was· removed, And the history of 'Land and the Book,' p. 454). And her Gideon (Judg. viii. 1-3) and of Jephtbah towns. Literally, daughter,, ~wµa, LXX. ; (J udg. xii. 6) shows that this was actually viculi, Vnlgate. Canon Tristram remarks the case. Here, again, we have a sign of how each hill in some parts of Palestine is that deep under-current of consistency which crowned by a village, a number of which underlies our history, and is a guarantee of still clnster, as of old, round the chief city ita authenticity. Seeing I am a great of the district. So in Italy we may see how people. The tribe of Joseph, at the censull times of unsettlement led to a similar described in Num. i., outnumbered every policy. The fear of the northern pirates tribe but that of Judah. At the census in led to the planting the medireval towns on the plains of Moab (Num. xxvi.) the tribe bills, and the disturbed state of the country of Joseph outnumbered them all, though kept them there till a comparatively late the relative proportions of Ephraim and period. But many of them are deserted in Manasseh were aUered, the latter being now t!us more peaceful age. Iblea.m. Only known considerably the larger of the two tribes. as near the place where Jehu gave Ahaziah The whole number of the fighting men of h;s death-blow. It was neax Megiddo (see Israel underwent a slight diminution during 2 Kings ix. 27). Dor (see above eh. xi. 2). the passage through the wilderness. But Keil thinks that Dor and all the cities after the demand of the tribe of Joseph seems to it are in the accusative to " conld not drive have been a little unbecoming, since Joseph out" in the next verse. But it is more had obtained two lots and two portions, probable that nt( was an anacolouthon. since hall the tribe of Manasseh had settled Vandevelde ('Travels,' i. 333) says that he on the east of Jordan. Hence no doubt the did not wonder that the faint-hearted Ma- covert sarcasm of Joshua's reply, for, as nassites shrank from attacking Dor when Delitzsch shows, Judah, and even Dan, con- he saw its formidable position. Endor. This, eiderably outnumbered Ephraim and the the abode of the famous witch, still bears half-tribe of Manasseh. Part, however, of the old name. It is four miles south of their complaint was no doubt caused by the Mount TaLor, in a country honeycombed idea that Joshua, as one of themselves, with caves, and it stands on the shoulder ought to have taken more care of the in,- of Little Hermon. The word signifies the terests of bis own tribe. Joshua, however, "fount of Dor," or "the dwelling." as e. true servant of God ought to be, was Ta.a.na.ch. For this and Megiddo see eh. above such petty considerations, though 'llii. 21. Three countries. Rather, three many who live under e. higher dispens~tion un. XVII. 1-18.) THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 2G3