Joshua 13
PATVcr. 1. J\0W Joshua teas old and stricken in years. To what age he was advanced we cannot certainly know; because we do not know how old he w r as w r hen they came out of Egypt. Some think three and forty; and then ho was fourscore and three when they came into Canaan: and now, it may be gathered, by probable conjectures, wanted not much of a hundred. And the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.’] Which; in his declining age, he could not hope to live to conquer; and therefore he would have him go about another business, (ver.7.) Vcr. 2. This is the land that yet remains.] To be subdued hereafter. All the borders of the Philistines.’] Who lay in the southwest part of Canaan, near the sea. And all Geshuri.] Which was a city, and a country in the north-east, not far from Hermon, belonging to the lot of the tribe of Manasseh.* (See Dcut. iii. 14.) Vcr. 3. From Sihor, which is before Egypt.] He describes more largely the borders of the Philistines, whose country extended along the sea-coast, south and north, from Sihor, which was a little stream from one of the branches of the Nile, whereby Palestine was bounded on that side. (See Gen. xv. 18. and Vossius de Orig. et Progr. Idolol. lib. ii. cap. 74.) Even unto the borders ofEkron northward.] A famous city. among the Philistines, where Baal-zcbub was worshipped, called in the New Testament the prince of the devils (or demons), because he was the principal god of the people of Palestine. This city was given to the tribe of Judah at first, (xv. 45.) afterward to the tribe of Dan, (xix.) though neither of them could get possession of it. Which is counted to the Canaanite.] For the Philistines were not original inhabitants of this country, which belonged to the offspring of Canaan, the youngest son of Ham; whereas the Philistines wcro descended from Misraim, his second son; who expelled the Avitcs out of this country; as wc read Dcut. ii. 23. and sec my annotations on Gen. x. 14. 19. Five lords of the Philistines.] Which country was under the government of five lords, as they arc constantly called in Scripture; in the Hebrew, seraim, or seranaim; which IWf wwvll CHAP. XIII.] UPON JOSHUA. seems to be an ancient Phoenician word (the same with sarim) for a ruler of a province, or city. The LXX. call them SarpaTraf, and the Vulgar Latin, regxtli, petty princes. But they are never called melakim, i. e. kings, in Scripture> as the rest of the princes of Canaan are. Which inclines me to think that their government was not so absolute, as that of the rest of the kings of Canaan. Only we read in future times, that Achish was king of Gath; having, it seems, in David’s days, made himself more absolute than the former lords of that place. Hie Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkdlonttes, the Gittites, and the Ekronites.] These people had their names from the five principal cities in this country, where they inhabited; which are commonly known. Also the At ties.] These were a people mixed with them, being a remnant (as I said before) of the ancient inhabitants of this country. But there was no distinct lord of them; there being but five in all; and so many without one over these. Some have confounded them with the Hivites; but their name is quite different in the Hebrew, and so is their country. For the Hivites lived in Hermon in the north; and these here in the west. From whence, though they were driven by the Caphtorites, (Deut. ii. 23.) yet some of them, it seems, remained; as several of the Canaanites did, when the Israelites dispossessed them of their country. See Bochartus, in his Phalcg. lib. iv. cap. 36. who thinks they were not the offspring of Canaan; but it is manifest they inhabited part of the country belonging to him: for Sidon was the first-born of Canaan, who was settled on that coast; and the border of the Canaanites is said to be from thence unto Gaza, (Gen. x. 19.) Vcr. 4. From the south.] Of the Philistines* country. All the land of the Canaanites.’] All that tract of land which belonged to the people properly called Canaanites; who lived upon the sea-coast. And MearahJ] We find no mention of this place elsewhere: some translate it, a cave. Tltat is beside the Sidonians.) Who were in the northern point of that sea-coast. Unto Aphek.] Sec xii. 18. where I observed there were two cities of this name; but it is most reasonable here to understand that in the tribe of Ashcr; whose king though Joshua had slain, he had not taken his country. To the borders of the Amorites.] Who were in these parts: for they being a mighty people had dispersed, themselves, not only in the east, and in the south, but in these northern regions.
Joshua 13:5
And the land of the Giblites. A people inhabiting a city called Gebal, and the country about it, near to Tyre and Sidon; as appears from Ezek.xxvii.9. and. in 1 Kings v. 18. they are mentioned as stone-cutters, sent by Hiram king of Tyre to king Solomon. (See also Psal.lxxxiii. 7.) And all Lebanon towards the sun-rising.’] They extended their conquests thus far, (xi. 17.) but could not subdue.the eastern part of this country. From Baal-Gad under Mount Hermon, nnto the entering into Hamath.] Concerning Baal-Gad, sec xi. 17. and con* cerning the entering info Hamath, Numb, xxxiv. 8. Vcr. G. All the inhabitants of the hill-country.] In. the northern parts of the land. From Lebanon.] This shews what hilly country he speaks of… -Digitized by Unto Misrephoth-maim.] A place beforcmentioned, xi. 8.* where, as I observed, some render it hot waters, or baths: for sharaph signifies to burp, and maim is waters. And I may add, there are those that think they were lime-kilns? others glass-furnaces;. but. most likely salt-pits. * And alt the Sidonians.] Who were near to the inhabitants of Libanus, westward upon the sea. Themivill I drive out before the children of Israel.] If they persisted constant in his worship and service. Which they did not; and therefore we never read that the Sidonians were conquered by the Israelites: and the people of Lebanon were only made tributaries in the days of David and Solomon. Only.] Or rather therefore, as the word rak sometimes signifies. (See chap. i. tdt.). Divide thou it by lot unto the children of Israel for an. inlieritance.] Though they be not yet driven out, yet, since I have promised to expel them, assign all the forementioned countries to the children of Israel by lot, as the inheritance I have bestowed upon them. Which gave them a strong assurance they should have all this land; both because God had given it to them for an inheritance, and ordered it to be divided by lot. As I have commanded thee.] Or, as I now command thee, and give thee authority to do. Ver^7. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh.] Both that which was conquered, and that which remained unconqucred, was to be divided, that every tribe might know what belonged to them, by God’s gift; and be encouraged to attempt the conquest of it when they were able; and be preserved from entering into any covenant or society with those who kept their inheritance from them;: and likewise hinder the unconquered people from joining their forces together to recover their* country; the Israelites inhabiting the cities and fields that lay between them. Vcr. 8. With whom.] That is,, with the other half of the tribe beforementioned.. TJie Reubenites and Gadites have received tlieir inheritance, which Moses gave tliem^beyond Jordan eastward.] Sec Numb, xxxii, 33, &c.. Even as Moses,, the servant of the Lord, gave them.] Which he did by order from God; and therefore they were not to be disturbed in. their possession, (Deut. iii. 18.)> Here the words of God to Joshua.(ver. 1.) end; and in the next verse the writer of this book begins to describe the country which God ordered to be given to the forenamed two tribes and a half, that there might be ho future dispute about this division; but it might be held as good as that which was made by lot among the rest of the tribes. Vcr. 9. From Aroer; that is upon the brink of the river Ar non, and the city that is in the midst of the river-]; Sec xii.- 2. and Deut. iii. 1G. And all the plain ofMedeba nnto Dibon.] These are two cities which the Amorites took from the Moabites, (as wc read Numb.xxi. 30.) and: the Israelites took from them when they conquered Sihon their king; The former of them was in the portion of the Reubenites; the other of the Gadites: and when the ten tribes were carried’ captive,, they returned. into the possession of the Moabites again.. For Isaiah speaks of them as belonging to Moab, xv. &. Microsoft® A. COMMENTARY [chap. XIII. and so doth Jeremiah, xlviii. 22. The plain of Mcdcba seems to be the same with the plain of Moab.
Joshua 13:10
And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Amnion. Seo Numb. xxi. 24, 25, &c. Their coast was from Aroer; that is on the bank ofArnoftj’&c.] See ver. 9. Aroer itself was in the tribe of Gad, (Numb, xxxii. 34.) unto which the portion of the Rciibenites reached.,, Ver* 17. Heshbon, and all the cities that are in the plain.] He means the plain beforcmentioned, ver. 9. Dibon.] It is said plainly, in Nnmb. xxxii. 34. that it belonged to the Gaditcs; for it was, as Masius well judges, in the confines of both tribes; and so w r as inhabited by both. Which is to be said also of Heshbon, here ascribed to the Reubpnitcs; but in xxi. 39. is said to be a city of the Levitcs in the tribe of Gad. And so we read also in 1 Chron. vi. nlL And this is still more evident; for Heshbon, which in this.verse is reckoned to the Rcubcnitcs, in the twenty-sixth verse of this very chapter, is said to be given to the tribe of Gad; which is a demonstration they had it between them. Bamoth-Baal,andBeth-BaaLmeon.] We read of Bamoth not far from this country, Numb. xxi. 19. but no where else of Bamoth-Baal; which, it is probable, was some high place where Baal was worshipped; for Ave read of high places in this country, Numb. xxi. 28. We find mention of Baalmcon in many places, particularly Numb, xxxii. 38. where it is said to be given to this tribe. And the addition of Beth to it, signifies there was some house, that is, temple of Baal in this place,
Joshua 13:11
And Gilead, and the border of tlie Geshurites, and Maachathites. Geshur and Maacha were two cites near Mount Hcrmon, in the extreme bounds of this country northward, whose inhabitants tho Israelites could not drive out, (vcr. 13.) and yet their land was divided among them. And all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcalu] Sec all this verse explained, xii. 5. I. shall only add, that Maacha was in the tribe of Manasseh, and is the city which rtolcmy calls Epicaeros. Which name the Chaldee paraphrast uses both here and xii. 4, 5. and Dcut. iii. 14. instead of Maacha, as Bdchart observes, lib. ii. Phaleg. cap. 6. Vcr. 12. All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants.] See xii. 4., and Deut. iii. 11. For these did Moses smite, and cast them out.] These Rephaim (which we translate giants) were perfectly conquered, and rooted out by Moses. They were smitten in Abraham’s time, by Chedorlaomer, (Gen. xiv. 5.) but recovered strength so much, that their country, when Moses conquered it, was called the land of giants, Deut. iii. 13.
Joshua 13:13
Nevertheless the children. of Israel expelled not the Geshurites and Maachathites. See ver. 2. But the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites unto this day.] For Joshua growing old (ver. 1.) made no further conquest, but left this people unsubdued, as Moses also had done.
Joshua 13:14
Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave no inherit" ance. For the tithes of the whole country w r erc instead of their portion inland, (Dcut. xviii. 2.) And this is set down here by Joshua, as formerly by Moses, to shew that they had as indisputable a right to the tithes as their brethren had to the land. The sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance.] That is, the inheritance of the priests; for the whole tribe of Levi had nothing to do with therm See Numb, xviii. where the portion.of the priests and of the Levitcs is exactly set d6wn; and sec ver: S3, of this chapter, and xiv. 3. xviiL 7. Ashesaidvnto them.] See Numb, xviii. 20, 21. where this is distinctly.said, both with respect to the priests and to the Levites. -.
Joshua 13:15
And Moses gave unto ihe tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families. Having said in general what Moses gave to the two tribes and a half, he proceeds to set down in particular what share each of them had in this country: that so they might no more <juarrel among themselves about their portion, than the nine tribes and a half quarrel with them all. And, first, he mentions what part of the land was given to Reuben:; which was divided into as many portions as they had families.
Joshua 13:18
And Jaliaza. Here they fought with Sihon. (See Numb. xxi. 23.) And Kedemoth.] From whence Moses sent friendly messengers to Sihon, to desire a peaceable passage through his country, (Deut. iii. 26.) And Mephaath.] This, with the two foregoing, were Levitical cities in the tribe of Reuben, (xxi. 36, 37. 1 Chron. vi. 78, 79.)
Joshua 13:19
And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah. These two are mentioned in Numb, xxxii. 37, 38. as given to the lieubenitcs. And Zareth-shahar.] We do not read of this city any where else. In the mount of the valley.] In the mount which overlooked the great plain beforcmentioned; which may be supposed to be one of the mountains of Abarim, where this city, and perhaps the two former, were seated.
Joshua 13:20
And Baal-Peor. It seems to have had its name from the filthy idol which was there worshipped by the Moabites, (Numb. xxv. 3. 5. sec Deut. xxxiv. 6.) And Ashdod-Pisgah and Bcth-Jeshimoth.] See xii. 3.
Joshua 13:21
And all the cities of the plain. As well as those mentioned in the mountain which overlooked it; (ver. 19.) And all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites.] That is, all the forcinentioned places belonged to the kingdom of Sihon. But they had not all his kingdom given them; for it was shared between them and the Gaditcs^ as appears from ver. 27. Wlioin Moses smote with the princes of Midian.] Not in the war with Sihon, mentioned Numb. xxi. but in another war after that, undertaken by a particular command of God, (Numb, xxxi.) Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Rebcu] Who are mentioned as killed in that war, (Numb. xxxi. 8.) Which were dukes of Sihon.] This is the reason why they are here mentioned, because, though they lived in Midian, yet they were tributaries to Sihon; and, it is likely, assisted him in his war with. Israel, in which though they then escaped,, yet afterward they were slain by them..Dwelling in the country.] It is uncertain whether he meant that Sihon had given them some place in his country to dwell in (that they might be ready on all occasions to assist him with their forces), or that they were settled f ill *m CHAP, XIII.] UPON JOSHUA. in the country of Midian; whereas some of that people were unsettled, and moved from place to place, like to the ancient Nomades. However it was, they were such great men in Midian, that they are called kings, Numb. xxxi. 8. as here they are called princes; but much inferior to Sihon, whom they served only as great commanders under him. So our translators, I suppose, understood it, which made them render the Hebrew word nesiclie by the English word dukes; which we elsewhere translate nobles, in PsaL lxxxiii. 13.
Joshua 13:22
Balaam also the son ofBeor, the soothsayer. He had been a prophet, but degenerated into a soothsayer, or diviner, (see Numb. xxii. 5—8.) and became a prophet again for the sake of Israel. Did the children of Israel slay with a sword among tltem that were slain by them.] It is hard to give an account why he is here mentioned; unless we suppose him to have been an adviser of Sihon, and those dukes that joined with him to undertake the war; as it is certain he was of the Midianites to draw in the Israelites to commit idolatry, (Numb, xxv.] 7.).
Joshua 13:23
And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof, &c. This river was the I bounds of their country westward."
Joshua 13:24
And Moses gave inheritance unto Hue tribe of Gad,8ic. As he had done to the Reubenites, ver. 15. (See there.)
Joshua 13:25
And their coast was Jazer. See Numb. xxi. 32. and xxxii. 35. . • ■. And all the cities of Gilead.] That lay next to Jazer: for half of Gilcad was given to the children of Manasseh, (ver. 31.) And half of the land of the cJtildren ofAmmon.] The children of Israel took nothing from them, but were expressly forbidden to meddle with their country, (Deut. ii. 19.) He speaks therefore of that part of their country which Sihon had taken from them, (as he did part of the Moabites country, Numb. xxi. 2G.) and the Israelites, having vanquished Sihon, justly possessed, from Arnon to Jabbok; as Jephthah represents to the Ammonites, when they demanded this land as belonging to them; when the Israelites had enjoyed it near three hundred years, (Judg. xi. 13. 22, &c.) Unto Aroer.] This was the bounds of that country taken from the Ammonites by Sihon, from Aroer unto Jabbok*, for Aroer was seated upon Arnon beforementioned, (Judg. xi. 13.) Tliat is before Kabbah.] Over against Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites’ country; which was in the north part of it, as Aroer in the south. Ver. 2G. And from Heshbon.] See ver. 17. Unto Ramath-Mizpeh.] The same with Ramath-Gilead, of which we read xx. 8. and many other places. It seems to be the same place which is called Mizpeh of’Gilead, \ where Jephthah the Gileadite lived, (Judg. xi. 29.34.) And Betonim.] “We. know no more of this place, than that it was, in all likelihood, a city in the north part of this tribe, as Ramath-Gilead was; and Heshbon in the south. And from Mahanaim.] This was a city built in that place where Jacob saw the camps of angels, (Gen. xxxii. 1, 2.) It was not far from the river Jabbok, as appears from that chapter, ver. 22. This city was very considerable in aftertimes; Ish-bosheth,who reigned over Israel after Saul, having his residence here; and David making some stay here when he fled from Absalom, (2 Sam. ii. 8. 12. xvii. 27.) It was one of the Levitical cities, (xxi. 37.) Unto Debir.] There was another city of this name in the tribe of Judah, (xv. 15. 49.) But this was (as St. Jerome andEusebius tell us) a city of the Ammonites upon Jordan.
Joshua 13:27
And in the valley, Befh-Aram, and Beth-Nimrah. Having mentioned the frontier places, he comes to speak of those cities which were in the midst of the country. And these two are mentioned, Numb, xxxii. 3G. The latter of which, here called Beth-Nimrah (Domns Pardorum, as Bochart interprets it), is simply called Nimrah in the third verse of that chapter. And the waters of Nimrim (Isa.xy. 6.) seem to have been in the same place; which Moses and Joshua say belonged to the Gadites; but Isaiah and Jeremiah call it a city of the Moabites: who, in the days of those prophets, after the ten tribes were carried captive, recovered those places. (See Bochartus,inhis Hierozoicon, par. i. lib. iii. cap. 7.) And Snccoth.] Which was the place where Jacob fixed, after he had passed over Jabbok, in his return from Padan* Aram, (Gen. xxxiii. 17.) And Zaplwn.] A place which St. Jerome saith lay upon the river Jordan. The rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon.] That is, all but that which was given to the Reubenites. Jordan and his border.]:For instance, v the country bordering upon Jordan. Even unto the edge of the sea of Cinnereth, on the oilier side Jordan eastward.\ To the extreme part of the lake, in aftertimes called Gennesaret; where the river Jordan came out of it on the south-east.
Joshua 13:28
This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages. Which are not all named, but they were in the region here described.
Joshua 13:29
And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseli, &c. The country which they conquered on the other side Jordan, being too large for the Reubenites and Gadites alone, Moses bestowed what follows upon the half tribe of Manasseh; who’ did not desire it, as far-as I can find, (see Numb, xxxii. 1, 2.) but were thought fit to be joined with the other two tribes, because they were very numerous, (Numb. xxvi. 34.) and, it is likely, had great store of cattle, as the other had.
Joshua 13:30
And their coast was from Mahanaim. Mentioned before, ver. 26. All Bashan, all the kingdom ofOg king of Bashan’J] This kingdom consisted of three parts, (Deut iii. 13.) half of Gilead, Bashan, and the region of Argob: all which sometimes are comprehended under the name of Bashan,because it was the principal part of his kingdom. And all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan.] This is an explication of what went before; for these towns were in the forenamed kingdom of Bashan, and not distinct from it. Why they are called the towns of Jair, Moses gives an account, Numb, xxxii. 41. TJireescore cities.) Which wore in the region of Argbb, as we read Deut. iii. 4. 14.
Joshua 13:31
And half Gilead. The other half that was not given to the Gadites, (ver. 25.) This is also but an explication of what he said at the first; for. Gilead was not dis-