Joshua 6:14

. These [are the countries] which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab,.... Which is particularly described, that each might know their proper portion: on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward; of the land of Canaan; of Jordan by Jericho, See Gill on "Numbers 22:1". Joshua 13:33 Ver. 33. But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not [any] inheritance,.... Neither on the other side Jordan, nor did he order them any in Canaan; but expressly declared they were to have no part in the division of it, though they were his own tribe; which shows him to be a disinterested man, that he faithfully observed the orders and instructions the Lord gave him: the Lord God of Israel [was] their inheritance, as he said unto them; what was given to the Lord out of the sacrifices, and the tithes, and firstfruits, that were theirs; see Numbers 18:20. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Joshua 14:1 INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 14 This chapter proceeds to give an account of the countries divided to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan, Joshua 14:1; but previous to that division relates the claim of Caleb to Hebron, through a promise made unto him by Moses forty five years ago, upon his report of the good land, whither he was sent a spy by him, Joshua 14:6; and the grant which Joshua made of it to him, with his blessing, Joshua 14:13. Ver. 1. And these [are the countries] which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan,....

6:6-16 Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was a shout of faith; they believed the walls of Jericho would fall. It was a shout of prayer; they cry to Heaven for help, and help came.

And the second day they compassed the city once,.... Went round it one time only; as on the first: and returned into the camp: which was at Gilgal, Joshua 5:10, so they did six days: four more after these two successively, and proceeded in the same order and manner as on those two days.

12-14. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord—The second day's procession seems to have taken place in the morning. In all other respects, down even to the smallest details, the arrangements of the first day continued to be the rule followed on the other six.

He said - The reading in the Hebrew text is "they said." Joshua no doubt issued his orders through the "officers of the people" (compare Joshua 1:10 ). Him that is armed - i. e. the warriors generally, not a division only. "The rereward" Joshua 6:9 was merely a detachment, and not a substantial portiere of the host; and was told off, perhaps, from the tribe of Dan (compare the marginal reference) to close the procession and guard the ark from behind. Thus the order would be (1) the warriors, (2) the seven priests blowing the cornets, (3) the ark, (4) the rear-guard.

The march on each of the next five days resembled that on the first. "So they did six days." In Joshua 6:13 , ותקעוּ does not stand for ותקוע, but corresponds to ותקעוּ in Joshua 6:8 ; and the participle הולך is used interchangeably with the inf. abs. הלוך, as in Genesis 26:13 ; Judges 4:24 , etc., so that the Keri הלוך is an unnecessary emendation.

14 . in time to come ] Heb. to-morrow : so Genesis 30:33 , Deuteronomy 6:20 , Joshua 4:6 ; Joshua 4:21 ; Joshua 22:24 ; Joshua 22:27-28 †. By strength of hand , &c.] See on v. 3. 14–15 . The children to be instructed (as in v. 8) on the meaning of the observance: it is a memorial of the deliverance from Egypt, and of Jehovah’s slaughter of the firstborn of the Egyptians at the time.

36 . save ] Heb. zûlathî , in the Hex. only here, Deuteronomy 4:12 and Joshua 11:13 . Caleb the son of Jephunneh ] In the O. T. Kaleb—probably meaning dog (as from a tribal totem, W. R. Smith, Kinship , 200, 219), though other meanings have been suggested1[110]—is the name both of an individual and of a tribe, as among other Semites; Nabatean Kalba (Cooke, N. Sem. Inscr. 237); Arab. Kilâb (Wellh. Reste , 176 f., 217) and el-Kleib, a small tribe, (Musil, Ar. Petr. iii. 120 f.). In JE frequently Kaleb alone ( Numbers 13:30 ; Numbers 14:24 ; Joshua 15:14 ; Joshua 15:16 f.); those passages in JE in which he is called son of Yephunneh 2[111] are usually regarded as editorial, but it would be rash to say that the name of his father was not already found in JE by the deuteronomists. In D and P Kaleb the son of Yephunneh ( Numbers 13:6 ; Numbers 14:6 ; Numbers 32:12 ; Numbers 34:19 ). According to J, Joshua 15:17 (= Jdg 1:13 ) Kaleb was the brother of Ḳçnaz (the sons of Ḳçnaz were Edomite, Genesis 36:11 ; Genesis 36:15 ; Genesis 36:42 ) and is called the Kenizzite in secondary passages of JE, Joshua 14:6 ; Joshua 14:13 f., which also explain along with Joshua 15:13 how Joshua gave him Ḥebron in fulfilment of Moses’ promise to him. In David’s time the clan was still distinct from Judah or at least the memory of its original distinction was then preserved, 1 Samuel 30:14 .

14 . Joshua a Beth-shemite ] Joshua the Beth-shemeshite. Our translators have copied the Vulgate in abbreviating the form, as in the case of ‘Benjamite’ for ‘Benjaminite.’ they clave the wood of the cart , &c.] For a similarly extemporised sacrifice see 2 Samuel 24:22 . Cp. also 1 Kings 19:21 .

Verse 10. - Zorah . The people of Zorah, or Zoreah, were the Zareathites of 1 Chronicles 2:53 ; it was the home of Manoah, and the native place of Samson (see Joshua 15:33 ; Joshua 19:41 . Other interesting references are Judges 13:25 ; Judges 16:31 ; Judges 18:2-11 ; Nehemiah 11:29 ). It belonged to the original allotment of Dan, and is constantly named in company with Eshtaol. Aijalon . The modern Jalo ; also originally belonged to allotment of Dan ( Joshua 10:12 ; Joshua 19:42 ; Joshua 21:24 . Other interesting references are Judges 1:35 ; 1 Samuel 14:31 ; 1 Kings 14:30 ; 1 Chronicles 6:66, 69 , 2 Chronicles 28:18 ). Hebron . One of the most ancient of cities still lasting, rivalling in this respect Damascus. It belonged to Judah and to its hill country ( Joshua 15:54 ; Joshua 20:7 ); it was about twenty Roman miles south of Jerusalem. Its original name was Kirjath Arba. In Numbers 13:22 it is said that it was built "seven years before Zoan in Egypt," but it is not said when Zoan was built. It now contains about five thousand population, but scarcely a tithe of them Jews. Its long stretch of history is full of incidents of interest, and is partially illustrated by the references that follow: Genesis 13:18 ; Genesis 23:2-19, 20 ; Genesis 35:27 ; Genesis 37:14 ; Numbers 13:22, 23 ; Joshua 10:36 ; Joshua 14:6-15 ; Joshua 15:13, 14 ; Joshua 21:11-13 ; 2 Samuel 4:12 ; 2 Samuel 5:5 ; Nehemiah 11:25 . 2 Chronicles 11:10