Joshua 5:13

5:13-15 We read not of any appearance of God's glory to Joshua till now. There appeared to him one as a man to be noticed. This Man was the Son of God, the eternal Word. Joshua gave him Divine honours: he received them, which a created angel would not have done, and he is called Jehovah, chap. 6:2. To Abraham he appeared as a traveller; to Joshua as a man of war. Christ will be to his people what their faith needs. Christ had his sword drawn, which encouraged Joshua to carry on the war with vigour. Christ's sword drawn in his hand, denotes how ready he is for the defence and salvation of his people. His sword turns every way. Joshua will know whether he is a friend or a foe. The cause between the Israelites and Canaanites, between Christ and Beelzebub, will not admit of any man's refusing to take one part or the other, as he may do in worldly contests. Joshua's inquiry shows an earnest desire to know the will of Christ, and a cheerful readiness and resolution to do it. All true Christians must fight under Christ's banner, and they will conquer by his presence and assistance.

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho,.... Or "in Jericho" (i); not in the city itself, but in the border of it, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; or on the side of it, as Jarchi; on one side of which he was reconnoitring by himself, very probably seeking for a proper place where to make his first attack; or if he could find out some avenue to the city, whereby he could enter more easily; or it may be he was meditating a scheme how to subdue the city; and it is very likely praying to God that he would direct him, and succeed him.

THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN. (13) At this point commences the second great division of the book. The Passage of Jordan was the great event of the first portion; and for that Joshua received special directions from Jehovah. A vision now appears to him, to inaugurate his second great enterprise, which was to put the inhabitants of Canaan to the sword. The character of this vision should be carefully noted, as it is of the utmost importance to the interpretation of the book. (13) There stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand.—This should be compared with the vision which Moses saw at Horeb (Exodus 3), when the angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. The equality of the two visions is proved by the use of the same command on both occasions, “Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15). But the actual appearances must be contrasted. “The bush burning with fire, but not consumed,” presents to us the figure of suffering Israel in the furnace; and “in all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them.” The man with the drawn sword is the sign of victory. Jehovah no longer suffers with and in His people, but He stands forth to lead them with the drawn sword. In regard of this and earlier theophanies, see Excursus on Genesis 16. Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

(14) And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come—i.e., Jehovah will take part in this conflict, not as an ally or an adversary, but as commander-in-chief. It is not Israel’s quarrel, in which they are to ask the Divine assistance. It is the Lord’s own quarrel, and Israel and Joshua are but a division in His host. The wars of Israel in Canaan are always presented by the Old Testament as “the wars of the Lord.” It would be well to remember this aspect of the story. The conquest of Canaan is too often treated as an enterprise of the Israelites, carried out with great cruelties, for which they claimed the Divine sanction. The Old Testament presents the matter in an entirely different light. The war is a Divine enterprise, in which human instruments are employed, but so as to be entirely subordinate to the Divine will. Jehovah is not for Israel, nor for Israel’s foes. He fights for His own right hand, and Israel is but a fragment of His army. “The sun stood still.” “the stars in their courses fought against” His foes. “The treasures of the hail” were opened, which He had “reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war.”

Joshua 5:13 . When Joshua was by Jericho — Hebrew, in Jericho; that is, in the territory adjoining to it; whither he went to view those parts, and discern the fittest places for his attempt upon Jericho. A man — One in the appearance of a man. With his sword drawn — In readiness to fight, not, as Joshua thought, against him, but for him and his people.

13–15; Joshua 6:1-5 . Appearance of the Prince of the Host of Jehovah 13 . when Joshua was by Jericho ] having as yet received no special instructions as to the mode in which he was to attack Jericho, though the people, whom he led, were altogether untrained for such a work, he lift up his eyes and looked ] Compare the expression used in Genesis 18:2 of Abraham as “he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day” under the terebinth of Mamre, and “he lift up his eyes and looked and lo.” a man ] Some have supposed He was a created being, others, with far greater reason, that He was none other than HE, Who had already “manifested Himself” to Abraham ( Genesis 12:7 ; Genesis 18:2 ), and to Moses in the “Burning Bush” ( Exodus 3:2 ; Exodus 3:6 ), “the Word of God,” Who “alone hath ever declared” or revealed the Father ( John 1:18 ). with his sword drawn in his hand ] Compare the appearance of the Cherub at the Gate of Paradise ( Genesis 3:24 ), and of the Angel who meets Balaam in the way ( Numbers 22:31 ). and Joshua went unto him ] This shews that the appearance was not a mere waking vision. Joshua goes up to the mysterious Warrior and addresses him.

By Jericho, Heb. in Jericho , i.e. in the country or territory adjoining to Jericho, whither he went to view those parts, and discern the fittest places for his attempt upon Jericho, as generals usually do. A man; one in the appearance of man. With his sword drawn, in readiness to fight, not, as Joshua thought, against him, but for him and his people.

Jos 5:13-15. An Angel Appears to Joshua. 13. when Joshua was by Jericho—in the immediate vicinity of that city, probably engaged in surveying the fortifications, and in meditating the best plan of a siege. there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn—It is evident from the strain of the context that this was not a mere vision, but an actual appearance; the suddenness of which surprised, but did not daunt, the intrepid leader.

Verse 13. - When Joshua was by Jericho. The preposition בְּ , the principal meaning of which is "in" signifies here "in the immediate neighbourhood of," as in 1 Samuel 29:1 (where, however, the LXX. read "in Endor" ), Ezekiel 10:15 . Perhaps Joshua had ascended some hill in the close vicinity of the city to reconnoitre it alone, and here he received the directions which resulted in the miraculous capture of the city (see also Genesis 13:18 , where בְּאֵלנֵי cannot mean in the oaks," nor בְּחֶבְדון "in Hebron"). The LXX. translates the first by, παρὰ τὴν δρῦν . The Vulgate has "juxta" (cf. Genesis 14:13 ). Origen is much hampered in his exposition here by the translation "in." He asks how Jericho can possibly be holy ground when it is still in the possession of the enemy; and answers ingeniously that wherever the captain of the Lord's host is must needs be holy ground). He lift up his eyes. Usually, though not always (cf. Genesis 13:10 ), used of an unexpected or marvellous sight (see Genesis 18:2 ; Genesis 22:13 ; Numbers 24:2 ; 1 Samuel 6:13 ; 1 Chronicles 21:16 ). A man. This Divine or angelic vision came, as was often the case, in human shape (cf. Genesis 18:1, 2 ; Genesis 19:1, 2, 10 ; Genesis 32:24 ; Judges 13:3, 6, 11 ; Daniel 10:16, 18 ; Daniel 12:6, 7 . See note on next verse). With his sword drawn in his hand. As in Numbers 22:31 ; 1 Chronicles 21:16 (cf. Genesis 3:24 ). And Joshua went unto him and said.