The Reubenites, &c., vindicate their CHAP. XXII. A. M. 2561. 48. Anno ante n conduct in building the altar the land of Gilead, Phinehas rebel to-day against the LORD, An. Exod. Isr. the son of Eleazar the priest, 15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying, 16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day-against the LORD? r 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, 18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye Exod. vi. 25; Num. xxv. 7. Heb. house of the father. P Num. i. 4.4 See Lev. xvii. 8, 9; Deut. xii. 13, 14.-Num, xxv. 3, 4; Deut. iv. 3.- Num. xvi. 22. appear precipitate; but, that they might do nothing rashly, they first sent Phinehas and ten princes, one out of each tribe, to require an explanation of their motives in erecting this altar. Verse 17. Is the iniquity of Peor too little] See this history, Num. xxv. 3, &c., and the notes there. Phinehas takes it for granted that this altar was built in opposition to the altar of God erected by Moses, and that they intended to have a separate service, priesthood, &c., which would be rebellion against God, and bring down his curse on them and their posterity; and, in order to show that God is jealous of his glory, he refers to the business of Baal Peor, which took place in that very country they were now about to possess, the destructive consequences of which he, through his zeal for the glory of God, was the means of preventing. Verse 19. If the land of your possession be unclean] The generous mind of Phinehas led him to form this excuse for them. If ye suppose that this land is impure, as not having been originally included in the covenant, and ye think that ye cannot expect the blessing of God unless ye have an altar, sacrifices, &c., then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, the only legitimate place where sacrifices and offerings can be made. We will divide this land with you, and rather straiten ourselves than that you should conceive yourselves to be under any necessity of erecting a new altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. Verse 20. Did not Achan the son of Zerah] Your sin will not be merely against yourselves; your transgres A. M. 2561. B. C. 1443. An. Exod. Isr. 48. Anno ante I. Olymp. 667. 19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. 21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, w 22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) Chap. xviii. 1. Chap. vii. 1, 5- - Deut. x. 17. ———————w 1 Kings viii. 39; Job x. 7; xxiii. 10; Psa. xliv. 21; cxxxix. 1,2; Jer. xii. 3; 2 Cor. xi. 11, 31. sions will bring down the wrath of God upon all the people; this was the case in the transgression of Achan; he alone sinned, and yet God on that account turned his face against the whole congregation, so that they fell before their enemies. We cannot therefore be unconcerned spectators of your transgression, we may all be implicated in its criminality; let this and the dishonour which we apprehend is done to our God plead our excuse, and vindicate the necessity of the present warlike appearance which we make before you. See the history of Achan referred to here, (chap. vii.,) and the notes there. Verse 21. Then the children of Reuben-answered] Though conscious of their own innocency they permitted Phinehas to finish his discourse, though com posed of little else than accusations; there was a decency in this, and such a full proof of good breeding, as does them the highest credit. There are many public assemblies in the present day which lay claim to the highest refinement, who might take a very useful lesson from these Reubenites and their associates. Verse 22. The Lord God of gods] The original words are exceedingly emphatic, and cannot be easily translated. 'n El Elohim Yehovah, are the three principal names by which the supreme God was known among the Hebrews, and may be thus translated, the strong God, Elohim, Jehovah, which is nearly the version of Luther, der starcte Gott der Perr, "The strong God the LORD." And the Reubenites, by using these in their very solemn appeal, expressed at once their strong unshaken faith in the God of Is-" rael; and by this they fully showed the deputation 23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt1. Olymp. 667. offering or meat-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it; 24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel? 25 For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD; so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar; not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; a 27 But that it may be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt-offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. 28 Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Be * Deut. xviii. 19; 1 Sam. xx. 16.xxxi. 48; chap. xxiv. 27; ver. 34. Heb. To-morrow.- -2 Gen. Deut. xii. 5, 6, 11, 12, from the ten tribes, that their religious creed had not been changed; and, in the succeeding part of their defence they show that their practice corresponded with their creed. The repetition of these solemn names by the Reubeniles, &c., shows their deep concern for the honour of God, and their anxiety to wipe off the reproach which they consider cast on them by the supposition that they had been capable of defection from the pure worship of God, or of disaffection to their brethren. Save us not this day] This was putting the affair to the most solemn issue; and nothing but the utmost consciousness of their own integrity could have induced them to make such an appeal, and call for such a decision. "Let God the Judge cause us to perish this day, if in principle or practice we have knowingly departed from him," Verse 24. For fear of this thing] The motive that actuated us was directly the reverse of that of which we have been suspected. Verse 26. An altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice] Because this would have been in flat opposition to the law, Lev. xvii. 8, 9; Deut. xii. 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, which most positively forbade any sacrifice or offering to be made in any other place than The princes are satisfied and return. A. M. 2561. B. C. 1443. hold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, An. Exod. Isr. not for burnt-offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. 48. Anno ante I. Olymp. 667. 29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt-offerings, for meat-offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. 30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. 39 32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land b Deut. xii. 13, 14.- Heb. it was good in Lev. xxvi. 11, 12; 2 Chron. xv. 2.e Heb. then. 17, 18, 26, 27.their eyes. that one which the Lord should choose. Therefore the altar built by the Reubenites, &c., was for no religious purpose, but merely to serve as a testimony that they were one people with those on the west of Jordan, having the same religious and civil constitution, and bound by the same interests to keep that constitution inviolate. Verse 29. God forbid that we should rebel] These words not only express their strong abhorrence of this crime, but also show that without God they could do no good thing, and that they depended upon him for that strength by which alone they could abstain from evil. Verse 31. We perceive that the Lord is among us] Or, according to the Targum of Jonathan, "This day we know that the majesty of Jehovah dwelleth among us, because ye have not committed this prevarication against the WORD of the Lord, and thus ye have delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the WORD of the Lord." They rejoice to find them innocent, and that there is no ground of quarrel between the children of the same family. And from this they draw a very favourable conclusion, that as God was among them as the sole object of their religious worship, so he would abide with them as their protector and their portion; and as they were his friends, they The people praise God, A. M. 2561. An. Exod. Isr. 48. Anno ante CHAP. XXIII. of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. 33 And the thing pleased the 1. Olymp. 667. children of Israel; and the children of Israelf blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy 1 Chron. xxix. 20; Neh. viii. 6; Dan. ii. 19; Luke ii. 28. take it for granted that he will deliver them from the hands of their enemies. Verse 33. And did not intend to go up against them in battle] That is, they now relinquished the intention of going against them in battle, as this explanation proved there was no cause for the measure. Verse 34. Called the altar Ed} The word y ED, which signifies witness or testimony, is not found in the common editions of the Hebrew Bible, and is supplied in Italics by our translators, at least in our modern copies; for in the first edition of this translation it stands in the text without any note of this kind; and it is found in several of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and also in the Syriac and Arabic. Several also of the early printed editions, of the Hebrew Bible have the word y, either in the text or in the margin, and it must be allowed to be necessary to complete the sense. It is very probable that an inscription was put on this altar, which pointed out the purposes for which it was erected. FROM the contents of this chapter we learn that the Israelites were dreadfully alarmed at the prospect of a schism in their own body, both as it related to ecclesiastical and civil matters. A few observations on this subject may not be useless. Schism in religion is a dangerous thing, and should be carefully avoided by all who fear God. But this word should be well understood. Extoua, in theology, is generally allowed to signify a rent in, or departure from, the doctrine and practice of the apostles, especially among those who had been previously united in that doctrine and practice. A departure from human institutions in religion is no schism, for this reason, that the WORD OF GOD alone is the sufficient rule of the faith and practice of Christians; and as to human institutions, forms, modes, &c., those of one party may be as good as those. of another. and decline going to war. the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. A. M. 2561. B. C. 1443. An. Exod. Isr. 48. Anno ante Olymp. 667. 34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. That is, a witness; so chap. xxiv. 27. When the majority of a nation agrees in some particular forms and modes in their religious service; no conscientious man will lightly depart from these; nor depart at all, unless he find that they are not only not authorized by the word of God, but repugnant to it. It is an object greatly to be desired, that a whole people, living under the same laws, may, as much as possible, glorify God, not only with one heart, but also with one mouth. But there may be a dissent from established forms without schism; for if that dissent make no rent in the doctrines or practice of Christianity, as laid down in the New Testament, it is an abuse of terms to call it a schism; besides, there may be a dissent among religious people relative to certain points both in creed and practice, which, not affecting the essentials of Christianity, nor having any direct tendency to alienate the affections of Christians from each other, cannot be called a schism; but when professing Christians separate from each other, to set up one needless or nonessential form, &c., in the place of others which they call needless or non-essential, they are highly culpable. This not only produces no good, but tends to much evil; for both parties, in order to make the points of their difference of sufficient consequence to justify their dissension, magnify these non-essential matters beyond all reason, and sometimes beyond conscience itself; and thus mint and cummin are tithed, while the weightier matters of the law-judgment and the love of God— are utterly neglected. If Christians either cannot or will not think alike on all points, surely they can agree to disagree, and let each go to heaven his own way. "But should we take this advice, would it not lead to a total indifference about religion ?" Not at all; for in the things which concern the essentials of Christianity, both in doctrine and practice, we should ever feel zealously affected, and earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. CHAPTER XXIII. Joshua, being old, calls for the rulers and different heads of the Israelites, 1, 2, to whom he relates how God had put them in possession of the promised land, 3, 4; from which all their remaining enemies should be expelled, 5. Exhorts them to be faithful to God, and to avoid all connections with the idolatrous nations, 6-8. Encourages them with the strongest promises, that no enemy, should ever be able to prevail against them, if they continued to love the Lord their God, 9-11. Lays also before them the consequences of disobedience, 12, 13. Shows them that as all God's promises had been fulfilled to them while they were obedient, so his threatenings should be fulfilled on them if they revolted from his service; and that if they did so, they should be utterly destroyed from off the good land, 14-16. AND it came to pass a long time after that the LORD a had given rest unto Israel from I. Olymp. 667. all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. 2 And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: d 3 And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you. 4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. a Ch. xxi. 44; xxii. 4. b Ch. xiii. 1. .c Heb. come into days. Deut. xxxi. 28; chap. xxiv. 1; 1 Chron. xxviii. 1. Exod. xiv. 14; chap. x. 14, 42.- f Chap. xiii. 2, 6; xviii. 10. & Heb. at the sunset. Exod. xxiii. 30; xxxiii. 2; xxxiv. 11; Deut. xi. 23; chap. xiii. 6.- Num. xxxiii. 53. e NOTES ON CHAP. XXIII. Verse 1. A long time after that the Lord had given rest] This is supposed to have been in the last or one hundred and tenth year of the life of Joshua, about thirteen or fourteen years after the conquest of Canaan, and seven after the division of the land among the tribes. Verse 2. Joshua called for all Israel] There are four degrees of civil distinction mentioned here: 1. D'upi zekenim, the elders or senate, the PRINCES of the tribes. 2. D'Urashim, or rashey aboth, the CHIEFS or HEADS of families. 3. D' shophetim, the JUDGES who interpreted and decided according to the law. 4. Dshoterim, the OFFICERS, serjeants, &c., who executed the decisions of the judges. Whether this assembly was held at Timnath-serah, where Joshua lived, or at Shiloh, where the ark was, or at Shechem, as in chap. xxiv. 1, we cannot tell. Some think that the meaning here, and that mentioned in chap. xxiv., were the same, and if so, Shechem was the place of assembling; but it is more likely that the two chapters treat of two distinct assemblies, whether held at the same place or not. Verse 3. For the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.] There is much both of piety and modesty in this address. It was natural for the Israelites to look on their veteran, worn-out general, who had led them on from conquest to conquest; with profound respect; and to be ready to say, “Had we not had such a commander, we had never got possession of this good land." Joshua corrects this opinion, and shows them that all their enemies had been defeated, because the Lord their God had fought for them. That the battle was the Lord's, and not his; and that God alone should have the glory. Verse 4. I have divided—these nations that remain] The whole of the promised land had been portioned tribes, recounts God's goodness. 5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall shall possess their land, as the LORD i mised unto you. your A. M. 2561. 48. 6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; 7 That ye m come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither "make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them? 8 But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. 9 For Chap. i. 7. the LORD hath driven out from n m Exod. xxiii. 33; Exod. xxiii. 13; Deut. v. 22; xxviii. 14.Deut. vii. 2, 3; Prov. iv. 14; Eph. v. 11.Psa. xvi. 4; Jer. v. 7; Zeph. i. 5; see Num. xxxii. 38.—o Or, For if ye will cleave, &c.—P Deut. x. 20; xi. 22; xiii. 4; chap. xxii. 5.- -9 Or, Then the LORD will drive. r Deut. xi. 23. out, as well those parts which had not yet been conquered, as those from which the ancient inhabitants had been expelled. The Canaanitish armies had long ago been broken in pieces, so that they could make no head against the Israelites, but in many districts the old inhabitants remained, more through the supineness of the Israelites, than through their own bravery. From Jordan-unto the great sea] All the land that lay between the river Jordan, from Phiala, where it rose, to the southern extremity of the Dead Sea, and to the Mediterranean Sea, through the whole extent of its coast, opposite to Jordan. Verse 5. And drive them-out-and ye shall possess] The same Hebrew word w yarash is used here to signify to expel from an inheritance, and to succeed those thus expelled. Ye shall disinherit them from your sight, and ye shall inherit their land. Verse 6. Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do, &c.] It requires no small courage to keep a sound creed in the midst of scoffers, and not less to maintain a godly practice among the profane and profligate. That is written in the book] By the word of God alone his followers are bound. Nothing is to be received as an article of faith which God has not spoken. Verse 7: Come not among these nations] Have no civil or social contracts with them, (see ver. 12,) as these will infallibly lead to spiritual affinities, in consequence of which ye will make honourable mention of the name of their gods, swear by them as the judges of your motives and actions, serve them in their abominable rites, and bow yourselves unto them as your creators and preservers; thus giving the whole worship of God to idols: and all this will follow from simply coming among them. He who walks in the counsel of the ungodly will soon stand in the way of sinners, and shortly sit in the seat of the scornful. Nemo repente nations and 14 And, behold, this day am going the way of all the An. Exod. Isr. earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all An. Exod. Isr. strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. Anno ante L Olymp. 667. a 13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you. Chap. i. 5. Lev. xxvi. 8; Deut. xxxii. 30; see Judg. iii. 31; xv. 15; 2 Sam. xxiii. 8.-" Exod. xiv. 14; xxiii. 27; Deut. iii. 22.- Chap. xxii. 5.- - Heb. your souls. Heb. x. 38, 39; 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21.- Deut. vii. 3.- - Judg. ii. 3. fuit turpissimus. "No man rises to the highest stages of iniquity but by degrees." NERO himself, under the instructions of Seneca, was à promising youth. Verse 10. One man of you shall chase a thousand] Do not remain inactive on the supposition that you must be much more numerous before you can drive out your enemies, for it is the Lord that shall drive out nations great and strong; and under his direction and influence one of you shall chase a thousand. Verse 11. Take good heed-unto yourselves that ye love the Lord] lenaphshotheychem, Take heed TO YOUR Souls, literally; but WD nephesh and nefs, both in Hebrew and Arabic, signify the whole self, as well as soul and life; both soul and body must be joined in this work, for it is written, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength. Verse 12. Else if ye do-go back] The soldier who draws back when going to meet the enemy, forfeits his life. These were the Lord's soldiers, and if they drew back they drew back unto perdition, their lives being forfeited by their infidelity. Verse 13. They shall be snares] lephach, a net or gin, set by the artful fowler to catch heedless birds. And traps] wpɔɔ mokesh, any snare, toil, or trap, placed on the ground to catch the unwary traveller or wild beast by the foot. Scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes] Nothing can be conceived more vexatious and distressing than a continual goad in the side, or thorn in the eye. They will drive you into obedience to their false gods, and put out the eyes of your understandings с 48. Anno ante I. Olymp. 667. souls, that your not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. 15 Therefore it shall come to pass, 'that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you. 16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you. a Exod. xxiii. 33;. Num. xxxiii. 55; Deut. vii. 16; 1 Kings xi. 4. b1 Kings 1.2; see Heb. ix. 27. Ch. xxi. 45; Luke xxi. 33. Deut. xxviii. 63.———e Lev. xxvi. 16; Deut. xxviii. 15, 16, &c. ; Judg. iii. 8, 12; iv. 1, 2; vi. 1; x. 6,7; xiii. 1; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16, 17. by their idolatries: And God will preserve them merely to distress and punish you. Verse 14. The way of all the earth] I am about to die; I am going into the grave. Not one thing hath failed, &c.] God had so remarkably and literally fulfilled his promises, that not one of his enemies could state that even the smallest of them had not had its most literal accomplishment : this all Israel could testify. Verse 15. So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things] His faithfulness in fulfilling his promises is a proof that he will as faithfully accomplish his threatenings, for the veracity of God is equally pledged for both. Verse 16. Ye shall perish quickly from off the good land] The following note from Mr. John Trapp is very judicious: "This judgment Joshua inculcates ver. 13, 15, and here, because he knew it would be a very grievous thing to them to forego so goodly a land, so lately gotten, and so short a while enjoyed. In the beginning of a speech ra non, the milder affections, suit best; but towards the end тa raon, passionate and piercing passages; according to the orator. This rule Joshua observes, being Ex utroque Cæsar; no less an orator than a warrior." |