Joshua 23:2

23:1-10 Joshua was old and dying, let them observe what he said now. He put them in mind of the great things God had done for them in his days. He exhorted them to be very courageous. Keep with care, do with diligence, and regard with sincerity what is written. Also, very cautiously to endeavour that the heathen idolatry may be forgotten, so that it may never be revived. It is sad that among Christians the names of the heathen gods are so commonly used, and made so familiar as they are. Joshua exhorts them to be very constant. There might be many things amiss among them, but they had not forsaken the Lord their God; the way to make people better, is to make the best of them.

Summoned them together, whether at Timnathserah, his own city, he being old and infirm, and not able to go elsewhere; or whether at Shechem, where it is plain they were afterwards convened, Joshua 24:1 , or whether rather at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was, is not certain; and by "all Israel" cannot be meant the whole body of the people, unless it can be thought to be at one of the feasts, when all the males in Israel appeared before the Lord; though this seems to be not a stated convocation, but occasionally made, and to be understood of the representatives of the people called together, as explained in the following clause: and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; the first and is supplied, and another word or words may be supplied, as "even", or "that is", or the like, and so explanative of all Israel, namely, "their elders", both in age and office, especially the latter, the seventy elders, or who composed what in later times was called the great sanhedrim; and the "heads" of their tribes, the chief princes of every tribe; and their "judges" in their several cities, who heard and tried causes, and administered justice and judgment to the people; and their "officers", who attended on them to execute the judgment they pronounced: and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age; which he observes as a reason of his calling them together to give them some advice and instructions before his death, and in order to command greate

(2) Joshua called for all Israel ( i.e., first) . . . for their elders . . . heads . . . judges, and . . . officers. —The first “and” in the English Version of this verse should be omitted. And said unto them . . .—The address which follows should be contrasted with that in Joshua 24. The first is suited to men of education, authority, and position in Israel, and concerns the duty of the rulers; the second contains one plain lesson for all the people, and makes no demand upon their intellect, nor does it require any position of influence or authority to carry out the instructions which it gives.

2 . called for all Israel ] Where we are not told. But perhaps at Timnath-serah ( Joshua 19:50 ), or possibly at Shiloh. On the occasion of his second farewell discourse the tribes were convened at Shechem ( Joshua 24:1 ). and for their elders ] The word “ and ” is not found in the Hebrew. If any word is to be supplied, it should be “even” or “namely”. The terms elders, heads, judges and officers are explanatory. I am old ] He begins by reminding them of his own advance in years.

Joshua called; either to his own city, or rather to Shiloh, the usual place of such assemblies, where his words being uttered before the Lord, were likely to have the more effect upon them. For all Israel; not all the people in their own persons, who could not either come thither, or hear him there; but in their representatives, by their elders, heads , judges , and officers , which are here added for the restriction and explication of that general expression. And for , or, even for , &c.

2. Joshua called for all Israel—The clause which follows seems to restrict this general expression as applicable only to the officers and representatives of the people. The place of assembly was most probably Shiloh. The occasion of convening it was the extreme age and approaching death of the venerable leader; and the purport of this solemn address was to animate the chosen people and their posterity to a faithful and unswerving continuance in the faith and worship of the God of Israel.

Verse 2. - All Israel. By their representatives, as subsequently mentioned. For their officers (see Joshua 1:10 ). In the original the pronoun is in the singular throughout (see note on Joshua 6:25). And said unto them. This speech is not, as Calvin, Maurer, and others have suggested, the same as that in ch. 24. (see notes there). Maurer believed that he was the first to entertain this idea, but he has been anticipated by Calvin. It consists largely of quotations from Deuteronomy. Joshua 23:2

Joshua commenced his address by reminding them of the greatest manifestations of grace which they had received from the Lord, namely, by referring to what the Lord had done to all these nations (the Canaanites) before them, when He fought for Israel, as Moses had promised them ( Deuteronomy 1:30 and Deuteronomy 3:22 ).