The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 320

work upon it. Thus _woman has Iese protection if unprovided for, less certainty of the resource of marnage; and man less need for special provisions in his favour. In these 11,ltererl circumstances it is probable that what Moses ruled for the daughters of Zelophehad he would have expanded into a larger rule, and would have required invariably the equal division of all property amongst sons and danghters alike. If we are right in urging this, a few conclusions of practical moment emerge from it. I. Parents who, in their wille, make the shares of their sons much larger than those of their daughters, take a course which the spirit of Bible legislation forbids, and are guilty of grave injustice. II. The laws of every country ought, with especial care, to protect the property of women, as being the weaker parties in disputes and the likeliest, therefore, to s•:'.ffer. III. A considerable improvement in the po3ition of women would be effected by the general adoption of such rules by parents and by states. Probably, if women in nil directions found equal justice yielded them with men, the equality of legislative power and influence which some seek would be found superfluous.-G. Vers. 14, 15.-Greed and grumbling. Joseph-i.e., Ephraim and :\fanasseh -wants a larger lot. He pleads his numbers, as giving him a right to more. 'f.here is, perhaps, in his discontent a modicum of justice. They were very numerous, and part of the land allotted them was that valley of Jezreel, which, though the richest part of Palestine, from its being good for cavalry, had been as yet retained by the enemy. '!.'here was, however, more of discontent than of hardship. One half of Manasseh had already had a large part of Gilead assigned them. The shares allotted to Ephraim and the other half were ample - in fact, probably double as large in proportion to their numbers as some of the adjoining tribes. But Ephraim, descended from Joseph, the saviour of Israel, the tribe of Joshua, its great captain, wanted to take the lead as the- governing tribe. They feel, accordingly, that while their wants are met their dignity is not sufficiently endowed. " They are 0, great people," therefore Joshua should have allowed them a larger portion. It is not unusual for those conscious-legitimately or otherwise-of greatness to make somewhat loud com- plaints :md large demands. But Joshua-the embodiment of justice--cannot be unfair, even when his own tribe solicit him. He meets their claim in a fine spirit. He admits their greatness, but 0,rgues otherwise from it. They are so many? Why, then, not clear the mountain of its forests o.nd find thus an easy and unselfish enlargement? It is true the Canaanites hold J ezreel, and they are not yet in pos• session of the fertile plain. But Joshua argues that that is a reason for fighting their., enemies with courage, and not for filching from their brethren, with meanness. "Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they be strong," he says, with a fine, genial, bracing blending of irony and encouragement. We have thus a fine example of a question with two sides ; a necessity with two ways of meeting it ; 0, fact with two conclusions.. "I am numerous. There are foes on my land," says Joseph; '' therefore give me a slice off what has fallen to Judah." "Thou art numerous, and enemies are still on thy land," says Joshua; "therefore clear the mountain of its forests and the plains of thine enemies." The example of i\Ianasseb and Ephraim here, and the reply of Joshua to them, has much in it suggestive. Observe first- I. A LITTLE HEART SOMETIMES SPOILS GREAT POWERS. The complaint from which Ephraim was suffering was this : his heart was too little for his body; poor cir- culation of the vital elements. These tribes bad plenty of power, plenty of stalwart men to clear the waste or to conquer their enemies ; but they had not moral force to match. They were short of enterprise, resource, courage. What they couhl easily have won by work or war they prefer that others should give them. The breath they shoukl have kept for conflict they waste in grumbling. They want to be the dominating ti·ibe, without JJaying the price of lords hip in ,laring allll willing- ness to 1,ncounter difficulty and hardship. There are many Ephrnims in the world who have it in their power to make for themselves any lot they like, who, instead  268 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA, [cH. XVII, 1-18.