The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 323

EXPOSITION. CHAI'TER XTIIT. 1-28. ohosen by llimself shall the publio worship of the congregation be p9.id to Him. Thither THE CO~"TINUED DITISION OF THE LAND.- were all the me.Jes to resort three times n. Ver. 1--0ongregatton. The word signifies ye9.r, It is obvious how such n. regulation a body of persons gathered together at a tended to keep alive national feeling among spot before indicated. The LXX. renders the Israelites. The reason for the choice of by """ayw1·i7. The idea is endently tlrnt of Shiloh (which was probably mado by Urim an nssewbly gathered together for some and Thummim, the case bGing important specific nets of worship. This passage teaches enough for such a decision) is to be found in the dnty of a national recognition of religion. its central position, five hoUl's south of She- ·whateYer c,ils there might be in Israel at chem, and eight hom-s north of Jerusalem. that time, the absence of a general and Its situation is minutely described in Judg. formal acknowledgment of God was not one xxi. 19. It is diflioult to nnderstand why; of them. When that public acknowledg- since Shiloh must have been well-known to ment of Him ceased, the downfall of the all the dwellers in Israel at that time, unless nation was at hand. It was the absence of it was to explain to those who were not snch acknowleclgment that was the ruin of acquainted with the localities in the tribe of Israel, while the hypocritical and purely Benjamin the reason for the selection of external recognition of God by J uda.h was Shiloh, namely, that it lay close by the l'Oad equally offensive in God's sight. Assembled. between Bethel and Shechem (see, however, Literally, ,i·as s11mmoned; by whom, we are note on eh. x:civ. 1). The plaoe has been not told. But this general gathering to set identified. It is the modern Seilun, but np the tabernacle was at once an act of due only a few ruins remain to mark the place homage to Him by whose power they had once so famous in the history of Israel, done so many great deeds, and also the where Eli abode, where Samuel spent his establishment of a centre of national life. early years. Rejected by God Himself, as As long as the worship of God was main- the Jewish Psalmist relates with patriotic tained in its purity, the unity of Israel pride (Psa. lxxviii. 60, 67-69), it fell into would be preserved, in spite of the twelve- utter neglect, and even in the days ol fold di,ision into tribes, and without the Jeremiah it seems to have become a by-word need to introduce the monarchical power. (see Jer. vii 12, 14; xxvi. 6, 9. Also Pal. When fidelity to the outward symbol of Exp!. Fund, Quart. Paper, Jan., 1873, where lsraelitish unity, the tabernacle at Shiloh, an account, with a plan, is given of the relaxed, then dissension and weakness crept place in its present condition. There are a in, and Israel became a prey to her enemies. few rock-hewn tombs there). Whether it A remarkable instance of an opposite cha- was named Shiloh on account of the word racter meets us in the history of our own nsed in Gen. xlix. 10, it is impossible to say. conntry. The prey of ve.rious nnconnected The name appears to signify rest, and was Teutonic tribes, the island was one vast an appropriate name to be given to the scene of an:i.rchy and coninsion, nntil the visible symbol of reet from warfare which great Arclluishop Theodore ea.me over and Joshll& had obtained for Israel (see eh. xi. founded a Kational Church. It was this 23; xiv. 15; x:ci. 44; xxii. 4). The difficult religioUB unity and co-operation which passage in Gen. xlix. 10 is not of coUl'se tended to harmonise the conflicting forces included in this interpretation of the in the land and steadily pioneered the way meaning of the word Shiloh. Congregation. to an union of the rival tribes nnder one The word here differs slightly from the word hee.d. Without attempting to say whose fanlt translated " congregation " in the first pad it is that this religious unity is lost, or how of ,the verse, bnt it comes from the same it may best Le re-established, it surely is root. And the land was subdued before the dnty of every patriot and every Chris- them. That is, the land in which the tian to co-operate to the best of his ability tabernacle was set up. We know from the and knowledge, with all the forces that he . next verse that the land as a whole was not sees tending towards unity, and both pray subdued. and labour for the coming of the day when Ver. 3.-Bow long are ye alack? This men may once more "with one mind and "slackness" (the translation is a literal with one mouth glorify God, even the Father one) in the arduous conflict against the of OUl" Lord Jesus Ghrist," and be willing powers of evil is not confined to Jews. The to meet together " with one accord in one exhortation needs repeating to every gene- place." Shiloh. In Deut. x.ii. 5, 11, 14, we ration, and not less to onr own than any find God prescribing that only in a place other, eince the prevalence of an external CH, XVIII, 1-28,] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 271