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Character of Joshua.

CHAP. XXIV.

Masoretic notes.

his power so to do. He was the head and leader of the people; the chief and foremost in all fatigues and dangers; without whose piety, prudence, wisdom, and military skill, the whole tribes of Israel, humanly speaking, must have been ruined. And yet this conqueror of the nations did not reserve to himself a goodly inheritance, a noble city, nor any part of the spoils of those he had vanquished. His countrymen, it is true, gave him an inheritance among them, chap. xix. 50. This, we might suppose, was in consideration of his eminent services, and this, we might naturally

to God, it will live to the world and the flesh. Nor is such a covenant as this more solemn and strict than that which we have often made; first in our baptism, and often afterwards in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, &c. Joshua allows there is a great danger in making this covenant. Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy, strong, and jealous God, &c. But this only supposes that nothing could be done right but by his Spirit, and in his strength. The energy of the Holy Spirit is equal to every requisition of God's holy law, as far as it regards the moral conduct of a believer in Christ. "VI. The solemnity of the acceptance.-Notwith-expect, was the best inheritance in the land! No! standing Joshua faithfully laid down the dreadful evils which those might expect who should abandon the Lord; yet they entered solemnly into the covenant. God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, but we will serve the Lord. They seemed to think that not to covenant in this case was to reject.

"VII. The nearness of the consequence. There were false gods among them, and these must be immediately put away. As ye have taken the Lord for your God, then put away the strange gods which are among you, ver. 23. The moment the covenant is made, that same moment the conditions of it come into force. He who makes this covenant with God should immediately break off from every evil design, companion, word, and work. Finally, Joshua erected two monuments of this solemn transaction: -1. He caused the word to be written in the book of the law, ver. 26. 2. He erected a stone under an oak, ver. 27; that these two things might be witnesses against them if they broke the covenant which they then made, &c." There is the same indispensable necessity for every one who professes-Christianity, to enter into a covenant with God through Christ. He who is not determined to be on God's side, will be found on the side of the world, the devil, and the flesh. And he who does not turn from all his iniquities, cannot make such a covenant. And he who does not make it now, may probably never have another opportunity. Reader, death is at the door, and eternity is at hand. These are truths which are everywhere proclaimed-everywhere professedly believed every where acknowledged to be important and perhaps nowhere laid to heart-as they should be. And yet all grant that they are born to die!

ON the character and conduct of Joshua, much has already been said in the notes; and particularly in the preface to this book. A few particulars may be added. It does not appear that Joshua was ever married, or that he had any children. That he was high in the estimation of God, we learn from his being chosen to succeed Moses in the government of the people. He was the person alone, of all the host of Israel, who was deemed every way qualified to go out before the congregation, and go in to lead them out, and bring them in; and be the shepherd of the people, because the Spirit of God was in him. See Num. xxvii. 17, &c. He is called the servant of God, as was Moses; and was, of all men of that generation, next in eminence to that great legislator.

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Like his great master, he neither provided for himself nor his relatives; though he had it constantly in ( 7 ) ·

VOL. II.

they gave him Timnath-serah, in the barren mountains of Ephraim, and even this he asked, chap. xix. 50. But was not this the best city in the land? No-it was even No city; evidently no more than the ruins of one that had stood in that place; and hence it is said, he builded the city and dwelt therein-he, with some persons of his own tribe, revived the stones out of the rubbish, and made it habitable.

Joshua believed there was a God; he loved him, acted under his influence, and endeavoured to the utmost of his power to promote the glory of his Maker, and the welfare of man and he expected his recompense in another world.

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Like HIM of whom he was an illustrious type, he led a painful and laborious life, devoting himself entirely to the service of God and the public good. How unlike was Joshua to those men who, for certain services, get elevated to the highest honours; but, not content with the recompense thus awarded them by their country, use their new influence for the farther aggrandizement of themselves and dependents, at the expense, and often to the ruin of their country!

Joshua, retires only from labour when there is no more work to be done, and no more dangers to be encountered. He was the first in the field, and the last out of it; and never attempted to take rest till all the tribes of Israel had got their possessions, and were settled in their inheritances! Of him it might be truly said as of Cæsar, he continued to work, nil actum reputans, si quid superesset agendum: for "he considered nothing done, while any thing remained undone."

Behold this man retiring from office and from life without any kind of emolument! the greatest man of all the tribes of Israel; the most patriotic, and the most serviceable; and yet the worst provided for! Statesmen! naval and military commanders! look Joshua in the face; read his history; and learn from 1T what true PATRIOTISM means, That man alone who truly fears and loves God, credits his revelation, and is made a partaker of his Spirit, is capable of performing disinterested services to his country and to mankind!

MASORETIC NOTES ON JOSÉUA.

The number of verses in the Book of Joshua is 656, (should be 658, see on chap. xxi. 36, &c.,) of which the symbol is found in the word vètharon, (and shall sing,) Isa. xxxv. 6.

Its middle verse is the 26th of chap. xiii.

Its Masoretic sections are 14; the symbol of which is found in the word yad, (the hand,) Ezek. xxxvii. See the note at the end of Genesis, and the Haphtaras at the end of the Pentateuch.

1.

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PREFACE TO THE BOOK

OF

JUDGE S.

THE persons called Judges,

Shophetim, from va shaphat, to judge, discern, regulate, and direct, were the heads or chiefs of the Israelites who governed the Hebrew republic from the days of Moses and Joshua till the time of Saul. The word judge is not to be taken here in its usual signification, i. e., one who determines controversies, and denounces the judgment of the law in criminal cases, but one who directs and rules a state or nation with sovereign power, administers justice, makes peace or war, and leads the armies of the people over whom he presides. Officers, with the same power, and nearly with the same name, were established by the Tyrians in new Tyre, after the destruction of old Tyre, and the termination of its regal state. The Carthaginian Suffetes appear to have been the same as the Hebrew Shophetim; as were also the Archons among the Athenians, and the Dictators among the ancient Romans. But they were neither hereditary governors, nor were they chosen by the people they were properly vicegerents or lieutenants of the Supreme God; and were always, among the Israelites, chosen by Him in a supernatural way. They had no power to make or change the laws; they were only to execute them under the direction of the Most High. God, therefore, was king in Israel: the government was a theocracy; and the judges were His deputies. The office, however, was not continual, as there appear intervals in which there was no judge in Israel. And, as they were extraordinary persons, they were only raised up on extraordinary occasions to be instruments in the hands of God of delivering their nation from the oppression and tyranny of the neighbouring powers. They had neither pomp nor state; nor, probably, any kind of emoluments.

The chronology of the Book of Judges is extremely embarrassed and difficult; and there is no agreement among learned men concerning it. When the deliverances, and consequent periods of rest, so frequently mentioned in this book, took place, cannot be satisfactorily ascertained. Archbishop Usher, and those who follow him, suppose that the rests, or times of peace, should be reckoned, not from the time in which a particular judge gave them deliverance; but from the period of the preceding deliverance, e. g. It is said that Othniel, son of Kenaz, defeated Cushan-rishathaim, Judg. iii. 9, and the land had rest forty years. After the death of Othniel the Israelites again did wickedly, and God delivered them into the hands of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and this oppression continued eighteen years; Judg. iii. 14. Then God raised up Ehud, who, by killing Eglon, king of Moab, and gaining a great victory over the Moabites, in which he slew ten thousand of their best soldiers, obtained a rest for the land which lasted forty years: "Judg. iii. 15, 30; which rest is not counted from this deliverance wrought by Ehud, but from that wrought by Othniel, mentioned above; leaving out the eighteen years of oppression under Eglon king of Moab: and so of the rest. This is a most violent manner of settling chronological difficulties, a total perversion of the ordinary meaning of terms, and not likely to be intended by the writer

of this book. ·

Sir John Marsham, aware of this difficulty, has struck out a new hypothesis: he supposes that there were judges on each side Jordan; and that there were particular wars in which those beyond Jordan had no part. He observes, that from the exodus to the building of Solomon's temple was four hundred and eighty years, which is precisely the time mentioned

PREFACE TO THE BOOK OF JUDGES.

in the sacred writings; (1 Kings vi. 1;) and that from the time in which the Israelites occupied the land beyond Jordan, to the days of Jephthah, was three hundred years. But in reckoning up the years of the judges, from the death of Moses to the time of Ibzan, who succeeded Jephthah, there appears to be more than three hundred years; and from Jephthah to the fourth year of Solomon, in which the foundation of the temple was laid, there are again more than one hundred and fifty years; we must, therefore, either find out some method of reconciling these differences, or else abandon these epochs; but as the latter cannot be done, we must have recourse to some plan of modification. Sir John Marsham's plan is of this kind; the common plan is that of Archbishop Usher. I shall produce them both, and let the reader choose for himself.

Who the author of the Book of Judges was, is not known; some suppose that each judge wrote his own history, and that the book has been compiled from those separate accounts; which is very unlikely. Others ascribe it to Phinehas, to Samuel, to Hezekiah, and some to Ezra. But it is evident that it was the work of an individual, and of a person who lived posterior to the time of the judges, (see chap. ii. 10,. &c.,) and most probably of Samuel.

The duration of the government of the Israelites by judges, from the death of Joshua to the commencement of the reign of Saul, was about three hundred and thirty-nine years. But as this book does not include the government of Eli, nor that of Samuel, but ends with the death of Samson, which occurred in A. M. 2887; consequently, it includes only three hundred and seventeen years; but the manner in which these are reckoned is very different, as we have seen above; and as will be more particularly evident in the following tables by Archbishop Usher and Sir John Marsham.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THIS BOOK, ACCORDING TO ARCHBISHOP USHER.

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This includes a period of about twenty-twoyears, viz., fifteen for the time of the elders who survived Joshua, and seven years of anarchy and rest, after which the Israelites fell under the domination of Chushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia..

The first servitude under Chushan, which lasted eight years, began in 2591, and ended in 2599.. Othniel delivered Israel the fortieth 2591. year after the rest procured by Joshua. 2599 The land enjoys rest about sixty-two years. 2662 Second servitude, under Eglon, king of Moab, which lasted eighteen years.

Ehud delivers Israel,

After him appears Shamgar, and the land enjoys rest to the eightieth year from the termination of the first deliverance procured by Othniel, chap. iii. 15-30.

The third servitude, under the Canaanites, which lasted twenty years, chap. iv.

Deborah and Barak deliver Israel.

From the deliverance procured by Ehud, to

A. M. the end of the government of Deborah and Ba rak, was forty years.

About this time the Assyrian empire was founded by Ninus, son of Belus. The Assyrians had previously to this reigned five hundred and twenty years over a part of Asia; but Ninus, forming a league with Arieus, king of 2737 the Arabs, conquered the whole of Asia, and governed it for seventeen years. He reigned. in all fifty-two years.

The fourth servitude, under the Midianites, which lasted seven years; Judg. vi.

Gideon delivers Israel.

From the rest procured by Deborah and Barak to the deliverance by Gideon are forty years, chap. vi., vii., and viii. After the death of Gideon the people fall into idolatry. Abimelech, natural son of Gideon, kills seventy of his brethren, chap. ix.

Abimelech is proclaimed king by the Shechemites.

2752

2759

2768

2769

He reigns three years, and was killed at the siege of Thebez.

2771

2662

2679

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Semiramis marries Ninus, and reigns forty2699 two years over almost the whole of Asia. 2719 Jair succeeds Tola, and governs twenty-two 2789

years.

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This is in substance the chronology of Archbishop Usher on this period; the correctness of which is justly questioned.

THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES, ACCORDING TO THE SCHEME OF

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Joshua governs Israel twenty-five years from the exodus to the sixty-fifth year after that deliverance.

Death of Joshua, aged 110 years.
Government of the elders.

Anarchy and idolatry, thirty-four years after
Joshua.

First servitude under Chushan lasts eight years.

Othniel, son-in-law of Caleb, defeats Chushan..
Forty years' rest.

Second servitude, under Eglon, who oppressed the Jews beyond Jordan, and a part of the Benjamites, fifteen, years.

Ehud slays Eglon, and delivers his country. Peace of fourscore years beyond Jordan; which continues till the invasion of the Midian-. ites.

Third servitude under Jabin, who chiefly oppressed the tribes which dwelt in the northern parts of Canaan. This servitude lasted twenty years.

Shamgar kills six hundred Philistines, and delivers Israel,

Deborah and Barak defeat Sisera; aided by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.

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Rest of forty years, which continues to the two hundred and forty-third year of the exodus. Fourth servitude under the Midianites, which lasts seven years.

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These are the schemes of those two great chronologists, as exhibited by Calmet. Dr. Hales, dissatisfied with these schemes, and with all others hitherto published, strikes out a new path; and, following the chronology of Josephus, with some corrections, makes

PREFACE TO THE BOOK OF JUDGES.

the whole period, from the time of Joshua and the elders who survived him, to the election of Saul, four hundred and ninety-eight years, which he accounts for thus:

In the general introduction of his Analysis of Scripture Chronology, he endeavours to show that the interval from the exodus to the foundation of Solomon's temple was six hundred and twenty-one years; from which, subtracting one hundred and twenty-three years, (namely, forty years from the exodus to this return, eighty years from the two reigns of Saul and David, and the three first years of Solomon,) the remainder is four hundred and ninety-eight years.

"But," says the learned and indefatigable doctor, "although we are indebted to Josephus for this, and for supplying some material chasms in the sacred annals; such as, 1, the administration of Joshua and the elders, twenty-five years; 2, the ensuing anarchy, eighteen. years; 3, the administration of Shamgar, one year; and, 4, of Samuel, twelve years; still his detail of the outline there given requires correction.

"For, 1. The year ascribed to Shamgar's administration is too short, as is evident from Deborah's account, Judg. v. 6; I have therefore included it, with David Ganz, in Ehud's enormous administration of eighty years, and transferred the one year to Joshua's, making that twenty-six years. 2. I have restored Abdon's administration of eight years omitted by Josephus, and deducted it from the eighteen years he assigns to the anarchy, thereby reducing the latter to its correct length of ten years. 3. I have dated the first, division of the conquered lands in the sixth year, which Josephus reckoned in the fifth year; because Caleb was forty years old when Moses sent him as one of the spies from Kadesh-barnea, in the second year after the exode; consequently he was thirty-nine years old at the exode; and therefore seventy-nine years old, forty years after, at the arrival in Canaan; but he was eighty-five years old when he claimed and got the hill of Hebron for an inheritance, which therefore must have been six years after the arrival in Canaan. Compare Num. x. 11, xiii. 6, with Josh. xiv. 6-15. 4. Josephus has omitted the date of Samuel's call to be a prophet, 1 Sam. iii. 1-19, which St. Paul reckons four hundred and fifty years after the first division of lands, Acts xiii. 19, 20, and which, therefore, commenced with the ten last years of Eli's administration of forty years. This last most important chronological character from the New Testament verifies the whole of this rectification; while it demonstrates the spuriousness of the period of four hundred and eighty years in the present Masorete text of 1 Kings vi. 1, from the exode to the foundation of Solomon's temple.' Following the chronology of Josephus, in preference to the Hebrew text, his table of the Judges is as follows:

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"The only alteration here made in the present text of Josephus is the insertion of Tola and his administration of twenty-three years, (Judg. x. 1, 2,) which are inadvertently omitted between Abimelech and Jair, Ant. 5, 7, 15, page 56, but evidently were included in the original scheme of Josephus as being requisite to complete the period of six hundred and twentyone years. To Abdon no years are assigned by Josephus, Ant. 5, 7, 15, page 215, perhaps

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