Joshua 1:2

_MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD; NOW THEREFORE ARISE, GO OVER THIS JORDAN, THOU, AND ALL THIS PEOPLE, UNTO THE LAND WHICH I DO GIVE TO THEM, EVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL._ Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan. Joshua's mission was that of a military leader. This passage records his call to begin the actual work to which he had been previously designated. The address contains a literal repetition of the promise made to Moses (Deuteronomy 11:24), and by him conveyed to Joshua a short time before the close of his career (Deuteronomy 31:6; Deuteronomy 31:23). But in the divine commission now given to Joshua, there is a change of expression adapted to the altered circumstances; for whe

2._Moses my servant, _etc A twofold meaning may be extracted — the one, since Moses is dead, the whole burden has now devolved upon thee, take the place of him to whom thou has been appointed successor; the other, although Moses is dead, do not desist, but go forward. I prefer the former, as containing the inference that he should, by right of succession, take up the office which Moses had left vacant. (15) The epithet or surname of _servant _applied to Moses, has respect to his government of the people and his exploits; for it ought to be accommodated to actual circumstances. (16) The allusion here is not to the Law but to the leadership, which had passed to Joshua by the decease of Moses, and God thus acknowledges his servant, not so much with the view of praising him, as of strengthening the authority of Joshua, who had been substituted in his place. And as the peopl

1-4 Joshua had attended upon Moses. He who was called to honour, had been long used to business. Our Lord Jesus took upon him the form of a servant. Joshua was trained up under command. Those are fittest to rule, who have learned to obey. The removal of useful men should quicken survivors to be the more diligent in doing good. Arise, go over Jordan. At this place and at this time the banks were overflowed. Joshua had no bridge or boats, and yet he must believe that God, having ordered the people over, would open a way....

Verse Joshua 1:2. _MOSES MY SERVANT_] The word, servant, as applied both to Moses and Joshua, is to be understood in a very peculiar sense. It signifies God's _prime minister_, the person by whom he issued his orders, and by whom he accomplished all his purposes and designs. No person ever bore this title in the like sense but the Redeemer of mankind, of whom Moses and Joshua were types. _Go over this Jordan_ The account given by Josephus of this river may not be unacceptable here. "_Panium_ is thought to be the mountain of Jordan, but in reality it is carried thither in an occult manner from the place called _Phiala_. This place lies on the road to Trachonitis, and is one hundred and twenty furlongs from Caesarea, not far out of the road, on the right hand. It has its name _Phiala_, (a bowl or basin), very justly, from the roundness of its circumfere

EXPOSITION JOSHUA'S COMMISSION.— JOSHUA 1:1 NOW AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES. The form of the Hebrew is the usual historical one for the continuation of a narrative before commenced. The Book of Joshua is thus shown to be, and to be intended to be, a continuation of the Book of Deuteronomy, which ends with the death of Moses (see Speaker's Commentary _in loc). _This link of connection is lost in the English version. The question forces itself upon the critic, At what time was this consecutive narrative written, as is admitted, in various styles, in the language of obviously distinct periods—first composed and palmed off upon the Jews as the genuine work of a writer contemporary, or nearly contemporary, with the events he describes? THE SERVANT OF THE LORD. This term (Keil) is applied

MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD,.... Which was said not for the information of Joshua, but to lead on to, and show the cause and reason of what he was about to say to him: NOW THEREFORE ARISE, GO OVER THIS JORDAN; near to which the whole body of the people of Israel were, and very probably were in sight of it: THOU, AND ALL THIS PEOPLE: which were very numerous, six hundred thousand men or more, besides a great number of women and children, and no boats to carry them over, or pontoons to put across the river: UNTO THE LAND WHICH I GIVE UNTO THEM, [EVEN] TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; and therefore it could be no case of conscience with Joshua, to go and take it out of the hands of the present inhabitants, since the Lord, who had a right to dispose of it, gave it to them. As this land was a type of heaven, and eternal life, which is the free gift of God through Christ, passing over the river of J...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE ENTRANCE OF THE PEOPLE INTO CANAAN AND THE CONFLICTS 1. The Entrance Commanded and Success Promised CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Lord speaks to Joshua (Joshua 1:1)_ 2. Joshua speaks to the people (Joshua 1:10) 3. The answer of the people (Joshua 1:16) The little word “now” with which this book begins is in the Hebrew “and.” It links the book with Deuteronomy and the other books of the Pentateuch. It also shows that the previous books were in existence, for the mention of Moses, his death, and Joshua, the minister of Moses, presupposes that the reader knows all about them. But there is a stronger evidence in the eighth verse of the chapter, that the Pentateuch

I. JOSHUA'S COMMISSION; PREPARATION FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN. This chapter does not call for much comment. It is, for the most part, an introduction to the whole book from a Deuteronomic writer. There may have been a Deuteronomic account of the conquest of the land which the compiler of our book used, but more probably the old narrative of JE was taken over by the Deuteronomist, who managed to superimpose his own views by means of an introduction and various additions. These additions are very considerable; hardly any Chapter s have escaped. JOSHUA 1:4. The boundaries of the land are strangely indicated, AND the passage should no doubt read, From the wilderness in the south to Lebanon; and from the river Euphrates to the western sea (_i.e._ the Mediterranean) shall be your border or rather, territory. In reality, the kingdom never extended as far as this from E. to W.

MOSES MY SERVANT. See note on Numbers 12:7; Numbers 12:8. IS DEAD. Compare John 1:17; Romans 7:1. I DO GIVE. I, even I, am giving. CHILDREN. sons....

_Moses my servant_ Comp. Deuteronomy 34:5. The highest possible title under the theocracy. Joshua as yet is but the "attendant" of Moses. The higher title is given him in Joshua 24:29. _this Jordan_ one of the most singular rivers in the world, which "has never been navigable, and flows into a sea that has never known a port." Observe (_a) Its name_. It is never called "the river" or "brook," or by any other name than its own, "the Jordan" = "_the Descender_." (_b) Its sources_. Far up in northern Palestine, the fork of the two ranges of Anti-Libanus "is alive with bursting fountains and gushing streams," every one of which sooner or later finds its way into a swamp between _Bâniâs_and Lake _Hûleh_. Two of these streams deserve special attention, (i) one