Chapter 8:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Deuteronomy Judges
Joshua 8
Here is God's encouragement to Joshua, ver. 1, 2. Joshua's
orders to the men of war, ver. 3-8. The stratagem succeeds, ver. 9-22. Joshua takes and destroys the city, ver. 23-29. The solemn
writing and reading of the law before all Israel, ver. 30-35.
Verse 1. Take all the people - That all of them might be partakers of this
first spoil, and thereby encouraged to proceed in their work. The
weak multitude indeed were not to go, because they might have
hindered them in the following stratagem; and it was but fit that
the military men who run the greatest hazards, should have the
precedency in the spoils.
Verse 2. To Ai - That is, the city and people of Ai. Unto Jericho and her
king - That is, overcome and destroy them. This was enjoined to
chastise their last insolence, and the triumphs and blasphemies
which doubtless their success had produced: and to revive the
dread and terror which had been impressed upon the Canaanites
by Jericho's ruin, and had been much abated by the late success of
Ai.
Verse 3. To go up against Ai - That is, to consider about this expedition;
not as if all the people of war did actually go up, which was both
unnecessary and burdensome: but it seems to be resolved by
Joshua and all the council of war, that the thirty thousand here
following should be selected for the enterprize. Either, 1, the
thirty thousand now mentioned; or, 2. part of them; namely, such
as were to lie in wait; and these were only five thousand men, as
is expressed, ver. 12.
Verse 4. Them - The same party last spoken of, even the five thousand
mentioned ver. 12, there are only two parties engaged in the
taking of Ai, and but one ambush, as plainly appears by
comparing ver. 9, with ver. 12, which speaks only of five
thousand, who are justly supposed to be a part of those thirty
thousand named, ver. 3.
Verse 5. That are - Or, that shall be: for at present he sent them away,
ver. 9, but the next morning followed, and joined himself with
them, ver. 10, 11. That we - I and the twenty five thousand with
me.
Verse 9. Sent them - The same party. Among the people - Hebrew. that
people, the people of war as they are called, ver. 11, that is, the
main body of the host consisting of thirty thousand.
Verse 10. The people - Hebrew. that people, not all the people of Israel;
which was needless, and required more time than could now be
spared; but the rest of that host of thirty thousand, whereof five
thousand were sent away; the remainder are numbered, to see
whether some of them had not withdrawn themselves, taking the
advantage of the night, and of the design of laying an ambush; and
that it might be evident, this work was done without any loss of
men, whereby they might be encouraged to trust in God, and to
proceed resolutely in their work. The elders of Israel - The chief
magistrates and rulers of Israel under Joshua; and these, I
suppose, went with Joshua, and with the army, to take care that
the cattle and the spoil of the city, which was given by God to all
Israel for a prey, ver. 2, 27, might be justly and equally divided between those that went to
battle, and the rest of the people.
Verse 11. That were with him - Namely, the thirty thousand mentioned,
ver. 3, or the most of them.
Verse 12. And he took - Or rather, but he had taken, namely, out of the
said number of thirty thousand, for this is added by way of
recapitulation and farther explication of what is said in general,
ver. 9.
Verse 13. Joshua went - Namely, accompanied with a small part of the
host now mentioned, that is, very early in the morning, when it
was yet dark, as is said in a like case, John xx, 1, whence it is here
called night, though it was early in the morning, as is said, ver. 10,
for it seems most probable, that all was done in one night's space,
and in this manner; Joshua sends away the ambush by night, ver.
3, and lodgeth that night with twenty-five thousand men, ver. 9,
not far from the city. But not able or willing to sleep all night, he
rises very early, ver. 10, and numbers his men, which by the help
of the several officers was quietly done, and so immediately leads
them towards Ai; and while it was yet duskish or night, he goes
into the midst of the valley, ver. 13, and when the day dawns he is
discovered by the king and people of Ai, who thereupon rose up
early to fight with them, ver. 14. The valley - Which was near the
city, thereby to allure them forth.
Verse 14. His people - Namely, all his men of war, for the rest were left
in Ai, ver. 16. At a time appointed - At a certain hour agreed upon
between the king and people of Ai, and of Bethel too, who were
their confederates in this enterprize, as it may seem from ver. 17.
Possibly they might appoint the same hour of the day on which
they had fought against Israel with good success, looking upon it
as a lucky hour. Before the plain - That is, towards or in sight of
that plain or valley in which the Israelites were, that so they might
put themselves in battle-array. Against him - The former success
having made him secure, as is usual in such cases; God also
blinding his mind, and infatuating him, as he useth to do with
those whom he intends to destroy.
Verse 15. Made as if they were beaten - That is, fled from them, as it
were for fear of a second blow. The wilderness - Which lay
between Ai and Jericho, whither they now seemed to flee.
Verse 16. All the people - Namely, all that were able to bear arms, for
old men and children were unfit for the pursuit or fight; and that
they were yet left, may seem from ver. 24, 25.
Verse 17. Not a man - Namely, fit for war. Bethel - Which, being a
neighbouring city, and encouraged by the former success, had sent
some forces to assist them; and now, upon notice sent to them of
the flight of their common enemies, or upon some other signal
given, all their men of war join with those of Ai in the pursuit.
Verse 18. Stretch out the spear - This was, either,
1. for a sign to his host present with him, to stop their flight, and
make head against the pursuers: or,
2. for a signal to the liers in wait, or,
3. as a token of God's presence and assistance with them, and of
their victory.
Verse 19. Set the city on fire - Not all of it, as appears from ver. 28, and
because then they had lost that prey which God had allowed them;
but part of it, enough to raise a smoke, and give notice to their
brethren of their success.
Verse 21. All Israel - That is, all the Israelites there present.
Verse 22. The other - They who lay in ambush.
Verse 23. Took alive - Reserving him to a more ignominious
punishment.
Verse 24. Smote it - That is, the inhabitants of it, the men, who through
age or infirmity were unfit for war, and the women, ver. 25.
Verse 25. Of Ai - Not strictly, but largely so called, who were now in
Ai, either as constant and settled inhabitants, or as sojourners and
such as came to them for their help.
Verse 26. Drew not his hand back - He kept his hand and spear in the
same posture, both stretched out and lifted up, as a sign both to
encourage them, and to direct them to go on in the work.
Verse 29. Hanged on a tree - He dealt more severely with the kings of
Canaan than with the people, because the abominable wickedness
of that people was not restrained and punished (as it should have
been) but countenanced and encouraged by their evil examples;
and because they were the principal authors of the destruction of
their own people, by engaging them in an obstinate opposition
against the Israelites. Down from the tree - According to God's
command in that case, Deut. xxi, 22. The gate of the city - Which
place he chose either as most commodious, now especially when
all the city within the gate was already turned in to an heap of
stones and rubbish; or because this was the usual place of
judgment; and therefore proper to bear the monument of God's
just sentence against him, not without reflection upon that
injustice which he had been guilty of in that place.
Verse 30. Then - Namely, after the taking of Ai. For they were obliged
to do this, when they were brought over Jordan into the land of
Canaan, Deut. xi, 29; xxvii, 2, 3, which is not to be understood
strictly, as if it were to be done the same day; for it is manifest
they were first to be circumcised, and to eat the passover, which
they did, and which was the work of some days; but as soon as
they had opportunity to do it, which was now when these two
great frontier cities were taken and destroyed, and thereby the
coast cleared, and the bordering people under great consternation,
so that all the Israelites might securely march thither. And indeed
this work was fit to be done as soon as might be, that thereby they
might renew their covenant with God, by whose help alone they
could expect success in their great and difficult enterprize. Built
an altar - Namely, for the offering of sacrifices, as appears from
the following verse. Mount Ebal - God's altar was to be but in one
place, Deut. xii, 13, 14, and this place was appointed to be mount
Ebal, Deut. xxvii, 4, 5, which also seems most proper, that in that
place whence the curses of the law were denounced against
sinners, there might also be the tokens and means of grace, and
peace, and reconciliation with God, for the removing of the
curses, and the procuring of God's blessing to sinners.
Verse 32. Upon the stones - Not upon the stones of the altar, which were
to be rough and unpolished, ver. 31, but upon other stones,
smooth and plaistered, as is manifest from Deut. xxvii, 2. The law
of Moses - Not certainly the whole five books of Moses, for what
stones and time would have sufficed for this, but the most weighty
parts of the law, and especially the law of the ten commandments.
Verse 33. All Israel - That is, the whole congregation, old and young,
male and female. That side - Some on one side of it, and some on
the other. Mount Gerizim - These two places were in the tribe of
Ephraim, not far from Shechem, as appears both from scripture,
and from other authors. Bless - Or curse, which is easily
understood out of the following verse.
Verse 34. Afterward - After the altar was built, and the stones plaistered
and writ upon. He read - That is, he commanded the priests or
Levites to read, Deut. xxvii, 14. Blessings and cursings - Which
words came in not by way of explication, as if the words of the
law were nothing else besides the blessings and curses; but by
way of addition, to note that these were read over and above the
words of the law.
Verse 35. Read not - Therefore he read not the blessings and curses
only, as some think, but the whole law, as the manner was when
all Israel, men and women, were assembled together, or the ten
commandments. Among them - Who were proselytes, for no
others can be supposed to be with them at this time.
Chapter 8:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Deuteronomy Judges
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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