6 And I brought H3318 your fathers H1 out of Egypt: H4714 and ye came H935 unto the sea; H3220 and the Egyptians H4714 pursued H7291 after H310 your fathers H1 with chariots H7393 and horsemen H6571 unto the Red H5488 sea. H3220
And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 journeyed H5265 from Rameses H7486 to Succoth, H5523 about six H8337 hundred H3967 thousand H505 on foot H7273 that were men, H1397 beside H905 children. H2945
And it came to pass the selfsame H6106 day, H3117 that the LORD H3068 did bring H3318 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 by their armies. H6635
And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they turn H7725 and encamp H2583 before H6440 Pihahiroth, H6367 between Migdol H4024 and the sea, H3220 over against H6440 Baalzephon: H1189 before H5226 it shall ye encamp H2583 by the sea. H3220 For Pharaoh H6547 will say H559 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 They are entangled H943 in the land, H776 the wilderness H4057 hath shut them in. H5462 And I will harden H2388 Pharaoh's H6547 heart, H3820 that he shall follow H7291 after H310 them; and I will be honoured H3513 upon Pharaoh, H6547 and upon all his host; H2428 that the Egyptians H4714 may know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068 And they did H6213 so. And it was told H5046 the king H4428 of Egypt H4714 that the people H5971 fled: H1272 and the heart H3824 of Pharaoh H6547 and of his servants H5650 was turned H2015 against the people, H5971 and they said, H559 Why have we done H6213 this, that we have let Israel H3478 go H7971 from serving H5647 us? And he made ready H631 his chariot, H7393 and took H3947 his people H5971 with him: And he took H3947 six H8337 hundred H3967 chosen H977 chariots, H7393 and all the chariots H7393 of Egypt, H4714 and captains H7991 over every one of them. And the LORD H3068 hardened H2388 the heart H3820 of Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 and he pursued H7291 after H310 the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went out H3318 with an high H7311 hand. H3027 But the Egyptians H4714 pursued H7291 after H310 them, all the horses H5483 and chariots H7393 of Pharaoh, H6547 and his horsemen, H6571 and his army, H2428 and overtook H5381 them encamping H2583 by the sea, H3220 beside Pihahiroth, H6367 before H6440 Baalzephon. H1189 And when Pharaoh H6547 drew nigh, H7126 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 lifted up H5375 their eyes, H5869 and, behold, the Egyptians H4714 marched H5265 after H310 them; and they were sore H3966 afraid: H3372 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried out H6817 unto the LORD. H3068 And they said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Because there were no graves H6913 in Egypt, H4714 hast thou taken us away H3947 to die H4191 in the wilderness? H4057 wherefore H2063 hast thou dealt H6213 thus with us, to carry us forth H3318 out of Egypt? H4714 Is not this the word H1697 that we did tell H1696 thee in Egypt, H4714 saying, H559 Let us alone, H2308 that we may serve H5647 the Egyptians? H4714 For it had been better H2896 for us to serve H5647 the Egyptians, H4714 than that we should die H4191 in the wilderness. H4057 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the people, H5971 Fear H3372 ye not, stand still, H3320 and see H7200 the salvation H3444 of the LORD, H3068 which he will shew H6213 to you to day: H3117 for the Egyptians H4714 whom ye have seen H7200 to day, H3117 ye shall see H7200 them again H3254 no more for H5704 ever. H5769 The LORD H3068 shall fight H3898 for you, and ye shall hold your peace. H2790 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Wherefore criest H6817 thou unto me? speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they go forward: H5265
And thou didst divide H1234 the sea H3220 before H6440 them, so that they went through H5674 the midst H8432 of the sea H3220 on the dry land; H3004 and their persecutors H7291 thou threwest H7993 into the deeps, H4688 as a stone H68 into the mighty H5794 waters. H4325
Thou hast with thine arm H2220 redeemed H1350 thy people, H5971 the sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 and Joseph. H3130 Selah. H5542 The waters H4325 saw H7200 thee, O God, H430 the waters H4325 saw H7200 thee; they were afraid: H2342 the depths H8415 also were troubled. H7264 The clouds H5645 poured out H2229 water: H4325 the skies H7834 sent out H5414 a sound: H6963 thine arrows H2687 also went abroad. H1980 The voice H6963 of thy thunder H7482 was in the heaven: H1534 the lightnings H1300 lightened H215 the world: H8398 the earth H776 trembled H7264 and shook. H7493 Thy way H1870 is in the sea, H3220 and thy path H7635 in the great H7227 waters, H4325 and thy footsteps H6119 are not known. H3045 Thou leddest H5148 thy people H5971 like a flock H6629 by the hand H3027 of Moses H4872 and Aaron. H175
To him which divided H1504 the Red H5488 sea H3220 into parts: H1506 for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever: H5769 And made Israel H3478 to pass through H5674 the midst H8432 of it: for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever: H5769 But overthrew H5287 Pharaoh H6547 and his host H2428 in the Red H5488 sea: H3220 for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever. H5769
That led H3212 them by the right hand H3225 of Moses H4872 with his glorious H8597 arm, H2220 dividing H1234 the water H4325 before H6440 them, to make H6213 himself an everlasting H5769 name? H8034 That led H3212 them through the deep, H8415 as an horse H5483 in the wilderness, H4057 that they should not stumble? H3782
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 24
Commentary on Joshua 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
Jos 24:1. Joshua Assembling the Tribes.
1. Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem—Another and final opportunity of dissuading the people against idolatry is here described as taken by the aged leader, whose solicitude on this account arose from his knowledge of the extreme readiness of the people to conform to the manners of the surrounding nations. This address was made to the representatives of the people convened at Shechem, and which had already been the scene of a solemn renewal of the covenant (Jos 8:30, 35). The transaction now to be entered upon being in principle and object the same, it was desirable to give it all the solemn impressiveness which might be derived from the memory of the former ceremonial, as well as from other sacred associations of the place (Ge 12:6, 7; 33:18-20; 35:2-4).
they presented themselves before God—It is generally assumed that the ark of the covenant had been transferred on this occasion to Shechem; as on extraordinary emergencies it was for a time removed (Jud 20:1-18; 1Sa 4:3; 2Sa 15:24). But the statement, not necessarily implying this, may be viewed as expressing only the religious character of the ceremony [Hengstenberg].
Jos 24:2-13. Relates God's Benefits.
2. Joshua said unto all the people—His address briefly recapitulated the principal proofs of the divine goodness to Israel from the call of Abraham to their happy establishment in the land of promise; it showed them that they were indebted for their national existence as well as their peculiar privileges, not to any merits of their own, but to the free grace of God.
Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood—The Euphrates, namely, at Ur.
Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor—(see Ge 11:27). Though Terah had three sons, Nahor only is mentioned with Abraham, as the Israelites were descended from him on the mother's side through Rebekah and her nieces, Leah and Rachel.
served other gods—conjoining, like Laban, the traditional knowledge of the true God with the domestic use of material images (Ge 31:19, 34).
3. I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan—It was an irresistible impulse of divine grace which led the patriarch to leave his country and relatives, to migrate to Canaan, and live a "stranger and pilgrim" in that land.
4. I gave unto Esau mount Seir—(See on Ge 36:8). In order that he might be no obstacle to Jacob and his posterity being the exclusive heirs of Canaan.
12. I sent the hornet before you—a particular species of wasp which swarms in warm countries and sometimes assumes the scourging character of a plague; or, as many think, it is a figurative expression for uncontrollable terror (see on Ex 23:28).
14-28. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth—After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods that were among them"—a requirement which seems to imply that some were suspected of a strong hankering for, or concealed practice of, the idolatry, whether in the form of Zabaism, the fire-worship of their Chaldean ancestors, or the grosser superstitions of the Canaanites.
26. Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God—registered the engagements of that solemn covenant in the book of sacred history.
took a great stone—according to the usage of ancient times to erect stone pillars as monuments of public transactions.
set it up there under an oak—or terebinth, in all likelihood, the same as that at the root of which Jacob buried the idols and charms found in his family.
that was by the sanctuary of the Lord—either the spot where the ark had stood, or else the place around, so called from that religious meeting, as Jacob named Beth-el the house of God.
Jos 24:29, 30. His Age and Death.
29, 30. Joshua … died—Lightfoot computes that he lived seventeen, others twenty-seven years, after the entrance into Canaan. He was buried, according to the Jewish practice, within the limits of his own inheritance. The eminent public services he had long rendered to Israel and the great amount of domestic comfort and national prosperity he had been instrumental in diffusing among the several tribes, were deeply felt, were universally acknowledged; and a testimonial in the form of a statue or obelisk would have been immediately raised to his honor, in all parts of the land, had such been the fashion of the times. The brief but noble epitaph by the historian is, Joshua, "the servant of the Lord."
31. Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua—The high and commanding character of this eminent leader had given so decided a tone to the sentiments and manners of his contemporaries and the memory of his fervent piety and many virtues continued so vividly impressed on the memories of the people, that the sacred historian has recorded it to his immortal honor. "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua."
32. the bones of Joseph—They had carried these venerable relics with them in all their migrations through the desert, and deferred the burial, according to the dying charge of Joseph himself, till they arrived in the promised land. The sarcophagus, in which his mummied body had been put, was brought thither by the Israelites, and probably buried when the tribe of Ephraim had obtained their settlement, or at the solemn convocation described in this chapter.
in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought … for an hundred pieces of silver—Kestitah translated, "piece of silver," is supposed to mean "a lamb," the weights being in the form of lambs or kids, which were, in all probability, the earliest standard of value among pastoral people. The tomb that now covers the spot is a Mohammedan Welce, but there is no reason to doubt that the precious deposit of Joseph's remains may be concealed there at the present time.
33. Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him in … mount Ephraim—The sepulchre is at the modern village Awertah, which, according to Jewish travellers, contains the graves also of Ithamar, the brother of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar [Van De Velde].