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The builder of Jericho is cursed.

Before CHRIST

34.

1451.

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24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only BUT the children of Israel com

the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's houshold, 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.

26 And Joshua adjured them at d1 Kings 16. that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, 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.

27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

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jured their heathenism and idolatry, and been admitted into the body of the Israelites. Dr. Wells.

26.Joshua adjured them] He made all the people bind themselves by a solemn oath, adding thereto this curse on themselves, and their posterity, if any of them broke the oath. Dr. Wells.

he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn,] He shall lose his firstborn on beginning the work. In the progress of it, the rest of his children shall die; and when he has finished it, (which is, when he has "set up the gates,") he shall lose the last of them. This was punctually fulfilled in the reign of Ahab, upon Hiel, who ventured to rebuild it, 1 Kings xvi. 34. Bp. Patrick. This remarkable prophecy, concerning the fate of those who should rebuild Jericho, was fulfilled near 600 years after the time of its delivery. The prophecy and its completion are so plain in sacred history, that it is merely necessary to compare the words of Scripture here and at 1 Kings xvi. 34, to perceive its full force. Whiston. This curse was pronounced on the builder of Jericho, not on those who might inhabit it after it was built for in aftertimes it was inhabited without scruple. Indeed this place was afterwards famous on many accounts. Here the prophet sweetened the waters of the spring that supplied it and the neighbouring countries; here Herod built a sumptuous palace: this was the dwelling-place of Zaccheus, and was honoured with the presence of Christ, who vouchsafed to work some miracles here. Bp. Patrick, Stackhouse.

Before CHRIST 1451.

a Chap. 22. 1 Chron. 2. 7.

mitted a trespass in the accursed thing: for a Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, 20 of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Beth-el, 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 + Heb. about three thousand men go up and smite about 3000 Ai; and make not all the people to men. labour thither; for they are but few.

4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

2000 men, or,

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and derision. The world itself shall be surrounded by the Son of God, as "the Captain of our salvation," and the army of saints and angels, which shall attend upon Him at his coming. The "last trumpet" shall sound, and the world shall be overthrown, as Jericho fell flat, when it had been compassed about seven days by the priests and ministers of God. When the priests blew, as they were commanded, at the time appointed, and all "the people shouted with a great shout," the fortifications of that proud city sunk at once into a heap of ruins. With reference to which history we are reminded, that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thess. iv. 16. Jones of Nayland.

Chap. VII. ver. 1. But the children of Israel] That is, one among them committed a trespass; it is not an unusual form of speech in the Holy Scriptures, to ascribe that to many indefinitely, wherein one alone is concerned. "Took of the accursed thing:" that is, Achan purloined to his own use some of the spoils which were devoted to destruction, or appropriated to God's treasury. Bp. Patrick. The Greek translation renders "took of the accursed thing," by words which signify 'purloined the accursed thing," or "the thing that was consecrated to God," as was all the silver and gold, chap. vi. 19; and when God relates to Joshua the sin of Israel, as the reason of their flying before their enemies, He represents Achan's crime as sacrilege, combined with theft and dissembling. Jos. Mede.

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2.—from Jericho to Ai,] The distance from Jericho to Ai was three leagues, according to Masius. Dr. Wells.

The time will come, when every power of the world shall fall before the true Jesus, represented in the person of Joshua, whose name is also called Jesus in the Epistle to the Hebrews. As the wicked Canaanites were driven out of their land, when the measure of their iniquities was filled up; so shall the wicked be driven out of the earth, when that vengeance of God shall overtake them, which they have so long held in contempt | Dr. Wells.

5.-smote them in the going down:] In the descent from the hill on which Ai stood, to the plains of Jericho.

Joshua's complaint.

CHAP. VII.

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6 ¶ 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.

7 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!

8 O Lord, what shall I say, when + Heb. necks. Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

+ Heb. fallest.

9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

10 ¶ And the LORD said unto
Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore
+liest thou thus upon thy face?

11 Israel hath sinned, and they
have also transgressed my covenant
which I commanded them: for they
have even taken of the accursed
thing, and have also stolen, and dis-
sembled also, and they have put it
even among
their own stuff.

God instructeth him what to do.

12 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 destroy the accursed from among you.

13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: 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 the accursed thing from among you.

14 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 housholds; and the houshold which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

Before CHRIST 1451.

15 And it shall be, that he that is
taken with the accursed thing shall be
burnt with fire, he and all that he
hath: because he hath transgressed
the covenant of the LORD, and be-
cause he hath wrought || folly in Or
Israel.

16 ¶ So Joshua rose up early in

wickedness.

they were to trust; not to the prowess of man, but to the living God. Bryant.

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6. And Joshua rent his clothes, &c.] The behaviour of the people here is very remarkable. Ai could not muster much above 6000 men; against whom were 7.- wherefore hast thou] This is not a sinful exto be opposed all the myriads of Israel. But an ad- postulation with God, but only a confession of his igvanced body was defeated, and thirty-six of the Israel-norance why these events were permitted. "Would ites slain; upon which it is said, "the hearts of the to God," he adds, we had been content." As far as people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent he could apprehend, they had better have rested satishis clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before fied with what they had in possession, than be thus the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders defeated in the attempt to acquire more. Bp. Patrick. of Israel, and put dust upon their heads." But where- 9. what wilt thou do unto thy great name?] He fore was all this humiliation shewn? and why this feared that God would suffer the glory of all his mirageneral consternation at so inconsiderable a loss? This cles to be lost, and be thought unable to accomplish was the people, who were led on with a prospect of what he had begun to do to his people. Bp. Patrick. gaining the land of the Hivites and Amorites, and other If those who had experienced so many miracles of God's powerful nations; and who were to be opposed to the mercies, and were the peculiar people whom He vouchsons of Anak, men of great stature and prowess, that safed to love, should be driven back by a nation which had cities walled to heaven. We see that they faint at knew not, or cared not for, his name and religion, the first check. How could any leader, with such peo- Joshua could not see how God's own honour could be ple, and under such circumstances, entertain the least preserved. From such jealousy and apprehensions proviews of conquest? There were certainly none enter- ceed all the passion and impatience which good and tained by their leader, either from himself, or from his pious men express in great calamities. For this will people. All his confidence was in the God of his fa- always be a prevailing mode of reasoning, as it was in thers; and the whole history must be set aside, unless the days of Joshua. There will always be too many the interposition of the Deity be admitted. All the who will question God's providence from what He sufoperations, which at first sight may appear strange, are fers his children to undergo. Lord Clarendon. calculated for this purpose, to shew throughout that God was the chief agent. This was particularly affected in the downfall of the city of Jericho, which was brought about merely by the priests of God, and the people going in procession round it for seven days, without the least military operation of the army. By these two events, they were shewn plainly the great object to which

VOL. I.

14. - the tribe which the Lord taketh] It is probable that this was done by lot, though it is not expressly so stated. The Jews affirm, that all the tribes were made to pass before the ark, and that the culpable tribe remained immovable: but the casting of lots is frequently mentioned in Scripture on similar occasions, as in the election of Saul, 1 Sam. x. 20; and in the affair

2 I

Achan is taken by lot,

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+ Heb. tongue.

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the morning, and brought Israel by then I coveted them, and took them; their tribes; and the tribe of Judah and, behold, they are hid in the earth was taken: in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

17 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 Zabdi was taken :

18 And he brought his houshold man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from

me.

20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a + wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight,

of Jonathan, 1 Sam. xiv. 41; also in the distribution of the lands of Canaan. Calmet.

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19. give, glory to the Lord God] By acknowledging that nothing can be hid from Him who knoweth the greatest secrets. Bp. Patrick. As thou hast offended and dishonoured God by thy sin, so now give honour to his omniscience and justice, who hath found thee out in thy sin, by acknowledging this heinous offence, whereby thou hast provoked God's anger against his people. Bp. Hall.

We give glory to God, not only when we promote his honour, and acknowledge his supreme dominion, but also, when we confess to Him our past sins, with true humiliation, and a just sense of the unworthiness and ungratefulness of sin. Thus in the words of Joshua to Achan; the sense of which is, "Acknowledge that nothing can be hid from God's all-seeing eye, and that to Him there is no secret nor shadow of darkness, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." Dr. S. Clarke.

21. a goodly Babylonish garment,] There was anciently a city called Arech, situated in Babylonia on the Tigris, and famous for weaving; here perhaps this garment was made. Fragm. to Calmet.

24. his sons, and his daughters,] These were punished, because, perhaps, they were privy to their father's stealth, and concealed it. But some think Achan alone was stoned, (as we read in the next verse, "all Israel stoned him with stones,") and that his children were brought forth to be spectators of it; and when it is said, in the conclusion of the next verse, "they stoned them with stones," it relates to his oxen, asses, and sheep, which were stoned with him. Bp. Patrick. The actor alone does not smart with sacrilege; all that concerns him is enwrapped in judgment. Those that defile their hands with holy things, are enemies to their own flesh and blood. God's first revenges are so much the more fearful, because they must be exemplary. Bp. Hall.

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

Before CHRIST 1451.

23 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 + Heb. before the LORD.

24 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, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

poured.

25.-troubled] Joshua, by the Hebrew word Achar, which signifies to trouble," alludes to the name of Achan: from henceforward they called him Achar, the troubler of Israel. Bp. Patrick.

Joshua, that true captain and faithful judge, made petition in his anguish and distress to Almighty God to shew him the cause of his wrath towards him, when his army was smitten and plagued. He obtained his prayer, and learnt that for one man's fault all the rest were punished. For the covetousness of Achan, who hid his money, as he thought, from God, many thousands were in agony, and fear of death. As soon as Joshua knew it, he straightway purged his army, and took away "the evil thing out of Israel," that is, wickedness from the people. For he called Achan before the people, and said, "Give glory to God, and make confession unto him;" and forthwith he told the truth, and then he and his whole house suffered death. A godly ensample this, for all magistrates to follow. Joshua was the pattern of a true judge: he was no gift-taker, he was no winker; he was no by-walker. Bp. Latimer. The history of the foregoing chapter furnishes us with several useful reflections. 1st, In Achan, who, contrary to the most express prohibition, took of the accursed or devoted thing, we have an instance of the fatal effects of the love of riches, and a proof that nothing is sacred to those who are slaves to this passion. 2ndly, The defeat of the children of Israel before Ai, occasioned by Achan's sacrilege, proves that the sin of one man may bring down the curse of God upon the publick, and that injustice and sacrilege deprive men of the Divine protection. 3rdly, The wonderful manner of discovering Achan by lot must needs have filled the people with dread, and proves that no sin can escape the knowledge and the vengeance of the Almighty. 4thly, The tragical end of Achan shews that ill-gotten wealth is never long possessed, and that a curse attends the sacrilegious and unjust. 5thly, This instance of severity must

God encourageth Joshua.

Before CHRIST 1451.

That is, trouble.

a Deut. 1. 21. & 7. 18.

CHAP. VII, VIII.

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2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her b Chap. 6. 21. king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

c Deut. 20. 14.

3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.

4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,

6 (For they will come out after us) +Heb.pulled. till we have drawn them from the

be considered as necessary to teach the children of Israel that, if they did not reverence the laws of God, they would be severely punished; and to inspire them with reverential fear at a time when they were likely to be exposed to great temptations by their victories. Ostervald,

Chap. VIII. ver, 2, only the spoil thereof,] Only with this difference, that, whereas they were not to meddle with any of the spoil of Jericho, for their own use, in this instance they were permitted to take it for a prey unto themselves, Pyle,

behind it.] On the west of it; for they were now in Gilgal, which lay eastward. Bp. Patrick. 3.-thirty thousand mighty men] Some think that thirty thousand men were all that were employed in this expedition, and that the five thousand men (ver. 12) formed the whole of those placed in ambush: according

Ai is taken by stratagem.

city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.

7 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do, See, I have commanded you.

9 Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11 And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.

12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side || of the city.

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1451.

|| Or, of Ai.

13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and + their liers + Heb. their in wait on the west of the city, Joshua lying in wait. went that night into the midst of the valley.

14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time ap

to which they understand in this verse, that he "sent away by night," not the whole thirty thousand, but a part of them; namely, the five thousand for the ambush; and in the 1st verse, by "all the men," they understand the choicest and most valiant of them. Others consider the thirty thousand men to have been sent to lie in ambush, and the five thousand mentioned at ver, 12, to be a distinct party sent out for another purpose, Bp. Patrick, Dr. Wells, Pyle.

8. - set the city on fire :] Set on fire some parts of the city, as a token they were possessed of it. For they were to take the spoil of the city before they burnt it, ver. 28. Bp. Patrick.

13. - went that night into the midst of the valley.] He went apart, it is probable, to pray to God for a blessing on his enterprise. In the next verse," when the king of Ai saw it," means, "when he was informed that the city was invested on the north side." Bp. Patrick,

Ai is burned,

Before

JOSHUA.

CHRIST pointed, before the plain; but he wist | not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

1451.

15 And Joshua and all İsrael made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

18 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

19 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to + Heb. hand. heaven, and they had no † power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

22 And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote d Deut. 7. 2. them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

d

23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

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and the king thereof is hanged.

24 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

25 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

e

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22, 26.

27 Only the cattle and the spoil e Numb. 31. of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he com- f Ver. 2. manded Joshua.

28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap g Chap. 7. of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,

h

25.

25.

31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of h Exod. 20. the law of Moses, an altar of whole Deut. 27. 5. stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses,

them ascribe the glory to Him to whom it was due, and not to themselves. Masius.

29.

the king of Ai he hanged &c.] Being the head of a very wicked people, he was fit to be made a publick spectacle of God's displeasure. Bp. Patrick.

30. Then Joshua built an altar] As mount Ebal, on which he built this altar, was near to Shechem, and a great way distant from Ai, therefore we must suppose that what is related was not done till they possessed the country about Shechem. Bp. Patrick. After the conquests related in chapters x, xi, and all that happened in chapters xv, xvi, and xvii. Dr. Wells.

32. wrote upon the stones a copy of the law] He

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