| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Joshua Chapter
Twenty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 23
Joshua
being old
convenes the states of Israel a little before his death
Joshua 23:1; and in
his address to them observes what God had done for them
and would do
Joshua 23:3; and
exhorts them to keep the commandments of God
and cleave to him
and not to mix
with the Gentiles
and join with them in idolatrous practices
and then it
would be well with them
Joshua 23:6; but
otherwise should they join with them
and depart from the Lord
who had so
faithfully and punctually performed every good thing he had promised them
they
might expect all evils and calamities
utter ruin and destruction
to befall
them
Joshua 23:12.
Joshua 23:1 Now
it came to pass
a long time after the Lord had given rest to Israel
from all their enemies round about
that Joshua was old
advanced in age.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
many
days after that Jehovah hath given rest to Israel from all their enemies round
about
that Joshua is old
entering into days
And it came to pass a long time after
.... Or
"after many days"F15מימים רבים "post dies multos"
Pagninus
Masius
Tigurine version; "exactis maltis diebus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator.
that is
years:
that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies
round about; the greatest part of the land of Canaan was subdued
the whole
divided by lot to the tribes of Israel
and they quietly settled in the
respective portions assigned them
the Canaanites that remained giving them no
disturbance
in which state of rest and peace they had now been for some years;
and this may be reasonably supposed to be the last year of the life of Joshua
see Joshua 23:14.
that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age; and became
feeble and decrepit
and greatly declined; for though he was ten years younger
than Moses when he died
yet not so vigorous
strong
and robust as he
but was
pressed and bore down with the infirmities of age.
Joshua 23:2 2 And Joshua called for all
Israel
for their elders
for their heads
for their judges
and for their
officers
and said to them: “I am old
advanced in age.
YLT
2and Joshua calleth for all
Israel
for its elders
and for its heads
and for its judges
and for its
authorities
and saith unto them
`I have become old; I have entered into days;
And Joshua called for all Israel
.... Summoned them
together
whether at Timnathserah
his own city
he being old and infirm
and
not able to go elsewhere; or whether at Shechem
where it is plain they were
afterwards convened
Joshua 24:1
or
whether rather at Shiloh
where the tabernacle was
is not certain; and by
"all Israel" cannot be meant the whole body of the people
unless it
can be thought to be at one of the feasts
when all the males in Israel
appeared before the Lord; though this seems to be not a stated convocation
but
occasionally made
and to be understood of the representatives of the people
called together
as explained in the following clause:
and for their elders
and for
their heads
and for their judges
and for their officers; the first and
is supplied
and another word or words may be supplied
as "even"
or
"that is"
or the like
and so explanative of all Israel
namely
"their elders"
both in age and office
especially the latter
the
seventy elders
or who composed what in later times was called the great
sanhedrim; and the "heads" of their tribes
the chief princes of
every tribe; and their "judges" in their several cities
who heard
and tried causes
and administered justice and judgment to the people; and
their "officers"
who attended on them to execute the judgment they
pronounced:
and said unto them
I am old and stricken in age; which he
observes as a reason of his calling them together to give them some advice and
instructions before his death
and in order to command greater reverence of
him
and respect to him
and to excite attention to what he had to say to them.
Joshua 23:3 3 You have seen all that the
Lord your God has
done to all these nations because of you
for the Lord your God is
He who has fought for you.
YLT
3and ye -- ye have seen all
that Jehovah your God hath done to all these nations because of you
for
Jehovah your God [is] He who is fighting for you;
And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all
those nations because of you
.... How he had destroyed them
and driven
them out of their habitations to make room for them
meaning the seven nations
of the Canaanites:
for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you; Joshua does
not attribute any of the things that were done to his own valour
nor theirs
nor so much as mentions himself or them as instruments
but wholly ascribes all
to the Lord
who fought their battles for them
and conquered their enemies
and subdued them under them; the Targum is
"the Word of the Lord fought
for you;'the Captain of the host of the Lord
Joshua 5:14.
Joshua 23:4 4 See
I have divided to you
by lot these nations that remain
to be an inheritance for your tribes
from
the Jordan
with all the nations that I have cut off
as far as the Great Sea
westward.
YLT
4see
I have caused to fall
to you these nations who are left for an inheritance to your tribes
from the
Jordan
(and all the nations which I cut off)
and the great sea
the going in
of the sun.
Behold
I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain
.... Who are
unsubdued
not yet conquered
as well as those that are
to be an inheritance for your tribes; to be
possessed by them and their children for ever:
from Jordan
with all the nations I have cut off
even unto the
great sea westward; the phrase
"with all the nations I have cut off"
is
to be read in connection with "those nations that remain"; both those
that were cut off by the sword of Joshua
and those that remained unconquered
being divided by lot to the tribes of Israel; and which reached from Jordan
eastward
where Joshua and Israel entered into the land
to the Mediterranean
sea
called the great sea in comparison of little ones in Canaan
as the Dead
sea
and the sea of Tiberias; and which great sea lay west to the land of
Israel
or where the sun sets
as the phrase in the Hebrew text is.
Joshua 23:5 5 And the Lord your God will
expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall
possess their land
as the Lord your God promised you.
YLT
5`As to Jehovah your God
He
doth thrust them from your presence
and hath dispossessed them from before
you
and ye have possessed their land
as Jehovah your God hath spoken to you
And the Lord your God he shall expel them from before you
.... That is
such of them as yet remained among them:
and drive them from out of your sight; the same
thing expressed by different words
for the confirmation of it:
and ye shall possess their land
as the Lord your God hath
promised unto you; all which is to be understood on condition of their good
behaviour towards the Lord
and obedience to his commands; by which tenure they
held the possession of the land when put into it
and for their disobedience
did not possess the whole.
Joshua 23:6 6 Therefore be very
courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of
Moses
lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left
YLT
6and ye have been very
strong to keep and to do the whole that is written in the Book of the Law of
Moses
so as not to turn aside from it right or left
Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is
written in the book of the law of Moses
.... To observe which
required spiritual strength
fortitude of mind
a holy courage
a firm and
fixed resolution
and particularly to destroy the Canaanites required in that
book
and to abstain from all communion and fellowship with them:
that ye turn not aside therefrom
to the right hand or the
left; See Gill on Joshua 1:7.
Joshua 23:7 7 and
lest you go among these nations
these who remain among you. You shall not make
mention of the name of their gods
nor cause anyone to swear by them;
you shall not serve them nor bow down to them
YLT
7so as not to go in among
these nations
these who are left with you; and of the name of their gods ye do
not make mention
nor do ye swear
nor do ye serve them
nor do ye bow
yourselves to them;
That ye come not among these nations
those that remain among you
.... That
remained unsubdued
or that were suffered to dwell among them
being
tributaries to them; with these they were not to converse freely and
familiarly
nor to carry on trade and commerce with them
nor enter into any
alliances or marriages with them
and not even attend any of their feasts
and
especially their idolatrous ones:
neither make mention of the name of their gods; not in common
conversation
and still less in any religious matters; never with any reverence
of them
or in any respectable manner; but always with indignation and
contempt
calling them dunghill gods
and the like
as they often are in
Scripture:
nor cause to swear by them; neither swear by them
themselves
nor cause others to swear by them
as Abarbinel; or a man his
neighbour
as Kimchi; no
not a Gentile
as Ben Melech; so it is said in the
MisnahF16Sanhedrin
c. 7. sect. 6.
"he that vows in the name
of an idol
and confirms in his name
(which Bartenora interprets
swears by
his name
) transgresses a negative precept.'MaimonidesF17Hilchot
& Obedeth Cochabim
c. 5. sect. 10. also says
"he that vows in the
name of an idol
and swears by it
is to be beaten--he that swears by it
himself
or causes a Gentile to swear by it; for it is forbidden to cause a
Gentile to swear by his fear (or idol)
and even to cause him to make mention
of it
though not in the way of an oath
it is forbidden:"
neither serve them; by offering any sacrifice or incense to
them
or by praying to them
or offering them praises on any account
or by
performing any religious service in any instance or form whatever:
nor bow yourselves unto them; give them any adoration
or worship
external or internal.
Joshua 23:8 8 but you shall hold fast to
the Lord
your God
as you have done to this day.
YLT
8but to Jehovah your God ye
do cleave
as ye have done till this day.
But cleave unto the Lord your God
.... To his word
worship
and ordinances; externally
by close adherence to them
and strict
observation of them; and internally
by strong affection to him
hope
trust
and confidence in him
expectation of all good things from him
and constant
application to him for help in all times of need
and a fixed dependence on
him:
as ye have done unto this day; that is
since they came
into the land of Canaan
and had been under the government of Joshua; for
otherwise
while in the wilderness
they frequently revolted from God
and
murmured against him; and this is to be understood not of individuals
who
doubtless were guilty of various failings and sins
but of the whole body
and
with respect to any notorious offence
particularly idolatry
which they had
not fallen into since they came into the land of Canaan
and had very lately
shown great zeal against it; not only the tribes on this side
but those on the
other side Jordan
as the preceding chapter largely relates.
Joshua 23:9 9 For the Lord has driven out
from before you great and strong nations; but as for you
no one has
been able to stand against you to this day.
YLT
9And Jehovah is
dispossessing from before you nations great and mighty; as for you
none hath
stood in your presence till this day;
For the Lord hath driven out before you great nations and strong
....
Especially as they were reckoned in those times
before any great monarchies
had existed
as did afterwards; and indeed these were
considering the land
they inhabited
very numerous and populous
and were very stout and able bodied
men
and some of a gigantic stature; and all dwelt in strong fortified cities
and were able to bring out large armies into the field
with chariots of iron
so that they were very formidable; but notwithstanding all this
the Lord drove
them out of their strong holds
and put Israel into the possession of them
and
of their land:
but as for you
no man hath been able to stand before you
unto this day; that is
of those that came out against them
and fought with
them; these were all to a man cut off by them
or fled before them
and became
tributaries to them; otherwise there were many
who as yet were not expelled by
them; this the Lord had promised
and now had fulfilled
Deuteronomy 11:25.
Joshua 23:10 10 One man of you shall chase
a thousand
for the Lord
your God is He who fights for you
as He promised you.
YLT
10one man of you doth pursue
a thousand
for Jehovah your God [is] He who is fighting for you
as He hath
spoken to you;
One man of you shall chase a thousand
.... Here
Kimchi and Ben Melech observe
that the future tense is put for the past
and
that the sense is
one of them had chased a thousand in their war with the
Canaanites; but Abarbinel disapproves of this observation
and thinks it refers
to time to come
what they should be able to do if they cleaved unto the Lord;
this was fulfilled in Samson
Judges 15:15; such
a promise was made
Leviticus 26:8
for the Lord your God he it is that fighteth for you; and no wonder
then that a thousand should be put to flight by one man; the Targum interprets
it of the Word of the Lord
as in Joshua 23:3
as he hath promised you; see Deuteronomy 1:30.
Joshua 23:11 11 Therefore take careful
heed to yourselves
that you love the Lord your God.
YLT
11and ye have been very
watchful for yourselves to love Jehovah your God.
Take good heed therefore unto yourselves
.... To be
upon their guard
and to be watchful
were very necessary to them
that they
might not be ensnared by the Canaanites
and drawn aside by them into idolatry
and so apostatize from the Lord and his worship
since their temptations would
be many:
that ye love the Lord your God; which would the most
strongly influence and engage them to serve and worship the Lord
and obey his
commands
and be the best preservative against idolatry and false worship.
Joshua 23:12 12 Or else
if indeed you do
go back
and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among
you—and make marriages with them
and go in to them and they to you
YLT
12`But -- if ye at all turn
back and have cleaved to the remnant of these nations
these who are left with
you
and intermarried with them
and gone in to them
and they to you
Else if ye do in any wise go back
.... From the Lord and
his worship
from his word and ordinances:
and cleave unto the remnant of these nations
even those
that remain among you; in cities not taken
or in several which the Philistines were in
possession of
or lived among them as tributaries to them
if they should take
to them
and be free and familiar with them
which may lead on to nearer
connections in civil and religious matters:
and shall make marriages with them; marry their daughters to
the sons of Canaanites
or admit the daughters of Canaanites to be married to
their sons:
and go in unto them
and they to you; which is
expressive of the consummation of marriage
and of the performance of the
conjugal duty
Joshua 23:13 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will
no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and
traps to you
and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes
until you
perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
YLT
13know certainly that Jehovah
your God is not continuing to dispossess these nations from before you
and
they have been to you for a gin
and for a snare
and for a scourge
in your
sides
and for thorns in your eyes
till ye perish from off this good ground
which Jehovah your God hath given to you.
Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out
any of these nations from before you
.... Or
"knowing ye
shall know"F18ידוע תדעו "sciendo scietis"
Montanus; "sciendo
scitote"
Pagninus
Vatablus. ; or "know ye"; this may be taken
for granted
or the fullest proof
and clearest demonstration
and strongest
assurance will be given of it
that in case of such bad conduct
and
disobedience to the will of God
no more of the nations of the Canaanites will
be driven out of the cities in which they are:
but they shall be snares and traps unto you; who by their
bad examples would draw them both to idolatry and superstitious worship
and
into all irreligion
profaneness
and immorality
as they did
Psalm 106:35
and scourges in your sides; who either
by ensnaring
them
would get an advantage over them
and distress them in their persons
families
and estates; or would be the means of the Lord's correcting and
chastising them with the rod and stripes of men
for the iniquities these would
draw them into; the allusion is to scourges and lashes laid on the sides of
men
or to goads with which beasts are pushed on their sides and driven:
and thorns in your eyes; very troublesome and
distressing; for even a mote in the eye is very afflicting: and much more a
thorn; See Gill on Numbers 33:55.
Jarchi interprets this word by camps surrounding them
as shields do the bodies
of men
and which is approved of by GussetiusF19Comment. Ebr. p.
717. :
until ye perish from off this good land
which the Lord your God
hath given you; by sword
famine
pestilence
or captivity
which has been their
case.
Joshua 23:14 14 “Behold
this day I am
going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your
souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke
concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.
YLT
14`And lo
I am going
to-day
in the way of all the earth
and ye have known -- with all your heart
and with all your soul -- that there hath not fallen one thing of all the good
things which Jehovah your God hath spoken concerning you; the whole have come
to you; there hath not failed of it one thing.
And
behold
this day I am going the way of all the earth
.... That is
about to die; not that precise day
but in a short time
of which the daily
increasing infirmities of old age gave him notice. Death is a journey from this
world to another
a man's going to his long home
a path trodden by all men
and but onceF20"----Sed omnes una manet nox
Et calcanda semel
via lethi". --Horat. Carmin. l. 1. Ode 28. ; a way in which all men
without exception must and do walk
and even the best as well as the greatest
of men
such as Joshua; no man is exempted from death
be he ever so great or
good
ever so wise and knowing
ever so holy or so useful; see 1 Kings 2:2
and ye know in all your hearts
and in all your souls; in their
consciences; it was a glaring truth
which none could deny; it had a testimony
in every man's breast:
that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the
Lord your God hath spoken concerning you; particularly concerning
the good land
and the Lord's bringing them into it
removing the old
inhabitants
and settling them in their room
and putting them in possession of
all temporal good things and spiritual privileges
as the word and ordinances:
all are come to pass unto you
and not one thing hath
failed thereof; see Joshua 21:45.
Joshua 23:15 15 Therefore it shall come to
pass
that as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God
promised you
so the Lord
will bring upon you all harmful things
until He has destroyed you from this
good land which the Lord
your God has given you.
YLT
15`And it hath been
as there
hath come upon you all the good thing which Jehovah your God hath spoken unto
you
so doth Jehovah bring upon you the whole of the evil thing
till His
destroying you from off this good ground which Jehovah your God hath given to
you;
Therefore it shall come to pass
that as all the good
things are come upon you which the Lord hath promised you
.... Of which
there was full proof
and it could not be denied:
so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things; calamities
and distresses
by his sore judgments of famine
sword
pestilence
evil
beasts
and captivity
in case of disobedience to his commands:
until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord
your God hath given you; for as he is faithful to his promises
so to his threatenings;
and from his punctual performance of the one may be argued and expected the
sure fulfilment of the other
and which has been abundantly verified in that
people; see Leviticus 26:1 and
the notes there.
Joshua 23:16 16 When you have transgressed
the covenant of the Lord
your God
which He commanded you
and have gone and served other gods
and
bowed down to them
then the anger of the Lord will burn against you
and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”
YLT
16in your transgressing the
covenant of Jehovah your God which He commanded you
and ye have gone and
served other gods
and bowed yourselves to them
then hath the anger of Jehovah
burned against you
and ye have perished hastily from off the good land which
He hath given to you.'
When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God
which he commanded you
.... The law
so called
and the several precepts of it
particularly those which relate to the faith
and worship of the one only true God; see Exodus 24:7;
and have gone and served other gods
and have bowed down
yourselves unto them; been guilty of idolatry
of having and worshipping other gods
which are no gods
with or besides the God of Israel
see Joshua 23:7
then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you; nothing being
more provoking to him than idolatry
he being a jealous God of his honour and
worship:
and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath
given unto you; as they did at the time of the Babylonish captivity
and at the
last destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》