Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Twelve Stones taken for a Memorial. JOSHUA IV. V. God Mognifes Joshua, from above—I. e., the Sea of Galilee "stood and rose up
Joshua's execution of the minutest instructions respecting the passage (Numbers 27. 21-23). Tlie unfaltering confidence of tlie priests contrasts strilcingly with the conduct of the people, who "hasted and passed over." Their faith, like that of many of God's people, was, tliroiigh the weakness of nature, blended with fears. But perhaps their "haste" may be viewed in a more favourable light, as indicating the alacrity of their obedience, or it miglu have been enjoined, in order tliat tlie whole multitude might pass in one day. 11. the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests in the presence of the pcoi)lc The ark is mentioned as the efficient cause; it had bceu the first to move—it was the last to leave; and its movements arrested the deep attention of the people, who probably stood on the opposite bank, wrapt in admiration and awe of this closing scene. It was a great miracle, greater even than the passage of the Red Sea in this respect: that, admitting tlie fact, there is no possibility of rationalistic insinuations as to tlie infiuence of natural causes in producing it, as have been made in tlie former
In a heap," a firm, compact barrier fExodus 15. S; Psalm
78. 13), "vei-y far," high up the stream; "from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan," hear mount Sartabeh, in the northern part of the Ghor (1 Kings. 7. 46); t". e., a distance of thirty miles from the Israelitish encampment; and "those that came down towards the sea of the desert" —ite Dead Sea—failed and were cut off (Psalm 114. 2, .3). The river was thus dried up as far as the eye could reach. This was a stupendous miracle; Jordan taltes its name, "the Descender," from the force of its current, which, after pa.ssing the Sea of Galilee, becomes greatly increased as it plunges through twenty-seven " horrible rapids and cascades," besides a great many lesser through a fall of
1000 feet, averaging from four to five miles an hour. [Lykch.] Wlien swollen "in time of harvest," it flows with a vastly accelerated current. 17. the priests and all the Israelites passed on dry ground—the river about Jericho has a firm pebbly bottom, on which the host might pass without inconvenience when the water was cleared off. the people passed over right against Jericlio—The exact spot is unknown; but it cannot be that fixed by Greek tradition—the pilgrims' bathing-place—both because it Is too much to the north, and the eastern banks are there sheer precipices of 10 or 15 feet high.
case. 13, 13. The children of Reuben . . . passed over armed before the children of Israel—There is no precedency to the otlier tribes indicated here; for there is no reason to suppose that tlie usual order of march was departed from ; but these are honourably mentioned to show that, in pursuance of their engagement (ch. 1. 16-18), they had sent a complement of fighting men to accompany their brethren in the war of invasion, into the plains of Jericho—That part of tlie Arabah or Glior, on the west, Is about'seveu miles broad from the Jordan tc the mountain entrance at Wady-Kelt. Tbougii now desert, this valley was in ancient times richly covered with wood—an immense palm forest, seven miles long, surrounded Jericho.
CHAPTER IV.
Ver. 1-S. Twelve Stones taken fob a Memokial out OF Jordan. 1, a. The Lord spake unto Joshua, Take you twelve men—each representing a tribe; they had been previously chosen for this service (ch. 3. 12), and the repetition of the command is made here solely to introduce the account of its execution. Though Joshua had been divinely instructed to erect a commemorative pile, the representatives were not apprised of the work they were to do till the time of the passage. 4, 5. Joslma called the twelve men—They had probably, from a feeling of reverence, kept back, and were standing on the eastern bank. Thej' were now ordered to advance, and picking up each a stone, probably as large as he could carry, from around the spot "where the priests stood," pass over before the ark, and deposit the stones in the place of next encampment {vs. 19, 20), viz., Gilgal. 6, 7. that this may he a sign among you—Tlie erection of cairns, or huge piles of stones, as monuments of remarkable incidents, has been common amongst all people, especially in the early and rude periods of their history. They are the established means of perpetuating the memory of important transactions, especially amongst the nomadic people of the East; and although tliere be no inscription engraven on them, tlie history and object of such simple monuments are traditionally preserved from age to age. Similar was the purpose contemplated by tlie conveyance of the twelve stones to Gilgal : it was that they might be a standing record to posterity of the miraculous passage of the Jordan. 8. the children of Israel did go as Joshua commanded—that is, it was done by their twelve representatives.
14-24. God Magnifies Joshua. 14-17. On that day the Lord magnl Aed Joshua in the siglit of all Israel-
It appeared clear, from the chief part he acted, tliat he was the divinely-appointed leader; for even tlie priests did not enter the river, or quit their position, except at his command; and thenceforward his authority was as firmly established as that of his predecessor. 18. It came to pass when the priests tliat bare the ark were come out of the midst of Jordan . . . that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place — Their crossing, which was the final act, completed the evidence of the miracle; for then, and not till then, the suspended laws of nature were restored, the waters returned to their place, and the river flowed with as full a current as before. 19. The people came out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first montli i. e., the montli Nisan, four days before the passover, and the very day when the paschal lamb required to be set apart, the providence of God having arranged that the entrance into the promised land should be at the feast, and encamped in Gilgal—the name is here given by anticipation (see on ch. 5. 9). It was a tract of land, according to Josephus, fifty stadia (6}/^ miles) from Jordan, and ten stadia (1^ miles) from Jericho, at the eastern outskirts of the palm forest, now supposed to lie the spot occupied by the village Riha. 30-34. Those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua pitch In Gilgal—probably to render them more conspicuous, they might be raised on a foundation of earth or turf; and the pile was designed to serve a double purpose—that of Impressing the heathen with a sense of the omnipotence of God, while at the same time it would teach an Important lesson In religion to the young and rising Israelites In after ages.
9. Twelve Stones set up in the midst of Jordan. 9. Joshua set up twelve stones In the place where the feet of the priests stood—In addition to the memorial Just described, there was another memento of the miraculous event, a duplicate of the former, set up in the river Itself, on the very spot where the ark had rested. This heap of stones might have been a large and compactlybuilt one, and visible In the ordinary state of the river. As nothing Is said whence these stones were got, some have Imagined that they might have been gathered In the adjoining fields, and deposited by the people as they passed the appointed spot, they are there unto this day —at least 20 years after the event. If we reckon by the date of this history (ch._24. 28), and much later. If the words in the latter clause were Inserted by Samuel or Ezra.
CHAPTER V.
Ver. 1. The Canaanites Afraid. 1. the kings of the Amorltes which were on the side of Jordan westward and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea—Under the former designation were included the people who Inhabited the mountainous region, and under the latter those who were on the sea-ooast of Palestine, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan . . . that their heart melted—They had: pjobably reckoned on the
Ver. 10-13. The People pass over. 10. the priests •which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan—This position was well calculated to animate the people, who probably crossed below the ark, as well as to facilitate 10