Round about the city once — At a convenient distance, out of the reach of their arrows. Six days — Every day once. This and the following course might seem ridiculous and absurd, and is therefore prescribed by God, that they might learn to take new measures of things, and to expect success not from... [ Continue Reading ]
The wall — Not all of it; which was unnecessary, and might have given the people better opportunity of escaping, but only a considerable part of it, where the Israelites might fitly enter: for Rahab's house was not overthrown, Joshua 6:22. Flat — Heb. under it, it was not battered down with engines... [ Continue Reading ]
Of rams horns — Of the basest matter, and the dullest sound, that the excellency of the power might be of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Him that is armed — God would have them armed both for the defense of themselves and the ark, in case the enemies should make a sally upon them, and for the execution of the Lord's vengeance upon that city.... [ Continue Reading ]
The rereward — Which being opposed to the armed men, may seem to note the unarmed people, who were desirous to be spectators of this wonderful work.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye shall not shout — Because shouting before the time appointed, would be ineffectual, and so might give them some discouragement, and their enemies matter of insulting.... [ Continue Reading ]
Shout — To testify your faith in God's promise, and thankfulness for this glorious mercy; to encourage yourselves and brethren, and to strike a terror into your enemies. Given you the city — It is given to them, to be devoted to God, as the first, and perhaps the worst of all the cities of Canaan.... [ Continue Reading ]
Accursed — That is, devoted to utter destruction. This he speaks by direction from God, as is evident from 1 Kings 16:34. To the Lord — Partly because the first — fruits were appropriated to God; partly lest the soldiers being glutted with the spoil of the rich city, should grow sluggish in their wo... [ Continue Reading ]
A curse — By provoking God to punish them for your sin, in which they may be one way or other involved; or the whole camp having sins of their own, God might take what occasion he saw fit to inflict this punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]
Vessels of brass and iron — Except that of which images were made, which were to be utterly destroyed. Unto the Lord — Being first made to pass through the fire, Numbers 31:22. Treasury of the Lord — To be employed wholly for the uses of the tabernacle, not to be applied to the use of any private pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Young and old — Being commanded to do so by the sovereign Lord of every man's life; and being informed by God before that the Canaanites were abominably wicked, and deserved the severest punishments. As for the infants, they were guilty of original sin, and otherwise at the disposal of their creator... [ Continue Reading ]
Harlot's house — Which together with the wall upon which it leaned, was left standing, by a special favour of God to her.... [ Continue Reading ]
Without the camp of Israel — 'Till they were cleansed from the impurities of their Gentile state, and instructed in the Jewish religion, and solemnly admitted into that church, for which Rahab's good counsel and example had doubtless prepared them.... [ Continue Reading ]
The harlot olive — For that general command of rooting out the Canaanites seems to have had some exception, in case any of them had sincerely and seasonably cast off their wickedness, and submitted to the Israelites.... [ Continue Reading ]
Adjured them — Or, made them to fear; caused the people, or some in the name of all, to swear for the present and succeeding generations, and to confirm their oath by a curse. Before the Lord — That is, from God's presence, and by his sentence, as they are said to cast lots before the Lord, Joshua 1... [ Continue Reading ]
The word of the Lord was with him — (So the Chaldee:) Even Christ himself, the same that was with Moses. Nothing makes a man appear more truly great, than to have the evidences of God's presence with him.... [ Continue Reading ]