Joshua 8

Verse 1. Men. Masius and Salien ( Bible.) suppose that Josue selected out of them 30,000; 5000 of whom were to be placed in ambush, and the rest were to pretend that they were terrified at the approach of the king of Hai, and to flee with Josue. But the text seems to assert that all accompanied their general, ( Calmet.) excepting such as were left to guard the camp.

Verse 2. King. There was this difference, that the king of Hai was to be gibbeted, and his corpse stoned, while the city was to be plundered by the Israelites.—It. This mode of warfare is equally just, as if the enemy was attacked in the open field. Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat? Virg.—God was pleased to authorize it on this occasion, that his people might be less exposed, being under some apprehensions on account of the former defeat. Some nations have preferred to encounter the enemy openly. Grot. Jur. iii. 1. 20. But their example is no law for others. “When the war is just, it matters not whether a person gain the victory by open fighting or by stratagem.” Saint Augustine q. 10. “It is often prudent to conceal the truth.” c. Mend. x. People engaged in warfare, allow each other to take such advantages. God could easily have routed these few men by means of the army of Israel, or by a miracle, as he did at Jericho. Bible.—But he is at liberty to act as he thinks proper. The ambush was laid on the south-west side of Hai, so that those of Bethel might not perceive it, as they came out to the assistance of their countrymen, verse 17. Five thousand were placed in one place, and 25,000 in another, while the main body of the army, under Josue, took a circuit by the east, and came to attack the city on the north side. Calmet.

Verse 4. Ready to enter the city, when its soldiers are all in pursuit of us. Bible.

Verse 5. And turn, and so forth Josue had not fled before. Calmet.—Hebrew “against us, as at the first, we will flee before them.”

Verse 8. Fire. They were to set some houses on fire for a signal, but the whole city was not to be destroyed ( Calmet.) till the Israelites had collected the plunder. Bible.

Verse 10. Ancients, who had a command in the army, and assisted Josue with their counsel. They gave him an account of the state and numbers of the army. Calmet.

Verse 12. Five thousand. These were part of the 30,000 mentioned above, verse 3. Challoner.—Josue had given orders to have them placed in ambush apart; ( Calmet.) unless, perhaps, he places these himself in some secret place. Bible.

Verse 13. Night. He spent the forepart of it at Galgal, to prevent any suspicion, verse 9. But setting out very early, (verse 10,) he arrived at Hai before sun-rise.

Verse 14. Desert of Bethel, fit only for pasturage. Calmet. 18:12.

Verse 15. Afraid. Hebrew “made as if they were beaten before them, and fled.” Thus they drew on the king of Hai, so as to leave the ambush in his rear. Calmet.

Verse 17. Not one fit to bear arms. Worthington.—Bethel. As soon as the people of this city perceived the Israelites fleeing, they rushed out to assist the king of Hai in the pursuit. But when they saw the former rally, before they had joined their friends, ( Calmet.) they very prudently retired, and left the unhappy citizens of Hai to their fate. Bible.—Hence all who were slain belonged to the latter city, verse 25.

Verse 18. Shield, as Moses lifted up his hands. Exodus 17:11. Some translate, “dart, spear,” or “sword.” Septuagint and Sirach 16:3. Calmet.—The buckler might be suspended on a spear, ( Menochius.) that it might be seen afar off ( Worthington.) by some appointed to keep watch on purpose. Bible.

Verse 23. Josue. This king was reserved for greater torments and ignominy. It was the ancient custom to present kings and chief commanders to the victorious general, who rewarded those who brought them. Grotius.

Verse 28. For ever, or for a long time. It was rebuilt before the captivity. 2 Ezra 7:31.

Verse 29. Gibbet. Septuagint “a cross.” Some say that the king was first killed; but that assertion is destitute of proof. The corpse was taken down before night. Deuteronomy 21:22.

Verse 30. Hebal. The Sam. Chronicle says on Mount Garizim. No doubt Josue complied with the injunctions of Moses: but we have seen that there are reasons to doubt which mountain he pitched upon. Deuteronomy 27:4. Bible.—It seems more probable that the altar would be upon Garizim, where the blessings were proclaimed, if the texts of Moses and of Josue did not formally assert the contrary. Calmet.—But if they have been interpolated, nothing certain can be deduced from those passages. Josephus (iv. 8,) says that the altar was between the two mountains, not far from Sichem, which was built at the foot of Garizim; and it is not probable that this historian, the mortal enemy of the Samaritans, would have hesitated to assert that the altar was upon Hebal, if the texts had been so positive, in his time. It is undeniable that the tribes of Levi, and of Ephraim, were upon Garizim; and consequently Josue and the priests must have been there; and who would then officiate at the altar on Hebal? See Kennicott, who ably refutes the insinuations of the infidel, Collins, against the character of the Samaritans. When this altar was erected the learned are not agreed. Bible.—Some say, immediately after the passage of the Jordan, and that the 12 stones taken from the bed of the river, were used for that purpose. Josephus says five years elapsed, and R. Ismael supposes that the altar was not built during the 14 years after the passage of the Jordan. But it is most probable that Josue complied with the command of God as soon as he had procured a sort of peace, ( Bible.) by the conquest of these two cities, and was thus enabled to penetrate into the heart of the country, where Garizim was situated, not in the plain of Jericho, as Eusebius imagined, but near Sichem, ( Calmet.) about 30 or 40 miles to the north-west of Jericho. Bible.

Verse 31. Iron. Spencer complains that the Prot. have not translated barzel, “iron tool,” as Deuteronomy 27:5. This translation is found in their more ancient editions of 1537–49, and so forth Ken.—But the difference is very unimportant. The reason of this prohibition is given, Exodus 20:25.—He offered; so we read that he wrote, blessed and cursed, and so forth because these things were done at least by his authority. It is not necessary to suppose that he engraved the words of the law with his own hands, or that he passed from Garizim, where he had been pronouncing the blessings, to Hebal, in order to denounce the curses. Bible.—He probably commissioned some of the princes on Hebal to perform the office of cursing, after he had repeated the blessings himself from Garizim; and the select company of Levites before the ark, having answered or repeated the words, the whole multitude stationed at the foot of Hebal, giving their consent that the transgressors should be cursed. Ken.—Hence Josue must have sacrificed by the hands of the priests. Bible.—Various instances are produced to show that princes and prophets have, on extraordinary occasions, performed this office themselves, 1 Kennicott. 6:15 and 7:9. 3 Kennicott. 18:32. Calmet.—But these must have either received a dispensation from God, or they must have employed the ministry of the legal priests; or, in fine, their actions, like that of Saul, (1 Kennicott. 13:9,) of Absalom, (ib. 1:9,) Herod, and so forth may have been deserving of blame. Bible.—The Jews assert that in the desert no one was permitted to sacrifice, except in the tabernacle; but that this prohibition ceased at Galgal, as the ark had no fixed abode, and thus Josue might offer sacrifice himself. Afterwards the law was enforced, while the ark was at Silo. But upon its being removed to Nobe, Maspha, and Gabaon, people resumed their former liberty; and hence there was nothing to hinder Samuel, Saul, and David from offering sacrifice, till the temple was erected. Outram de Sac. i. 2. Grot. in Deut. xii. 8. This sacred office was formerly exercised by kings, particularly at Athens, where, after the people became more numerous, Theseus appointed the king of sacrifices to keep up the memory of the ancient practice. Demost. c. Neream. Calmet. The like was done at Rome under the republic. Bible.

Verse 32. Stones, of which the altar was formed, ( Calmet.) or on a separate monument, (Masius) consisting of two stones of black marble, so as to leave the letters prominent, and to fill up the vacuities with white plaster, that they might be seen more plainly, and might, at the same time, be more durable than if they had been only written on the cement, whatever some may have said of the tenacity of the ancient plaster.—Deuteronomy, and so forth or copy of the Decalogue which, by way of eminence, is called the law. Acts 7:53. It is distinguished from the blessings and the curses; (verse 34,) and Moses referred to it, as already existing, (Deuteronomy 27:3. 8,) though the Book of Deuteronomy was not finished till afterwards. He might point to the very tables contained in the ark. “This law, consisting of only 16 verses, might easily be engraved on this solemn day; whereas to engrave the 80 verses of blessings and cursings, would be improbable; and engraving the Pentateuch, or indeed the Book of Deuteronomy, had been impossible.” That the Decalogue was to be thus solemnly proclaimed is evident, from the Sam. text. Exodus 20:18. Kennicott.—This was the covenant which God had made with his people, (Deuteronomy 4:13,) and which Moses cautions the Israelites to observe; as upon their fidelity, their present and future happiness entirely depended. It was on this title alone that they could hold the land of Chanaan; and therefore Josue takes care thus publicly to admonish them of their duty. Bible.—The Rabbins say that the whole Pentateuch was written on this occasion in 70 languages, that no nation might plead ignorance. But we can hardly believe that even the Book of Deuteronomy could be written, and read, and explained to the people, as that would require many days. Calmet.

Verse 33. Hebal. “Gerizim and Ebal, says Maundrell, p. 59, are separated by a narrow valley, not above a furlong broad; and Naplosa, (the ancient Sychem) consisting chiefly of two streets lying parallel, is built at the foot of, and under Gerizim.” The princes, representing the different tribes, were stationed on these mountains, and the crowd at the foot of them, while a select company of Levites attended the ark in the midst, and repeated what the princes proclaimed, that the multitude might answer Amen, as they turned successively to them; (Kennicott) or the princes might answer Amen, from the top of the two hills. Calmet.—And first. Prot. “as Moses … had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.” But if Josue blessed them himself, ( Bible.) all superiors might do so, as parents bless their children. Worthington.

Verse 34. Words. Hebrew “words of the law, the blessings,” and so forth Bible.

Verse 35. Repeated. Coverdale’s Bible has “Josua caused it to be proclaimed.” “It is very common in Scripture to represent a person as doing that which is done by another, in his name and by his authority.” Kennicott.—Josue might be in the midst to preside, ( Calmet.) or rather he would be along with the princes of the six tribes on Mount Garizim, verse 30. Bible.—Thus the covenant entered into between God and the Israelites, was solemnly ratified when the latter first entered the promised land. The greatest part of those who had been present at Horeb had perished in the wilderness. Calmet.