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fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.*

And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword, according to God's command, Deut. xx. 16, 17, Thus the people were punished for their own wickedness, God was honoured, neighbouring cities were terrified, 22 and Israel encouraged. But Joshua had said unto the two men that spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. As this house stood on the wall of the city, it is plain 23 the whole wall did not fall at once, And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel, till they were well instructed in the Jewish re24 ligion, and then they were admitted into the congregation. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that [was] therein only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they 25 put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, who had given credit to what she had told them, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel, [even] unto this day, because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

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And Joshua adjured [them] at that time, made the elders of Israel take a solemn oath, saying, Cursed [be] the man before the LORD, from God's presence, and by his sentence, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest [son] shall he set up the gates of it; he shall lose all his children in the work ; the first, at the beginning; others, in the progress; by degrees ; 27 and the youngest in the close of it. So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was [noised] throughout all the country.

The Hebrew is, the wall fell under it; the Jews say, sunk into the ground, so that no stones or rubbish remained to hinder their march into the city. Perhaps the whole of it did not fall, but only that part opposite to the Israelites, who immediately marched forward and took the city.

She was married to Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah, one of Christ's progenitors, see Matt. i. g and was alive when this book was written.

We are told in 1 Kings xvi. 34. that it was rebuilt in the time of Ahab. by Hiel the Bethelite, who was tempted by its pleasant situation; but it is added, he laid the founda dation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. After this, it became a school of the prophets! Samuel and Elijah lived there; and Christ was there at the house of Zaccheus, where he did several miracles,

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REFLECTIONS.

ET us learn to cultivate faith in God's promise; By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, Heb, xi. 20. The people believed that God would work this miracle; therefore they compassed the city about, and waited patiently seven days, and thus their faith was exercised and improved. This was perfectly rational, because the promise was made by that Being, whose infinite power was able to effect it. We may and ought to trust God to fulfil his word, though things should seem improbable, for nothing is too hard for him. May we then be strong in faith; that faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of thing's not seen.

2. Let us adore that Providence, which, by such unlikely methods, brings about his important designs. This procession had more the appearance of pastime, than a siege. A strange siege ! No trenches or batteries; and even the armed men were not to use their arms. Doubtless the inhabitants of Jericho despised and laughed at them, bantered them, hissed at them, and thought themselves secure. But God intended to try the faith and obedience of his people; to teach them to expect victory, not from their sword or valour, but from his assistance and all-sufficiency. His counsel shall stand. The accomplishment of his promises is sure, whatever walls or hindrances lie in the way. Thus God deals with his people now; he exercises their virtue, by leading them through unexpected ways, and delaying the blessings they want and hope for. But when the end is answered, it will appear every way worthy of God, and conducive to their comfort and happiness.

3. We see, that those who honour God, he will honour, v. 27. Joshua did so, by exact obedience to his commands; and God appeared to be with him, gave him favour in the eyes of the Israelites, and spread his fame through all the country. If it be our care to follow God's directions, and observe his law, we shall find favour and good understanding in the sight of men.

CHAP. VII.

In this chapter the Israelites are defeated at Ai; Joshua is deeply concerned on this melancholy occasion, and God instructs him what to do; Achan is taken by lot, and he and all that belonged to him are destroyed in the valley of Achor.

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QUT the children of Israel, that is, one of them, committed a trespass in the accursed thing, in some valuable spoils, which by God's command were devoted to destruction; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. This anger manifested itself in the next expedition, to make them solicitous to find out the offender, and to be a warning to all 2 others. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, a city three miles west from Jericho, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; [and] make not all the people to labour 4 thither; for they [are but] few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and the townsmen were animated by seeing that so few came out against them; and they, the Israelites, dispirited by the immediate hand of God, 5 fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, that is, the place of breaches, so called, because here their army was broken and discomfited, and smote them in the going down, from the hill on which Ai stood, toward the plains of Jericho ; wherefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water; the whole body of the people was extremely dismayed at this sign of God's displeasure.

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And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads, showing marks of the deepest contrition and repentance, as well as sorrow of mind. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan !* SO LORD, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs

This was the language, not of passion and unbelief, but of solicitous concern. He could not comprehend the reason of the divine conduct, and wishes they had rather been content with their former conquests, than have suffered such a defeat in their attempt to gain more.

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before their enemies! Can I suspect thy power, or fidelity ? What can I answer to the reproaches of our enemies? Or what 9 course can I take? For the Canaanites from the sea coast, and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear [of it,] and shall en viron us round, and cut off our name from the earth; they will utterly destroy us all, when they hear that God has forsaken us: but, as if all this was a trifle, he adds, and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? thou wilt lose the glory of all thy wonders and miracles; cutting off our name will be no great loss; but what wilt thou do for thy great name? A most wise and devout remonstrance, and the best plea he could make use of. to And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? do not continue grieving and 11 afflicting thyself, but use means for relief. Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them for they have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put [it] even among their own stuff; Israel had sinned, transgressed the covenant, taken the devoted thing, stolen it privately, as if the omniscient God could not see. They dissembled, by denying and concealing it; and have even converted it to their 12 own use, confident it would never be called for. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed neither will I be with you any more, except ye 13 destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, by washings, and fastings, and prayer, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, that the guilt may not lie any longer upon you for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away 14 the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes and it shall be, [that] the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families [thereof;] and the family which the LORD shall take, shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.* 15 And it shall be, [that] he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, as the accursed thing itself ought to have been, he and all that he hath : because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel, by violating a precept so lately and so solemnly given, and after so remarkable a miracle as the taking of Jericho. So Joshua, to show his zeal and concern, rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes, brought lots for

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This process gave the offender an opportunity of confessing his guilt voluntarily; but his heart was hardened. Perhaps he thought others were guilty as well as himself, and that he might possibly escape.

17 each tribe; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man: and 18 Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken; and he was immediately taken into custody, and brought to Joshua. 19. And Joshua said unto Achan, with the greatest tenderness and affection, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord GoD of Israel, whose hand has so remarkably found thee out, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast 20 done; hide [it] not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of 21 Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, worth about twenty three pounds, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, worth near an hundred pounds, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they [are] hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. Achan thought it a great pity that the fine garments should be destroyed, and the gold and silver go to the Lord's house. 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and,

behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it; thus 23 he was convicted by the discovery of the goods. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD, as a convincing evidence of the truth of the discovery, an acknowledgment of the divine omniscience, and the justice of the execution that was to be done.

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And Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold and his sons, and his daughters, who perhaps were privy to what he had done, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, (which shows that he did not steal from want, but merely from covetousness) and his tent, and all that he had and they brought 25 them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day; alluding to his name, which signifies, trouble. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they 96 had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day, as they used to do over those that died ignominiously, that it might be a monument to warn others not to commit the like sin. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called The valley of Achor, unto this day.

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It was richly embroidered with gold and silver, and a variety of colours, as the word signifies. A plain proof, by the way, that there was commerce carried on between the Canaanites and the Babylonians.

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