The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 374

Ver. 26. -Let us now preps.re to build us Rpirit bas been wont to inflame men's e.n e.lte.r. Literally, let us make now to minds in later times, so that they desirer! b11ilcl tu "' an altar. Burnt offering, nor rather victory over a snpposed antagonist for se.crl.flce. In the " burnt oJicring " the than the discovery that no offence at all wholo victim was consumed. In tho bad been committed. True religious zeal " sacrifice " part only was offered on the is slow_ to anger, and easy to be appeased, alt,u. The rest was eaten by the priest or when 1t appears that no harm has been tho person who offered it. intended, It might have been contended Ver. 27.-But the.tit me.y be a witness. in this case, if controversy rather than truth Rather,Jo1· this altar;, a witness before Him, bad been the object, that the action bari a Literally, li~fore Ilisface; in the tabernacle, dangerous tendency ; that though the altar that is, where His special presence was en- was not intended for sacrifice, it might be shrined. used for that purpose; that it was nnwise to Ver. 28.-Behold the pattern. Re.ther, put a temptation in the way of future ages Look at this Jae-simile. The Hebrew is to substitute worship there for worship in even stronger than our version. The exist- the tabernacle. Such arguments are not ence of an exact reproduction of the altar unknown even to Christian zealots. Israel in Shiloh, erected on Canae.nitish ground was satisfied that no harm was intended. by the two and e. half tribes before their It was not thought necessary to point out departure across Jordan, was e.n incontes- possibilities which were not likely to be tible proof of their original connection with realised. Israel. And the fact that they had erected Ver. 31.-Now ye have delivered the it, not on their own territory, but on that children of Israel out of the hand of the of their brethren, was, though they do not Lord. The word here rendered " now " is use the argument, proof positive that it was rather then. But the Hebrew word, like not intended to be used in contravention of our own, is used as implying not only con- the precepts of the law. The nature of the secution of time, but consequence ol action Jae-simile is explained by Exod. xx. 24, (see Psa.. xl. 8; lxix. 5; Jer. xxii.15). Thus where the precise form of altar seems to the meaning here is, "We see, then, that have been presented as e. contrast to the instead of bringing upon us heavy chastise- stone altars employed by the heathen. ment, as we had feared, ye have acted in a Ver. 29.-God forbid. Literally, profane way which secures ns from the punishment or accursed to us be it from Him. So of which we were afraid. Keil, Gesenius, and Knobel. That we Ver. 33.-Dld not intend. Literally, did should rebel against the Lord. The embassy not speak. That is, no one, after the ex- ho.d the eff.ect not ouly of eliciting an ex- planation, was found to support the pro- planation, but of showing how earnest, at posal which had previously been found to that time at least, the tribes of Israel were be necessary. in the service of God. And we may learn Ver. 34.-Ed. This word is not in the here, e.s Robertson remarks of St. Paul's original. It is found in ·some le.te MSS. frank and explicit vindications of himself, and in the Syriac and Arabic versions, but the value of exple.no.tions. Me.ny a mis- not in the LXX. or Cbaldee. Even in the understanding would be averted, many a MSS. which have it, the word is found feeling of rankling displeasure, culminating sometimes before and sometimes after the in an inexcuse.ble explosion of anger, might Hebrew word signifying " altar." This be a.voided, nay, many an unjust suspicion may either be because, once omitted, it was against a fellow Christian's honesty o.nd conjecturally supplied, but it is more prob- sincerity of purpose might be dispelled, if able that it wus never there at all. The men would but follow the exo.mple of the passage may be rendered, "And the sons ten tribes on this occasion, or lay to heart of Reuben and the sons of Gad gave a name the words ol our Lord in St. Matt. xviii. 15, to the altar, ' for it is a witness between " If thy brother shall tre■pe.ss age.inst thee, us."' But it seems more likely that the go and tell him his fo.ult between thee and worcl "Ed," though not expressed, is in- him alone ; if he shall hear thee, thou hast tended to be understood. The LXX. and go.ined thy brother." Vulgate give incorrect renderings of the Ver. 30.-Jt pleased them. The genuine- passage. The Lord Is God. ~atber, as in ness of their zeal for God's service is shown 1 Kings xviii. 39, Jehovah 1s the God ; by their readiness to be appeased by a plain that is, the one true God. Some MSS. explanation. He.d they been actuated by have interpolated ~1i1 here from the above jeo.lousy or party spirit, they would he.ve cited passe.ge. Such altars, or mounds, of admitted no defence, or have endeavoured witness seem not to have been unusual out of the clearest exculpation to find some e.mong the Eastern nations (see Gen. xni. now topic for complo.int. So religious party 47-52). J03IIUA. y 322 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [oH, XXII. 1-84,