Commentary on Joshua: Introduction and Part 1 (No. F006)

Introduction

After the refusal of Israel to take the promised land the Angel of the Presence that gave the Law of God to Moses and who we are told by Stephen was the Christ (Acts 7:30-53) and who Paul says was with Israel in the Wilderness (1Cor. 10:1-4), refused Israel permission to go into the promised land and banished them to forty years in the wilderness for their cowardice and lack of faith. This was the standard period of trial that we were to see again and again in the Bible texts.

The post reformation Trinitarians chose to follow the previous Roman systems that refused to develop the NT texts that show that the Subordinate God of Israel was Jesus Christ, who, in his pre-existent form, was the being who was the Angel of Redemption. He was the Elohim or God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 48:15-16; Deut. 32:8) appointed by the One True God Eloah, as elohim of Israel, and given Israel as his inheritance (see also Ps. 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-9) and who Hebrews tells us was the Christ in his pre-existent form (see Pre-existence of Jesus Christ (No. 243)).

He was identified in the texts of John 1:1-18 as the Monogenes Theos (B4) of Jn 1:18 (F043, F043ii, F043iii, F043iv and also identified in F043v. See also The Summary and Harmony of the Gospels (F043vi).

It is in this text that Christ appears to Joshua as the Captain of the Armies of the Lord and gives instructions for the defeat of Jericho and the occupation of the Promised Land.

*******

Joshua

by E.W. Bullinger

JOSHUA. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE. ( Introversion.)

Joshua 1:1-18 . JOSHUA ENTERING ON HIS WORK.

Joshua 2:1 - Joshua 7:26 . JORDAN. EVENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH.

Joshua 8:1 - Joshua 12:24 . THE LAND. CONQUEST.

Joshua 13:1 - Joshua 21:45 . THE LAND. DIVISION.

Joshua 22:1-34 . JORDAN. EVENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH.

Joshua 23:1 - Joshua 24:28 . JOSHUA ENDING HIS WORK.

EPILOGUE to the whole Book (Joshua 24:29-30 ).

For the relation of JOSHUA to the Pentateuch. see note on Title (p.291).

For the relation of JOSHUA to the Earlier and Later Prophets, see Appdx-1 .

For the relation of JOSHUA to the Earlier Prophets, see below.

JOSHUA. Israel's settlement in the LAND; under JOSHUA and PRIESTS.

JUDGES. Israel''s failure under PRIESTS.

SAMUEL. Israel''s settlement in the LAND; under SAMUEL and KINGS. KINGS. Israel''s failure under KINGS.

TITLE, Joshua. Heb. Jehoshua'' = Jehovah the Saviour". In Greek "Jesus". See Acts 7:45 .Hebrews 4:8 , and Matthew 1:18 . The great subject is the Land, as that of the Pentateuch was the People.

**********

There are many messages that develop and drive home the story of the millennial restoration. There are many parts of the Bible which relate to that story. It is appropriate that we start with the establishment of Israel. The Book of Joshua - Chapter 1, verse 1 is concerned with the occupation of Israel. Joshua son of Nun means salvation is born through endurance. Joshua (or Yehoshua) was the name of the Christ. There are parallels with the book of Revelation and with Joshua, and the fall of Jericho. There are spiritual lessons in the text, and there is an indication of what is going to happen in the last days, derived directly from the book of Joshua and the fall of Jericho. A lot of those things are not fully understood. The lessons have not been fully extrapolated and, hopefully, in this commentary, which it is more properly termed, we can draw the lessons out, and get some insight into how the Lord is going to establish the restoration of the last days, or at least some aspects of it. We start in Joshua 1:1.

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, (RSV)

We have two concepts there. Moses died as a servant of the Lord. Christ died as the son of the Lord. So we had two developments, the status of the son being greater than that of the servant. Joshua was Moses’ minister. Moses had been forbidden from entering the Promised Land and leading the conquest himself (Num. 20:12). The generation that had participated in the Exodus was now dead.

Joshua 1:2-3 "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. (RSV)

This is after the mourning for thirty days. They mourned for Moses thirty days, as we understand previously, from the Pentateuch. Moses was not allowed to go into the Promised Land. His system stopped short of the Promised Land and his successor took Israel on into the next phase. That is symbolic of Messiah and the system of the Holy Spirit taking Israel on to another phase. Moses’ death was the signal to begin the occupation. The Jordan was the natural eastern boundary of Canaan (v. 2).

Joshua 1:4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra'tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. (RSV)

The limits of Canaan as the promised land was the wilderness or desert to the South and East, The Lebanon mountains to the Northwest, The land of the Hittites in northern Syria (which were once part of the Hittite Empire), and to the West the Great Sea – The Mediterranean. It is not just current day Israel at which we are looking. The land that has been given to Israel extends right up to the Euphrates, right across to the west sea, and down to the border of Egypt.

Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. (RSV)

This is a promise God made to Joshua. The sequence is that the commanders of Israel are given that promise, and while they walk with the Lord the Lord will not forsake them or leave them and Israel will stand. No nation will be able to come against it while it obeys the laws of God. That is God’s promise and the way it is. When we fall from the laws of God, nations are allowed to entrain upon us.

Joshua 1:6-7 Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. (RSV)

There is the nexus. Keep the law and we will be successful. If we don’t keep the law, we will fail. All of that is found in Deuteronomy 28, re: the blessings and the curses. The understanding of the blessings and the curses is important. Bible study on Deuteronomy 28 is critical (see the The Blessings and the Curses (No. 075)). All those promises are made so that the nation is made the head and not the tail. The nation will be a net lender and not a net borrower. If we don’t keep the law we will be put under the nations, and we will become a net borrower, which is exactly what is happening to our people. America is the biggest debtor nation the world has ever seen. Australia emerged from the Second World War with a surplus. They paid their way, fought all over the planet, and came out of the war paying all debts, and had a surplus. The Americans managed to go from the Second World War, through to today, through the Cold War, and emerge as the biggest debtor nation the world has ever seen. There is a lesson in that. The curses against Manasseh are great. There are all sorts of things that will happen to Manasseh and Ephraim, as we will see.

Joshua 1:8-9 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (RSV)

Some modern scholars refer to the Book of the Law, referred to here, simply as the Book of Deuteronomy rather than the entire Pentateuch (see The Law of God (L1)). Be strong and of good courage is repeated a second time in only a few verses. The promises are that one will put a thousand to flight, if the nation keeps the law. If they don’t keep the law one of them will put a thousand of the elect nation to flight. That is the sort of promise made to people as a nation. The elect exist within the nations and our job is to pray and strengthen those people, but the people themselves will succeed when they fear the law. We have got down to the point where none of those things will happen to us again until the restoration follows from our purification by fire.

Joshua 1:10-15 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹"Pass through the camp, and command the people, `Prepare your provisions; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess.'" ¹²And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh Joshua said, ¹³"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, `The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.' ¹⁴Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brethren and shall help them, ¹⁵until the LORD gives rest to your brethren as well as to you, and they also take possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them; then you shall return to the land of your possession, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." (RSV)

Beyond the Jordan refers to the lands east of the Jordan given to the tribes in Numbers chapter 32.

This concept is one where Israel is not the entire inheritance of the nation of Israel. The land east of the Jordan is also part of the inheritance of Israel. That point is never understood. When we go back into the millennial system, we will have lands outside of Israel given as the inheritance, and the tribes of Manasseh and Reuben and Gad, specifically, (and also Dan and Ephraim) will own lands east of Israel. That is important, and they will be given their rest before the rest for the remainder of Israel. Their position is established prior to the full establishment of Israel under Messiah. This securing of the outer tribes occurs before, but the restoration follows the salvation of Judah (Zech. 12:1ff.). That is significant. That means there are things that will happen prior to the coming of the Messiah, which commences the establishment of the Kingdom. One can only speculate on the movements of the tribes and the allocations of the inheritance. The significance is there were three tribes given inheritance east of Israel and they sent, not everyone, but only their armed men in to establish the Kingdom. In other words, the elect are the armed men of Messiah. We will go back to Israel, and there are people of us who will go into Jerusalem, but some of our inheritance will be left to our families. In the spiritual sense the descendants will be left to take up part of their inheritance, which is outside of Israel. That is very important. It is a speculative prospect; as to the extent of lands, nobody knows (see also Isa. 65:9-66:24; Zech. 14:16-19). There is however a promise given.

Joshua 1:16-18 And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage." (RSV)

Obedience to the national leader was paramount. Be strong and of good courage is mentioned for the third time.

Joshua 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. (RSV)

Shittim was the site of the Israelite camp East of Jordan (Num. 33:49). Jericho was the largest settlement in the Lower Jordan Valley and was the gateway to western Palestine. Archeological works to date have been uncertain as to the remains of Joshua’s time.

Why especially Jericho? Because that is where the system was going to be dealt with. Jericho, as we are now becoming aware, had occupation before the biblical account of the Adamic creation. It has had continuous occupation from 7000 BCE at least. That doesn’t square with the genealogies and the lineages in the Bible. That means there was another creation in occupation in Jericho (perhaps up until the flood). The name of Jericho means Moon City, and that appears to be significant also. The moon was a male figure in the Middle East in the Arabic system. The sun was a female system and the attributes of the satanic system were applied to the moon, not to the sun. Baal worship is one later aspect, but within this system the moon also was centre of worship (cf. the paper The Resurrection of the Dead (No. 143); and also The Golden Calf (No. 222)).

The Jews will go to great lengths to tell us that Rahab was not actually a harlot. The fact of the matter is that Rahab was a harlot. The reason they go to pains to point out the fact that Rahab was not a harlot was because the entire kingship of Israel is dependent upon the descendants of Rahab, and Christ is a direct lineal descendant of Rahab. So therefore the Messiah is a direct lineal descendant of a harlot, who is not an Israelite. Now that is significant (see also the paper Genealogy of the Messiah (No. 119)).

The real problem was that Temple prostitution in those days was normal within their society. Every female did her term of service at the Temple in worship of the gods – the mother goddess system of Ashteroth or Astarte or Easter had an entire structure of temple prostitutes and that went right through until the time of Christ at least. In Corinth at the time of the Church in one Temple alone there were 1,000 prostitutes enrolled in the Temple of Artemis. So everyone had been involved in it and people were being called out from this system into the Church.

Rahab was to point towards the salvation of the gentiles and the salvation of people who had been involved in bringing them in out of sin and bringing them into Israel baptised and cleansed. Rahab was the ancestor of Jesus Christ and King David. By her lineage we were being shown that from the start salvation was extended to the gentiles. Also, forgiveness was extended through the Holy Spirit.

Joshua 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, "Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." (RSV)

This concept of sending out two men relates to the Witnesses, and it relates to the whole concept of the Messianic church system. We are sent out two by two to deal with areas and cities, to spy them out. We are there to use the weak or those people who are given salvation. Rahab was given the opportunity to become a member of Israel and be saved under the system, and we will see how and why. Once we understand what is happening with Rahab we understand the Passover and that salvation is of the gentiles.

Judah could have understood salvation from the gentiles with nothing else after the book of Deuteronomy, except the book of Joshua. If they only had the book of Joshua they could understand that salvation was going to be extended to the gentiles and they could have understood how it was going to happen.

Joshua 2:3-5 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land." ⁴But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, "True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; ⁵and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." (RSV)

This woman was prepared to hide the servants of the living God, and she was prepared to face the wrath of her own lord, her own feudal liege, to protect the servants of God. That is a requirement of us. We are required to extend help to those people who provide assistance to us. We are required to extend salvation, and extend life through understanding.

Joshua 2:6-7 But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. ⁷So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. (RSV)

It is a normal feudal system; a normal city system; where they shut the gates and bolt them at night for fear of attack. That was the defence in those days.

Joshua 2:8-10 Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, ⁹and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. ¹⁰For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. (RSV)

They were commanded to utterly destroy Sihon and Og, and the people in the plain (the people associated with the Nephilim). See the paper The Nephilim (No. 154).

Joshua 2:11-14 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. ¹²Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign,¹³and save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." ¹⁴And the men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land." (RSV)

Rahab recognised that their God was God. We first have to understand the One True God in order to go into Israel and to become one of the elect. Rahab took that first step through an understanding of the One True God (Eloah). She then was able to deal with the witnesses, protect them and know that what she was doing had a higher purpose and that she would be protected because she was dealing with the servants of the living God. Rahab was given understanding through the Holy Spirit that Israel was to take over the land, and she asked that they enter into a covenant. That covenant is extended in us to the Gentiles.

The division is found in the parables of the sheep and goats in Matthew. The parable of the sheep and goats deals with those who deal kindly with the elect. They will be put on the right hand side of the Lord and rewarded, and those who do not deal kindly with the elect will be put on the left, and destroyed as goats. That parable is not to the church; it is a parable to the nations so that the nations understand that they are judged by the way they treat us.

Joshua 2:15-19 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall. ¹⁶And she said to them, "Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way." ¹⁷The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours which you have made us swear. ¹⁸Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.¹⁹If any one goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. (RSV)

The marking of Rahab is a parallel of the Passover system. The scarlet cords were placed as signs on the windows in the same way the Paschal blood was smeared on the doors.

This marking was a sign that a covenant had been entered into for the nation of Israel with a Gentile person, or that this house was included within the nation of Israel and the same application was that they were to remain within their doors as with the Passover. They were not to go out of their doors. If they went out of their doors the blood was on their head as it was in the streets of Egypt when the death angel went over Israel. That is what the significance of the scarlet ribbons on the windows of Rahab’s house is all about. It shows thereby that salvation was granted to the Gentiles. That is the second indication that the nations of the Gentiles will be awarded families who will be brought into Israel and protected under the blood of the old covenant, and the necessary saving grace of Christ in the new covenant. In Hebrews 11:31 Rahab is listed as one of the heroes of the faith.

Joshua 2:20-21 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear." ²¹And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. (RSV)

They were required to keep faith. It wasn’t a matter of giving lip service and then changing their allegiance. She was required to keep faith to retain the covenant. The sentence means we are required to keep faith to remain in spiritual Israel and we are required to keep the covenant. When we don’t keep the covenant, the covenant is broken with us.

Joshua 2:22-23 They departed, and went into the hills, and remained there three days, until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the way and found nothing. ²³Then the two men came down again from the hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. (RSV)

The three days in the hills in hiding is also of significance. It applies to the concepts of the first warnings. The three days refer to the concept of the harvests of Israel and Judah when in the third day our salvation is raised up (Hos. 6:1-2). It applies also to the times of the Witnesses laying in the streets, and then the activities that go from that.

Joshua 2:24 And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us."

Joshua 3:1-4 Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim, with all the people of Israel; and they came to the Jordan, and lodged there before they passed over. ²At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³and commanded the people, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it, ⁴that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come near it." (RSV)

The waters of the river swollen by the spring floods are held back to enable the safe passage of the Israelites as was the Red Sea forty years previously.

We are dealing with a concept that the Ark of the Covenant (No. 196) which was in fact the power of God as Yahovah of Hosts, and the Covenant with Israel (No. 152) would go forward to subdue the land, and that was the power of Israel. The three days represent the three years which saw the purification of Israel in the last days. After the three years God raised up the salvation of Israel through His system, symbolised by the Ark of the Covenant, which often accompanied Israel into battle (Num. 10:35-36; 1Sam. 4:6-9). The distance is seen as a Sabbath-day’s journey (two thousand cubits is about three thousand feet). The Shekinah will show the way in the last days.

Joshua 3:5-13 And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." ⁶And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.⁷And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, `When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" ⁹And Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God." ¹⁰And Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Per'izzites, the Gir'gashites, the Amorites, and the Jeb'usites. ¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan. ¹²Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³And when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap." (RSV)

The names in verse 10 are the pre-Israelite populations of Canaan. The terms Canaanites and Amorites are used in many parts of the OT in a stricter sense for the original people of the land. Other names were for particular clans such as Jebusites (15:63) or for enclaves of ethnic stock such as Hittites. The command to sanctify themselves is the Sanctification required of Israel from 1 Abib (see No. 077) and Sanctification of the Temple of God (No. 241) and refers also to the Fast of 7 Abib (see Sanctification of the Simple and Erroneous (No 291)). This was in the First month of Spring in Abib determined from the New Moon nearest the Equinox according to God’s Calendar (No. 156).

This is the second miracle of the crossing of waters in order to take up the Promised Land. Israel went out of Egypt through the Red Sea under Messiah, which was the concept of going through waters under divine protection into the wilderness, which symbolised the first advent of Messiah and the establishment of the church in the wilderness for two thousand years (on a year for a jubilee basis). From the lack of faith of the spies they went into the wilderness for forty years, which was symbolic of forty Jubilees, making up the two thousand years of the last days. The next phase was that they crossed the Jordan, going through water, which was then separated as a second sign from the subordinate to Moses who took over the powers of Moses. So there is a second Messianic advent. This is again symbolised by the actions of Elijah and Elisha separating the waters of the Jordan (2Kgs. 2:8, 14).

Joshua 3:14-15 So, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), (RSV)

It wasn’t just a trickle. In the time of harvest the Jordan is in flood. That is why it was necessary for Joshua to be able to push the Jordan up in one heap to get Israel to walk across. The harvest of the Church is done when the Jordan is in flood; in other words under adversity and tribulation (Jer. 12:5; Rev. 12:15-16). This is the understanding behind the saying If you cannot walk with men in peace how can you run with horses when the Jordan is in flood; in other words, during the wars of the harvest of the Day of the Lord (Jer. 12:5 KJV).

Joshua 3:16-17 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zar'ethan, and those flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷And while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. (RSV)

Adam is about 18 miles north of Jericho and Zarethan some 12 miles further up. The Salt Sea is also termed the Dead Sea (its waters being 25% minerals and 1292 ft. below sea level).

It is the responsibility of the priesthood to protect the nation in the occupation of the Promised Land. They had a specific function to get people into Israel. In other words, their care was necessary to prepare the nation to take up its inheritance. The elect can’t take up their inheritance unless there is somebody teaching them how to take up that inheritance. One has to know how the will has been made out, and we have to know how to go and claim. We have to know where to go. We have to be prepared for it and we have to reach a certain age of maturity in which we can exercise judgment. Those are the laws of our people. One can’t give people an inheritance if they are under age. They have to be put in trust until such time as they can exercise their inheritance properly. It is the responsibility of the priesthood to prepare the people to take up their inheritance. That is the symbolism of why it was dependent upon the priesthood standing in the Jordan to bring them across in safety.

Joshua 4:1-8 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, ²"Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³and command them, `Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" ⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe; ⁵and Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,⁶that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, `What do those stones mean to you?' ⁷Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever." ⁸And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. (RSV)

That is what happens in terms of the stones being taken up out of the tribes of Israel to judge the Israelites. The twelve stones taken up became the apostles, and they became the judges of Israel. They were foreshadowed in the book of Judges, by the judges who reigned or ruled Israel. There were twelve judges, and twelve apostles, and both of those numbers total twenty-four, which constitutes the number of the elders with Christ around the Throne of God (see Revelation chapters 4 and 5).

Joshua 4:9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. (RSV)

There were twelve stones put in the Jordan, and there were twelve stones set up as an altar. There is significance in that event. The twelve stones that were put in the Jordan act as a boundary marker in the going across and they appear to relate to the twelve stars of the fallen Host (from the DSS and other Judaic writings). There is an application to the concept of the council of the elders and the number of the elders who defected. They appear to relate to their position in the restoration. Modern scholars split the story into two differing original accounts relating to two sets of stones, one in the middle thread of the river which is a normal boundary marker and the monument at Gilgal. Thus verse 3 is held to relate to the Gilgal narrative (cont. vv. 8 and 20) and thus loses sight of the meaning. Verses 4,5,6,7,9 speak of the monument in the river bed (held to be visible in the day of the author of that text (cf. Oxf. Ann. RSV). The Transjordanian tribes were the first to cross.

Joshua 4:10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste; (RSV)

The nation passed over while the priests did their job, and they held the waters back. That is the significance. The priest cannot fail, or the nation is cut off in their movement into the Promised Land. If the priests fail the weak will fail in getting their inheritance. That is why the priesthood are removed in the last days and replaced (see the paper Measuring the Temple (No. 137)).

Joshua 4:11-24 and when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. ¹²The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manas'seh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had bidden them; ¹³about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. ¹⁵And the LORD said to Joshua, ¹⁶"Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan." ¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." ¹⁸And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. ¹⁹The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. ²¹And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, `What do these stones mean?' ²²then you shall let your children know, `Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' ²³For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, ²⁴so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever." (RSV)

That compounded the miracle of the crossing. The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. The tenth day of the first month as we know is for the setting aside of the Passover Lamb. The tenth day of the first month has a spiritual significance. That was the date when Messiah entered Jerusalem to be slaughtered. The twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

Joshua 5:1 When all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the people of Israel. (RSV)

This will happen in the last days. There will be young men like lions in Israel, throughout the nations.

Joshua 5:2-8 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the people of Israel again the second time." ³So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the people of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. ⁴And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised.⁶For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the LORD; to them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷So it was their children, whom he raised up in their stead, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. ⁸When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp till they were healed. (RSV)

Gibeath-haaraloth meaning the Hill of the Foreskins was a well known site at Gilgal. There will be a restoration of circumcision in the last days under the Law of God (L1). The flint with which Joshua circumcised Israel was symbolic of God who is the flint that circumcises the hearts of Israel. It is a concept that the people of Israel in the wilderness will be given spiritual circumcision and be prepared to take up their inheritance (Gen. 17:9-14). All of Israel will be given understanding. We are a minority called out into a large nation. The nation does not understand anything. They are our people and God loves them just as much as He loves the elect, but He has chosen to put us here to do a job, to prepare us and polish us up. That nation will all be circumcised when they go into Israel; every one of them. Those who are not prepared will simply die.

Joshua 5:9 And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. (RSV)

Gilgal allegedly means to roll away; a rolling, which is from the same root as Gilgal but the Oxford scholars hold that the true meaning of Gilgal means a circle (of stones). So the Lord used the concept of roll away the reproach of Egypt. The reproach of this age of the forty Jubilees of two thousand years of the horrors that have gone on will be rolled away from our people. Joshua the Messiah rolled away the sins of the world.

Joshua 5:10-12 While the people of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹And on the morrow after the passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹²And the manna ceased on the morrow, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the people of Israel had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (RSV)

That was the first time they ate of the fruit, as they had eaten manna up until that time. They were fed by the Lord on sustenance and kept going until they were ready to take up their inheritance. We will be fed by the Lord over the two thousand years. Each one of us is fed and looked after and we give ourselves to the Lord. We will not want. Our bread and water will be sure. Everyone will be taken care of and we will be dealt with. We will not be given luxuries because we are not rulers in this planet. We will be; and this whole structure is dealt with in that way so that we are prepared. When we take up our inheritance and we go in, we will then eat of the fruit, and the whole of the nation will eat of the fruit of the millennial system. They do not yet eat. The world in general does not eat of the fruit of Messiah, and of the holy Promised Land (the millennial restoration) which is our inheritance, until we get in to the millennial system.

Joshua 5:13-15 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" ¹⁴And he said, "No; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, "What does my lord bid his servant?" ¹⁵And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so. (RSV)

One has to give Joshua his due. He was brave. One would imagine that this chap would have looked fairly formidable. This commander, this captain of the army of the Lord, was Jesus Christ. Joshua knew who it was and fell straight down. This entity said exactly the same thing as the Angel of the Covenant had said to Moses. He was the same entity, the same individual. He bore the presence of God, and when we are in his presence we are in the presence of God by delegation (Comp. Num. 22:22; 2Kgs. 6:17).

Some authorities consider the end of the story was lost after verse 15 (comp. Ex. 3:5-12 re Holy Ground).

Joshua 6:1-5 Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of the people of Israel; none went out, and none came in. ²And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor.³You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. ⁴And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. ⁵And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." (RSV)

These circumambulations of Jericho represent the seven seals and the seven trumpets and the seven vials of the wrath of God of the revelation of the last days. Each one goes around in a sequence, and in the last day there are seven of them. At the end of that the great shout of the archangel, which we hear for the taking over of the world, shatters the walls of the city of the world’s systems. It brings down the fortresses of Satan. That is the symbolism of Jericho. The sacred number seven occurs repeatedly in this chapter. It relates directly to the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials of the wrath of God. (see F066ii, F066iii, F066iv, F066v).

Joshua 6:6-7 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." ⁷And he said to the people, "Go forward; march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD." (RSV)

The seven priests, bearing seven trumpets of ram’s horns, represent the seven angels who are given the seven trumpets to blow. They are also seven angels of the seven churches of the world’s systems. The seven angels develop the seven churches over the two thousand years in order to prepare the elect to take over the system at the end. All of the people of the Lord are brought out under the angels of the seven churches. Also there are seven shepherds and eight principal (or princes of) men raised up to do this job (Mic. 5:5). This sequence occurs with the Messianic process as Micah 5:1-4 talks about the Messiah and goes on to the millennial peace from 5:5ff. This peace follows the war of the Assyrians. In other words, it refers to the northern powers and the Babylonian systems of the last days. Here we see the young lions of Jacob among the nations. The false systems of Jacob will be destroyed as are those of the nations (Mic. 5:9-14).

Joshua 6:8-9 And as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. ⁹And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. (RSV)

What is in the Ark of the Covenant? Originally, there were a number of things in it including the tablets of the law, Aaron’s rod and the manna (see also No. 196 above).

In the last mentioning of the Ark of the Covenant there were only the tablets of the law. At this stage there was the remembrance of what it had. There was the authority of the priesthood and the manna with which we were fed in the wilderness, and then with that were the tablets of the law. Those things went before as a sign that the Lord was with us and a sign that we were followers of the law. The reason the Ark of the Covenant went before was because the nation followed the law of God. That is the whole symbolism. Every man in Israel walked one foot after the other behind the law. That is why it was done that way. It was done to show us, and every other member of Israel, that their entire march in the wilderness was to be behind the laws of God, and we forgot that. We try to rewrite the law.

Joshua 6:10 But Joshua commanded the people, "You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then you shall shout." (RSV)

In other words, the mysteries of God were concealed and issued under direction until the day the mysteries should be revealed and shouted out. That is why the world has not understood. Because these things were held under command and order that, in the last days, the mysteries of God should be revealed (as the first angel’s message). The elect are the stewards of the mysteries of God (see the paper The Mysteries of God (No. 131)).

Joshua 6:11-14 So he caused the ark of the LORD to compass the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp. ¹²Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. ¹³And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets continually; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁴And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. (RSV)

When they go into the Promised Land, they are behind the Ark. Now there is a change in the order of march for battle. They have an advance guard and a rear guard and the Ark is protected. There is a symbolic change from following the Ark of the Covenant into the Promised Land behind the law of God, to standing before and behind in advance and rear guards of the law, as guardians of the law. When they start the system after the first phase they become guardians of the law of God. Under the first seal false religions were established. It was necessary from then on that the law was guarded by the elect, so their order of march was altered and the law could not be removed from the concepts of the Church and the nation.

Joshua 6:15-17 On the seventh day they rose early at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times: it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout; for the LORD has given you the city. ¹⁷And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent. (RSV)

This is the seven trumpets and then the shout. The seventh trumpet is the destruction under the vials of the wrath of God. The term devoted to the lord for destruction is a term meaning devoted to God as a Holocaust. There is reportedly evidence of major fire in the ruins. Taking booty of that is strictly forbidden (Deut. 20:16; 1Sam. 15:3). Utterly destroyed translates the same technical term in verse 17.

Joshua 6:18-19 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. ¹⁹But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." (RSV)

There is a specific instruction here. Everything about that system was to be destroyed except for the artefacts that were of value, which were taken and provided into the Temple of the Lord under a theocratic system so that it would be used in the service of God and would not be allowed to pollute the people. That is the same system that will happen in the Millennium. The metals and things that are used for weapons will be used for good. When we go into the battles of Armageddon we will find that a lot of the artefacts and the weaponry will be collected and used, providing resources for Israel in the establishment of the Millennium.

Joshua 6:20-21 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. ²¹Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword. (RSV)

It is not a pretty sight, but that’s what happened. This world’s system is going to be destroyed and only those people who can be utilised to develop a new system will be kept alive.

Joshua 6:22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from it the woman, and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." (RSV)

When we say the wall fell down, Rahab’s house was in the wall. There must have been divine protection on Rahab to hold her house intact, so that even though the wall of Jericho fell down her house was miraculously preserved. That was indication of the miraculous preservation of the Gentiles who were nominated to come into the inheritance of Israel under divine protection; that was a miracle. It shows that Rahab’s place of safety was in the wall that was actually falling down around her, because the hand of the Lord was on Rahab. The concept of a place of safety is wherever the Lord puts His hand on us. We will see thousands drop by our right and left hand. We will see them drop dead of pestilence and disease. We will see them die of chemical weapons and warfare, and the elect will stay alive. That is the power of God and if we don’t understand that we have no faith. If we think we need to be raptured off to a place of safety our faith is weak and that is the problem with people who are tied to organised businesses. God puts His hand on us and we will eat and we will drink (our bread and water is sure; Isa. 33:16) until we are taken to Messiah when he puts his feet on the Mount of Olives, and of that we can be sure (cf. the paper The Place of Safety (No. 194)).

Joshua 6:23-27 So the young men who had been spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her; and they brought all her kindred, and set them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴And they burned the city with fire, and all within it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. ²⁵But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive; and she dwelt in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. ²⁶Joshua laid an oath upon them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man that rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." ²⁷So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land. (RSV)

Jericho was destroyed but has been rebuilt. From the beginning of the people who set up Jericho, they will have strife and destruction to their youngest sons, and that is why there is no peace in Jericho. There will be no peace in Jericho until Messiah comes, and these people will die. The peace treaty centred on that city is doomed to failure. Rahab’s family lived in Israel afterwards and at least until the recording of Joshua (v. 25). The phrase used in verse 25 is used to explain curious facts of later days (4:9; 7:26; 8:28; 9:27). Because of the fact that one man violated the oath of Destruction at Jericho Israel lost the first battle for Ai.

Joshua 7:1 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. (RSV)

This is symbolic of the problems that came into the law through Judah. Judah perverted the law, and to this day the law is not kept in Judah because they perverted the law. The inheritance was taken away from Judah, and the wrath of God was placed on Israel because of Judah. Verse 1 Anticipates vv. 6-21.

Joshua 7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-a'ven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. (RSV)

Ai is on the mountain ridge Northwest of Jerico. The Oxford Scholars consider that the words which is near Beth-aven should be omitted since “Beth-aven” (House of Wickedness) is a deliberate mocking distortion of the name Bethel. Many scholars consider this is not really an account of the battle for Ai but for Bethel, since otherwise the book of Joshua contains no account of the capture of this important site (comp. however Judg. 1:22-26).

They lost the first battle but then conquered Ai. They then commenced the destruction and the pacification of the rest of the nations. That is what happens: the elect go in and establish a foothold and then go on dealing with nation after nation. The millennial restoration of this planet is done on a systematic basis. There is a period of mourning. There is a period of occupation, and the occupation is then done systematically to deal with the nations. They are all systematically brought down in that wrath of God to be dealt with and destroyed as a group under the seven vials of the wrath of God, and the Seventh Trumpet, which is symbolised around Jericho. The systematic pacification of the planet is then completed so that the millennial system can be set up and the elect (No. 001) can occupy the world in peace for the thousand years.

In this study of Jericho we gain an understanding of how Israel knew from the book of Joshua what the book of Revelation was going to say. Everything in the Bible is interlinked. The fact that the Jews do not have the New Testament does not excuse them, as we see from the study on the book of Esther. Judah has Joshua and they have Esther and the Song of Songs, Isaiah and Zechariah and they know what the end result is. One does not need the New Testament to find out what is going to happen in the last days. One can tell everything in the New Testament from Scripture, which is the Old Testament. The Old Testament will tell us the beginning from the end as Christ declared it under the direction of God through the prophets.

Through Joshua we are able to gain an enlarged view of what actually was going on when we took hold of Israel in the first instance.

Chapters 1-7:2 RSV

Chapter 1

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, ²"Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. ⁴From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra'tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. ⁵No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." ¹⁰Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹"Pass through the camp, and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess.'" ¹²And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh Joshua said, ¹³"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.' ¹⁴Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brethren and shall help them, ¹⁵until the LORD gives rest to your brethren as well as to you, and they also take possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them; then you shall return to the land of your possession, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." ¹⁶And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage."

Chapter 2

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. ²And it was told the king of Jericho, "Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." ³Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land." ⁴But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, "True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; ⁵and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." ⁶But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. ⁷So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. ⁸Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, ⁹and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. ¹⁰For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. ¹²Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign, ¹³and save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." ¹⁴And the men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land." ¹⁵Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall. ¹⁶And she said to them, "Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way." ¹⁷The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours which you have made us swear. ¹⁸Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. ¹⁹If any one goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. ²⁰But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear." ²¹And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. ²²They departed, and went into the hills, and remained there three days, until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the way and found nothing. ²³Then the two men came down again from the hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. ²⁴And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us."

Chapter 3

Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim, with all the people of Israel; and they came to the Jordan, and lodged there before they passed over. ²At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³and commanded the people, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it, ⁴that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come near it." ⁵And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." ⁶And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. ⁷And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" ⁹And Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God." ¹⁰And Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Per'izzites, the Gir'gashites, the Amorites, and the Jeb'usites. ¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan. ¹²Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³And when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap." ¹⁴So, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zar'ethan, and those flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷And while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Chapter 4

When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, ²"Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³and command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" ⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe; ⁵and Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' ⁷Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever." ⁸And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. ⁹And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste; ¹¹and when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. ¹²The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manas'seh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had bidden them; ¹³about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. ¹⁵And the LORD said to Joshua, ¹⁶"Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan." ¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." ¹⁸And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. ¹⁹The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. ²¹And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, 'What do these stones mean?' ²²then you shall let your children know, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' ²³For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, ²⁴so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever."

Chapter 5

When all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the people of Israel. ²At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the people of Israel again the second time." ³So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the people of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. ⁴And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. ⁶For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the LORD; to them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷So it was their children, whom he raised up in their stead, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. ⁸When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp till they were healed. ⁹And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. ¹⁰While the people of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹And on the morrow after the passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹²And the manna ceased on the morrow, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the people of Israel had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. ¹³When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" ¹⁴And he said, "No; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, "What does my lord bid his servant?" ¹⁵And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Chapter 6

Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of the people of Israel; none went out, and none came in. ²And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. ³You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. ⁴And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. ⁵And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." ⁶So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." ⁷And he said to the people, "Go forward; march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD." ⁸And as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. ⁹And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁰But Joshua commanded the people, "You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then you shall shout." ¹¹So he caused the ark of the LORD to compass the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp. ¹²Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. ¹³And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets continually; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁴And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. ¹⁵On the seventh day they rose early at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times: it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout; for the LORD has given you the city. ¹⁷And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent. ¹⁸But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. ¹⁹But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." ²⁰So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. ²¹Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword. ²²And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from it the woman, and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." ²³So the young men who had been spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her; and they brought all her kindred, and set them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴And they burned the city with fire, and all within it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. ²⁵But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive; and she dwelt in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. ²⁶Joshua laid an oath upon them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man that rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." ²⁷So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

Chapter 7:1-2

But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. ² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-a'ven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. (RSV)

*******

Bullinger’s Notes on Joshua Ch. 1-7:2 (for KJV)

Chapter 1

Verse 1

Now. Hebrew "And". Linked on to Pentateuch as the books of Pentateuch are thus linked on to each other; and as the four books of earlier Prophets are linked on to Joshua. See App-1. Joshua not necessarily the author, but doubtless is so, as asserted by Talmud. Book referred to in Old and New Testament: Judges 18:31. 1 Samuel 1:3, 1 Samuel 1:9, 1 Samuel 1:24; 1 Samuel 3:21. Psalms 44:2, Psalms 44:3; Psalms 68:12, Psalms 68:13; Psalms 78:54, Psalms 78:55; Psalms 114:1-8. Isaiah 28:1. Habakkuk 3:11-13. Acts 7:45; Acts 13:19. Hebrews 11:32. James 2:25. No MS. of the five books yet found with Joshua bound up with them, making a sixth (or a so-called and hitherto unheard of " Hexateueh ").

after the death of Moses, in the eleventh month of fortieth year. Compare Deuteronomy 1:3, Deuteronomy 1:38; Deuteronomy 34:5, Deuteronomy 34:9, and see App-50. Compare tho beginning of the Book of Judges.

Moses the servant of the LORD. See note on Deuteronomy 34:5, and ere Hebrews 3:5.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

the LORD spake = Jehovah spoke. When Moses is dead. Moses is a type of Law, Joshua of the Messiah. The Law is "until Christ", Galatians 1:3, Galatians 1:24. Jehovah spake at four sundry times, and in three divers manners:
To Joshua 1:1; Joshua 4:4, Joshua 4:1.
To Joshua to command the priests, Joshua 4:15.
To Joshua to speak to the sons of Israel, Joshua 20:1.

minister. Compare Exodus 24:13. Numbers 11:28. Deuteronomy 1:38.

Verse 2

Moses My servant. See note on Numbers 12:7, Numbers 12:8.

is dead. Compare John 1:17. Romans 7:1-6.

I do give = I, even I, am giving.

Verse 4

From. For these boundaries, compare Genesis 15:18, Exodus 23:31. Numbers 34:3-12, Deuteronomy 11:24.

coast = border or boundary.

Verse 5

I will be. Hebrew. "ehyeh. Compare Exodus 3:14, part of title Jehovah.

not fail thee. This promise first made to. Jacob, Genesis 28:11. Passed on by Moses, Deuteronomy 31:6. See note on Deuteronomy 4:31.

Verse 7

observe = take

heed. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read "observe and do".

prosper = deal wisely.

Verse 8

This book of the law i.e. the five books referred to as one throughout the Old Testament. See App-47.

mouth. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for what is spoken by it (App-6), i.e. Joshua is to continually speak of it,

meditate = talk to thyself. Compare Psalms 1:2 = audible musing.

way. Some codices with one early printed edition, read "ways".

Verse 9

Have not I? Figure of speech Erotesis (App-6), for emphasis.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

Verse 11

within three days = after three days. Spoken 6th or 7th of Abib. Compare Joshua 4:19. Spies probably already sent (Joshua 2:16, Joshua 2:22; Joshua 3:1, Joshua 3:2.)

Verse 14

your. Some codices, with Sept Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and your". Hence note Figure of speech Polysgndeton (App-6).

armed. Hebrew = marshalled by fives (see App-10). Compare Exodus 13:18, where it is rendered "harnessed".

Verse 15

them. Aspecial various reading called Sevir (App-34) reads "you", as in next clause, with many codices, and three early printed editions.

Verse 18

commandment. Hebrew "mouth", put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for what is uttered by it. See App-6.

Chapter 2

Verse 1

Joshua. He had been one of the twelve spies himself. Numbers 13:8, Numbers 13:16.

sent = had sent. See Joshua 1:11. Compare Joshua 1:2.

men. Hebrew, plural of ish or enosh. See App-14.

view, Some codices, with one early printed edition, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "and view".

Jericho. In Num. eleven times Yerecho. Here Yericho. Showing difference of authorship.

came. The Septuagint preserves the primitive text by adding "to Jericho and came". Omitted by Figure of speech Homuotelenton. See App-6.

harlot"s. Word to be taken in usual sense.

Rahab. See Matthew 1:5. Hebrews 11:31. James 2:25.

Verse 3

all. Some codices, with Septuagint and Syriac, omit "all".

Verse 4

wist not. Anglo-Saxon for "knew not". It is this record that is inspired, not the act and words of Rahab.

Verse 5

whither. Some codices, with one early printed edition, read "and whither".

wot. Anglo-Saxon "know".

Verse 6

stalks of flax. Hebrew = flax of stalks. Figure of speech Hypallage, App-6. Flax now ripe: just before the Passover. Compare Exodus 9:31 with Joshua 4:19; Joshua 5:10.

Verse 9

I know. Faith"s conclusion, from what she had heard, verses: Joshua 2:11, Joshua 2:12. Corresponds with Sarah"s "she judged" in Hebrews 11:11.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

faint. Hebrew = have melted. Compare Joshua 2:11.

Verse 10

heard. This is the "ground" (Hebrews 11:1,) of faith, Compare Romans 10:17.

dried up. Compare Exodus 14:21.

other side. This written in the Land. Compare Numbers 21:31.

Verse 11

melt. Compare Exodus 15:14, Exodus 15:15. Prophecy fulfilled.

remain. Hebrew = rise up.

courage. Hebrew. ruach, spirit. See App-9.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

Verse 14

ye. Some codices, with one early printed edition, and Vulgate, read "thou".

kindly and truly = in lovingkindness and faithfulness. Perhaps Figure of speech Hendiadys (App-6), "in true loving-kindness".

Verse 15

cord = the rope. Compare Septuagint here with Acts 9:25, and 2 Corinthians 11:33. Compare 1 Corinthians 11:10.

upon the town wall = [built] into thehomah; i.e. the outer or lower wall.

upon the wall = in the kir; i. e. the inner or higher wall.

Verse 18

line. Hebrew "hope", put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the line which was the token of it.

by = through: referring to the window. Compare o. 21.

home = unto the hour. The "line" was outside, for Joshua to see; not for the inmates. Compare Exodus 12:13,

When I see, &c. So the ground of our assurance is not experience within, but the token without.

Chapter 3

Verse 1

early in the morning: i.e. after the command in Joshua 1:2.

Verse 2

after = at the end of.

host = camp.

Verse 3

the ark. Not the cloud, but the ark; as from Sinai. Compare Numbers 10:33.

the LORD your God = Jehovah your Elohim. App-4.

the Levites. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, and Syriac, reed "and the Levites". bearing it. Supply the Ellipsis (App-6.) by adding "[going before]" from next clause.

Verse 4

a space. This is very significant. Compare Exodus 19:12, Exodus 13:22. Leviticus 10:3.

cubits. See App-51. About Joshua 1:5 miles.

Verse 7

the LORD (Hebrew. Jehovah. said unto Joshua (or him), at nine sundry times: Joshua 3:7; Joshua 5:2; Joshua 6:2; Joshua 7:10, Joshua 8:1, Joshua 8:18; Joshua 10:8; Joshua 11:6; Joshua 13:1.

Verse 10

living. This title always has a latent reference to idols. Here, to the gods of the idolatrous nations named.

GOD. Hebrew. "el. App-4.

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysendeton (App-6), to emphasise the seven nations.

Verse 11

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

the Lord of all the earth. Hebrew the Adon. of all the earth. A title connected with sovereignty in the earth. Compare Joshua 3:11, Joshua 3:13. Zechariah 6:5, the only three occurrences of this full title. See App-4.; and compare Psalms 97:5. Micah 4:3. Zechariah 4:14.

Verse 12

twelve. The number of governmental perfection See App-10.

Verse 13

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

cut off. Three times here, for Israel; 2 Kings 2:8, for Elijah; and 2 Kings 2:14, for Elisha.

an heap one heap. Compare Psalms 114:3.

Verse 15

overfloweth. So to the present day.

banks. Hebrew found only four times in O.T.; here, Joshua 4:18. 1 Chronicles 12:15. Isaiah 8:7. All but the last, of the Jordan.

harvest = barley harvest. Compare note on Joshua 2:6.

Verse 16

Adam. The waters were divided at (or near) the city "Adam", and they were heaped up at (or near) "Zaretun", another city far off from "Adam".

Zaretan in the land of Manasseh. Called Zartanah in 1 Kings 4:12. The brazen vessels of the temple were cast there in the plain of Jordan (1 Kings 7:46.

sea of the plain: i.e. the Dead Sea.

salt sea. Figure of speech. Polyonymia. App-6.

the People passed over. A way cleft through the sea (Exodus 14), through the river (Joshua 3), and in the future through the air Philippians 3:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Chapter 4

Verse 1

were clean passed over = were finished passing over.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

spake. See note on Joshua 1:1.

Verse 5

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

Verse 6

their fathers. These words are read in some codices, with four early printed editions, as in Joshua 4:21.

Verse 8

took up. Four things said of these memorial stones in Joshua 4:8 and Joshua 4:9, (1) taken up; (2) carried over; (3) laid down; (4) set up.

Verse 9

twelve. Septuagint has "other twelve". There were two twelves.

Verse 12

Reuben. Compare Numbers 32:27. Compare Joshua 1:12.

armed = by fives. Compare Joshua 6:7, Joshua 6:9. These formed the van.

Chapter 5

Verse 1

the LORD. Hebrew Jehovah. App-4.

we. So written, but read "they". Some codices have "they", both written and read, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate.

melted. See note on Joshua 2:9, Joshua 2:11.

spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.

Verse 2

again . the second time. Not repeated as an act on the person, but on the nation on a second occasion (compare for this usage Isaiah 11:11 and Jude 1:5, implying that the rite was performed in Egypt. See verses: Joshua 5:4-7.

Verse 6

People = nation. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "generation",

Verse 8

abode. 11th to 13th Abib.

Verse 9

rolled away = Hebrew gallothi. Hence Gilgal = rolling.

Verse 10

kept the passover. Some codices, with two early printed editions, and Manuscript of Aramaic, add "in the first [month]". The second of the ten Passovers recorded. See note on Exodus 12:28.

Verse 11

the morrow. Feast of unleavened bread ended 21st Abib at even, exactly forty years from Exodus 12:41.

Verse 13

when. Between 16th and 21st Abib.

a Man. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.

Verse 14

Captain, or Prince.

host = Israel as Jehovah"s host. Compare Exodus 12:41.

worship. Therefore Divine. Compare Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:9.

my Lord = A donai. App-4.

Verse 18

Loose thy shoe. Compare Exodus 3:5. The origin of a solemn Eastern custom of reverence observed to this day. Compare Exodus 3:5.

is holy. Hebrew "it [is] holy". See note on Exodus 3:5.

Chapter 6

Verse 1

was straitly shut up. Hebrew "was shutting up and was shut up". Figure of speech Polyptoton (App-6) for emphasis, thus beautifully rendered. See note on Genesis 26:28.

Verse 2

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

said. This is the continuation of the Captain"s words, Joshua 5:15. See note on Joshua 3:7.

I have given. It was Jehovah"s to give.

Verse 4

rams" horns = trumpets of Jubilee, of long sound. Exodus 19:13.

the seventh day = on the seventh day.

Verse 5

flat = under it. Probably into the ground. Compare Joshua 11:13. Jeremiah 49:2. See note on Joshua 6:20.

Verse 7

he. In Hebrew text written "they", but read "he". In some codices, with five early printed editions, both written and read "he".

Verse 8

before. Some codices, with five early printed editions, and Aramaean, Syriac, and Vulgate, add "the ark of".

Verse 9.

rereward = the main or central body. Compare Numbers 10:25.

came = marched.

going = marching.

Verse 10

make = cause your voice to be heard.

Verse 16

the seventh time.Compare Hebrews 11:30.

Verse 17

accursed = devoted. Probably because this was the "first-fruit" of conquest. Numbers 31:54. Compare Joshua 6:19.

she hid. Compare Joshua 2:4.

Verse 18

trouble it. A warning of Achan"s sin (Joshua 7:25).

Verse 19

are. Hebrew "they are".

consecrated = holy. See note on Exodus 3:5.

Verse 20

flat = under itself. Compare Joshua 6:5. Jericho was thrice built, and thrice destroyed; no that the city of Joshua"s time has not yet been reached by recent excavations. The city, rebuilt by Hiel in Ahab"s reign (822-790 B.C.) was captured by the Herodians (3 B.C.) and rebuilt by Archelaus (A.D. 2). This was the Jericho of our Lord"s day, which was destroyed by Vespasian, 7 A.D.

Verse 21

destroyed devoted to destruction Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6), to be thus supplied.

with the edge = according to the mouth. "Mouth" by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6= without quarter.

Verse 25

Rahab. Compare Matthew 1:4-5. Married to Salmon, in the line of the Messiah.

unto this day. Written therefore during her life

Verse 26

buildeth this city i.e. its walla and gates (Joshua 6:26), for Joshua himself gave it to the Benjamltes, Joshua 18:12. Compare 2 Samuel 10:5. See note on Joshua 6:20.

he shall lay. Prophecy fulfilled in Hiel the Beth-elite. 1 Kings 16:34.

in = in [the death of] his firstborn.

Chapter 7

Verse 1

a trespass = a treachery, unfaithfulness. Hebrew ma"al. App-43. Compare Leviticus 6:2. Deuteronomy 32:51. 1 Chronicles 5:25, breach of faith or trust.

accursed = devoted. Compare Joshua 6:17, &c.

Achan Troubler; called Achar, 1 Chronicles 2:7.

took. Septuagint has enosphisanto = took for themselves, i.e. sacrilege. Same word as in Acts 5:1, Acts 5:2 of Ananias and Sapphire.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Verse 2

Ai. Near Beth-el. Compare Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3.

Beth-aven = House of vanity.

Beth-el = House of God. Compare Genesis 28:19.

PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA