Joshua 23

AND it came to pass, a long time About 14 years after it. after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old, and stricken in age.

And 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, Iudges and Officers, which are here added for the restriction and explication of that general expression., and for Or, even for, &c. their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age.

And ye have seen all that the LORD your God has done unto all these Nations, because of you For your sake and good, that you might gain by their losses.: for the LORD your God is he that has fought for you.

Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain Not yet Conquered., to be an inheritance for your tribes You shall certainly subdue them, and inherit their Land, as you have done the rest, if you be not wanting to your selves., from Jordan with all the Nations that I have cut off i. e. With the Land of those Nations; the People put for their Land, as we have seen before; and as sometimes on the contrary, the Land is put for the People., even unto the great sea westward Where the Philistines, your most formidable Adversaries yet survive; but them also and their Land I have given to you, and you shall undoubtedly destroy them, if you will proceed vigorously in your work..

And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight, and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God has promised unto you.

Be ye therefore very couragious For it will require great Courage and Resolution to execute all the Commands of Moses, and particularly, that of expelling and destroying the residue of the Canaanites., to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom, to the right hand or to the left i. e. In one kind or other, by adding to the Law, or diminishing from it, as Moses speaks..

That ye come not among these nations i. e. Avoid all familiar converse and contracts, but especially Marriages with them, as it is explained, v. 12. and as the Hebrew Verb intimates; being oft used of coming or going in to a Woman., these that remain amongst you, neither make mention of the name of their gods To wit, unnecessarily and familiarly, lest the mention of them breed discourse about them, and so by degrees bring a man to the approbation and worship of them. Compare Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 3. Psal. 16. 4. Eph. 5. 3., nor cause to swear by them Nor require or compel the Gentiles to swear by them, as they used to do, especially in Leagues and Contracts, which therefore the Israelites are here implicitely forbidden to make with them., neither serve them, nor bow your selves unto them Neither give them any inward reverence, or outward adoration. Here is an observable gradation, whereby he shows what notable Progress Sin usually makes, and what need there is to look to the beginnings of it, forasmuch as a civil and common conversation with their persons was likely to bring them, and indeed did actually bring them, by insensible steps, to the Worship of their gods. So it is no wonder, if some things not simply and in themselves evil, be forbidden by God, as here the naming of their gods is, because they are occasions and introductions to evil..

But cleave unto the LORD By firm Affiance, constant Obedience, intire Affection, faithful Service and Worship of him alone. your God, as ye have done unto this day To wit, since you came into Canaan, since which time the body of the people (for of them he speaks, not of every particular person) had behaved themselves much better than they did in the Wilderness; and had not been guilty of any gross and general Apostacy from God, or Rebellion against him..

For the LORD has driven out from before you, great nations and strong, but as for you, no man To wit, whom you have invaded; otherwise some of those people did yet remain unconquered. has been able to stand before you unto this day.

One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you Impute not this therefore to your own valour, as you will be apt to do, but to Gods gracious and powerful assistance., as he has promised you.

Take good heed therefore unto your selves Now it requires more watchfulness and diligence than it did in the Wilderness, because your Temptations are now more and stronger; partly, from the examples and insinuations of your bad Neighbours, the remainders of this wicked people; and partly from your own Peace and Prosperity; and the Pride, Security, Forgetfulness of God, and Luxury, which usually attend upon that condition, as God had warned them, Deut. 6. 10, 11, 12.: that ye love the LORD your God.

Else, if ye do in any wise go back From God, and from his Worship and Service., and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them The Phrase notes the Matrimonial act., and they to you;

Know for a certainty, that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you By your indulgence to them, and converse with them, you will be inticed and drawn by degrees into their Errors, and Impieties, and bruitish Lusts., and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes When they have inveagled, and seduced, and thereby weakned you, then they will molest and vex you, no less than a severe Scourge does a mans Sides which are lashed by it, or than a small Thorn does the Eye when it is got within it.; until ye perish from off this good land They shall so Persecute you, and Fight against you with such Success, that you shall be forced to quit your own Land, and wander you know not whither, which must needs be very Terrible to them to think of, when they compared this present Ease, and Plenty and Safety, with the Pains, and Weariness, and Hazards, and Wants of their former Wandrings. which the LORD your God has given you.

And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth i. e. Of all flesh, or of all men, the way which all men go; I am about to Die, as all men must, Heb. 9. 27. The same Phrase is 1 King. 2. 2., and ye know in all your hearts, and in all your souls i. e. You know assuredly, your own experience puts it out of all question., that not one thing has failed Qu. How is this true, when so great a part of the Promised Land and People yet remained unconquered? Ans. God promised them to destroy all their Enemies, and to give them the whole Land, not at once, but by degrees, by little and little, as is expressed, Deut. 7. 22. and as was most convenient for them. of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you, all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing has failed thereof.

Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you: so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things The accomplishment of Gods Promises is a Pledge or Assurance, that he will also fulfil his Threatnings, both of them depending upon the same ground, the faithfulness of God., until he have destroyed you from off this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.

When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed your selves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given you.