some continuation would necessarily be made, not only to narrate the signal fulfilment of those promises, which had been given to the patriarchs, but also to preserve an account of the division of the land of Canaan among the particular tribes, as a record for future ages; and thus prevent disputes and civil wars, which in process of time might arise between powerful and rival tribes. This remark is corroborated by express testimony: for in Josh. xviii. we not only read that the great captain of the Israelites caused a survey of the land to be made and described in a book, but in xxiv. 25. the author relates that Joshua committed to writing an account of the renewal of the covenant with God; whence it is justly inferred that the other transactions of this period were preserved in some authentic and contemporaneous document or commentary. Further, without some such document, the author of this book could not have specified the limits of each tribe with so much minuteness, nor have related with accuracy the discourses of Caleb (Josh. xiv. 6—12.);— neither could he have correctly related the discourses of Phinehas and the delegates who accompanied him, to the tribes beyond Jordan (Josh.xxii. 16-20.), nor the discourses of the tribes themselves (xxii. 21-30.), nor of Joshua (xxiii. and xxiv.); nor could he have so arranged the whole, as to be in perfect harmony with the law of Moses. Lastly, without a contemporaneous and authentic document, the author would not have expressed himself, as in ch. v. 1. as if he had been present in the transactions which he has related, nor would he have written, as he has done in vi. 25. that "she dwelleth in Israel unto this day ;" and this document he has expressly cited in x. 13. by the title of the Book of Jasher,' or of the Upright. Equally clear is it that the author of this book has made his extracts from authentic documents with religious fidelity, and consequently is worthy of credit: for, In the first place, he has literally copied the speeches of Caleb, Phinehas, of the tribes beyond Jordan, and of Joshua, and in other passages has so closely followed his authority, as to write in v. 1. "until we were passed over," and in vi. 25. that Rahab " dwelleth in Israel unto this day." Hence also, the tribes are not mentioned in the geographical order in which their respective territories we situate, but according to the order pursued in the original document, namely, according to the order in which they received their tracts of land by lot, (Josh. xv-xix.) Lastly, in conformity to his original document, the author has made no honourable mention of Joshua until after his death; whence it is highly probable that the commentary from which this book was compiled, was originally written by Joshua himself. Secondly, this book was received as authentic by the Jews in that age when the original commentary was extant, and the author's fidelity could be subjected to the test of examination: and, Thirdly, several of the transactions related in the book of Joshua are recorded by other sacred writers with little or no material vari ations; thus, we find the conquest and division of Canaan, mentioned by Asaph (Psal. lxxviii. 53-65. compared with Psal. xliv. 2—4.) ; the slaughter of the Canaanites by David (Psal. Ixviii. 13-15.); the division of the waters of Jordan (Psal. cxiv. 1-5. Habak. iii. 8.); the terrible tempest of hail-stones after the slaughter of the southern Canaanites (Hab. iii. 11-13. compared with Josh. X. 9-11.); and the setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh, (Josh. xviii. 1.) in the books of Judges (xviii. 31.) and Samuel. (1 Sam. i. 3. 9. 24. and iii. 21.) Lastly, every thing related in the book of Joshua not only accurately corresponds with the age in which that hero lived, but is further confirmed by the traditions current among heathen nations, some of which have been preserved by antient and profane historians of undoubted character. 1 Thus there are antient monuments extant, which prove that the Carthaginians were a colony of Tyrians who escaped from Joshua ; as also that the inhabitants of Leptis in Africa came originally from the Sidonians, who abandoned their country on account of the calamities with which it was overwhelmed.2 The fable of the Phenician Hercules originated in the history of Joshua3: and the overthrow of Og the king of Bashan, and of the Anakims who were called giants, is considered as having given rise to the fable of the overthrow of the giants. The tempest of hailstones mentioned in Josh. x. 11. was transformed by the poets into a tempest of stones, with which (they pretend) Jupiter overwhelmed the Enemies of Hercules in Arim, which is exactly the country where Joshua fought with the children of Anak. 5 4 The Samaritans are by some writers supposed to have received the book of Joshua, but this opinion appears to have originated in mistake. They have indeed two books extant, bearing the name of Joshua, which differ very materially from our Hebrew copies. One of these is a chronicle of events from Adam to the year of the Hijra 898, corresponding with A.D. 14926; and the other is a similar chronicle badly compiled, from the death of Moses to the death of 1 See particularly Justin, lib. xxxvi. c.2. and Tacitus, Hist. lib. v. cc. 2, 3. On the falsely alleged contradictions between the sacred and profane historians, see Vol. I. Appendix, No. III. Sect. VII. 2 Allix's Reflections upon the Books of the Old Testament, chap. ii. (Bishop Watson's Collection of Theological Tracts, vol. i. p. 354.) 3 Procopius (Vandal. lib. ii. c. 10.) cites a Phenician inscription; containing a passage which he has translated into Greek, to the following purport:-"We are they who flee from the face of Jesus (the Greek name of Joshua) the robber, the son of Nave." Suidas cites the inscription thus: "We are the Canaanites whom Jesus the robber expelled." The difference between these two writers is not material, and may be accounted for by the same passage being differently rendered by different translators, or being quoted from memory, -no unusual occurrence among profane writers. 4 Polybius, Frag, exiv. Sallust. Bell. Jugurthin, c. xxii. 5 Allix's Reflections, ut supra. Huet, Demonstratio Evangelica, vol. i. pp. 273-282. Amstel. 1680. 8vo. Some learned men have supposed that the poetical fable of Phaeton was founded on the miracle of the sun standing still (Josh. x. 12-14.); but on a calm investigation of the supposed resemblance, there does not appear to be any foundation for such an opinion. Jahn, Introd. in Vet. Fœd. p. 246. note. Alexander Severus. It consists of forty-seven chapters, filled with fabulous accounts, written in the Arabic language, but in Samaritan characters.1 II. The book of Joshua comprises the history of about seventeen years, or, according to some chronologers, of twenty-seven or thirty years: it is one of the most important documents in the old covenant; and it should never be separated from the Pentateuch, of which it is at once both the continuation and the completion. The Pentateuch contains a history of the acts of the great Jewish legislator, and the laws upon which the Jewish church was to be established: and the book of Joshua relates the history of Israel under the command and government of Joshua, the conquest of Canaan, and its subsequent division among the Israelites; together with the provision made for the settlement and establishment of the Jewish church in that country. III. From this view of the argument of Joshua, we may easily perceive that the scope of the inspired writer of this book was, to demonstrate the faithfulness of God, in the perfect accomplishment of all his often-repeated promises to the patriarchs, that their posterity should obtain possession of the land of Canaan. At the same time we behold the divine power and mercy signally displayed in cherishing, protecting, and defending his people, amid all the trials and difficulties to which they were exposed; and as the land of Canaan is in the New Testament considered as a type of heaven, the conflicts and trials of the Israelites have been considered as adumbrating the spiritual conflicts of believers in every age of the church. Although Joshua, whose piety, courage, and disinterested integrity, are conspicuous throughout his whole history, is not expressly mentioned in the New Testament as a type of the Messiah, yet he is universally allowed to have been a very eminent one. He bore our Saviour's name; the Alexandrian version, giving his name a Greek termination, uniformly calls him Inous-Jesus; which appellation is also given to him in Acts vii. 45. and Heb. iv. 8. Joshua saved the people of God (as the Israelites are emphatically styled in the Scriptures) from the Canaanites: Jesus Christ saves his people from their sins. (Matt. i. 21.) IV. The book of Joshua may be conveniently divided into three parts: viz. PART I. The history of the occupation of Canaan by the Israelites (cc. i.-xii.) comprising, SECT. 1. The call and appointment of Joshua to be captain-general of that people. (i.) SFCT. 2. The sending out of the spies to bring an account of the city of Jericho. (ii.) SECT. 3. The miraculous passage of the Israelites over Jordan (iii.), and the setting up of twelve memoria! stones. (iv.) 1 Fabricii Codex Apocryphus Veteris Testamenti, p. 876, et seq. On the objections which have been brought against the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, see Vol. I. Appendix, No. III. Section V. pp.566, 567. SECT. 4. The circumcision of the Israelites, and their celebration of the first passover in the land of Canaan; the appearance of the captain of the Lord's host" to Joshua. (v.) SECT. 5. The capture of Jericho (vi.) and of Ai. (vii. viii.) SECT. 6. The politic confederacy of the Gibeonites with the children of Israel. (ix.) SECT. 7. The war with the Canaanitish kings, and the miracle of the sun standing still. (x.) SECT. 8. The defeat of Jabin and his confederates. (xi.) SECT. 9. A summary recapitulation of the conquests of the Israelites both under Moses (xii. 1-6.), and also under Joshua himself (xii. 7-24.) PART II. The division of the conquered land: containing, SECT. 1. A general division of Canaan. (xiii.) SECT. 2. A particular apportionment of it among the Israelites, including the portion of Caleb (xiv.); the lot of Judah (xv.); of Ephraim xvi.); of Manasseh (xvii.); of Benjamin (xviii.); and of the six tribes of Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Napthali, Dan, and of Joshua himself. (xix.) SECT. 3. The appointment of the cities of refuge (xx.) and of the Levitical cities. (xxi.) SECT. 4. The dismission from the camp of Israel of the militia of the two tribes and a half who settled on the other side of Jordan, their consequent return; and the transactions resulting from the altar which they erected on the borders of Jordan in token of their communion with the children of Israel. (xxii.) PART III. The assembling of the people (xxiii.); the dying address and counsels of Joshua (xxiv. 1-28.); his death and burial, &c. (xxiv. 29-33.) It is however, necessary to remark, that there is some accidental derangement of the order of the chapters in this book, occasioned probably by the antient mode of rolling up manuscripts. If chronologically placed, they should be read thus: first chapter to the ninth verse; then the second chapter; then from the tenth verse to the end of the first chapter; after which should follow the third and consecutive chapters to the eleventh; then the twenty-second chapter, and the twelfth to the twenty-first chapter, inclusive; and, lastly, the twenty-third and twenty-fourth chapters. V. A considerable difference of opinion subsists among learned men, concerning the book of Jasher, mentioned in Josh. x. 13. In addition to the observations already offered ', we may remark, that Bishop Lowth (whose conjecture is far from being improbable) is of opinion, that it was a poetical book, no longer extant when the author of Judges and Samuel lived and wrote. 1 See Vol. I. p.126. supra. 2 2 The book of Jasher is twice quoted, first in Josh. x. 13. where the quotation is evidently poetical, and forms exactly three distiches. "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, And thou moon, in the valley of Ajalon : And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed her course, SECTION III. ON THE BOOK OF JUDGES. I. Title.-II. Date and Author.-III. Scope, Chronology, and Synopsis of its contents.-IV. Observations on some difficult passages in this book. I. THE book of Judges derives its name from its containing the history of the Israelites from the death of Joshua to the time of Eli, under the administration of thirteen judges, and consequently before the establishment of the regal government. These Judges were men of heroic spirit, raised up by God out of the several tribes to govern the people, and to deliver them from those actual and imminent dangers, which, by their sins against God, they had brought upon themselves. The Judges frequently acted by a divine suggestion, and were endowed with preternatural strength and fortitude (compare ii. 18. vi, 14. 34. xi. 29. and xiv. 6. 19.): it is necessary to bear this in mind when perusing the relation of some of their achievements, which were justifiable only on the supposition of their being performed under the sanction of a divine warrant, which supersedes all general rules of conduct. II. From the expression recorded in Judg. xviii. 30. some have imagined that this book was not written till after the Babylonish captivity, but this conjecture is evidently erroneous: for, on comparing Psal. lxxvii. 60, 61. and 1 Sam. iv. 11. with that passage, we find that the captivity intended by the historian was a particular captivity of the inhabitants of Dan, which took place about the time the ark was taken by the Philistines. Besides, the total absence of Chaldee words sufficiently proves the date of the book of Judges to have been many centuries anterior to the great Babylonish captivity. This book, however, was certainly written before the second book of Samuel, (compare 2 Sam. xi. 21. with Judg. ix. 53.) and before the capture of Jerusalem by David. (Compare 2 Sam. v. 6. with Judg. i. 21.) And the sun tarried in the midst of the heavens, The second passage where the book of Jasher is cited, is in 2 Sam. i. 18., where David's 133. notes. |