which he seemed to haue spoken clerely enough nowe he prosecuteth more distinctly not onely that the reading thereof might prouoke the people to geue thankes while the benefite of God shal be registred in the publike monumentes and as it were conuersant before their eyes but also that euerie one might enioy their inheritaunce without trouble or strife We knowe how wittie the couetousnesse of men is to inuent pretenses of going to lawe that no mans right might remaine quietly vnto him except a cleere and perfect definition of euerie mans right should take away all controuersies That region was geuen them without lot The rest might haue obiected because euen measure was not kept that inequalitie must be corrected Therefore that no vntimely strife shoulde euer trouble their peace the boundes are set in all places by Gods authoritie and as it were hedged in to cutte away all contentions For God doeth not onely by one worde adiudge the whole kingdome of Sihon to the tribe of Ruben but draweth the vttermost border from Aroer to the riuer Arnon and so in all the compasse doth either restraine them or enlarge them that the possession of one acre should not be in doubt And howe profitable so exact a description was we may knowe by prophane histories where often times we may see not onely hatefull but also hurtfull contentions haue arisen betweene neighbours about their marches Moreouer this diligence which God disdained not to vse to prouide for his people that they might continue in peace one with another doth verily declare his fatherly loue because he omitted nothing that might be profitable for their quietnesse And surely if prouision had not beene made in time they would haue bene consumed by ciuil and intestine contentions Once againe I would haue the readers excuse me if I labour not carefully in describing the situation of the cities am not curious in the names Yea I could well abide that some names shuld be taken appellatiuely and so translated which otherwise I haue thought good to leaue in their owne tongue as proper names This is worthie to be noted that where he speaketh of the land of the Madianites the Princes which ruled there are called the Dukes of Sihon that we may knowe that they were partakers of the same calamitie because they intangled them selues with vniust warre and perteined to the gouernement of Sihon which was a professed enimie And that it may better appeare that they were iustly destroyed Balaam is said to haue bene slaine amongst them by whose tongue they laboured to wound the Israelites more greeuously than with a thousand swordes as if it were saide In the verie slaughter there was found a banner of hostilitie by which they professed that they serued in warre against the Israelites Where it is said in the Hebrue that Iordan was the end the end that the repetition may not seeme to be in vaine we may aptly translate it that Iordan according to his â—oundes was their border 24 Moses gaue to the tribe of Gad c. The same reason is to be obserued in the tribe of Gad that it is hedged in with lawfull boundes that their possessions shoulde not be litigious or subiect to contention In the meane time the liberalitie of God is commended that he draue out nations of great renowme in whose roome he had placed them which is more clearely expressed in the halfe tribe of Manasse while in the portion of their inheritance there are rehearsed three score cities Whereby also it is made manifest that Moses was not deceiued in his liberalitie because God was not ignorant how manie cities according to his bountifull largesse he would geue them In the conclusion the tribe of Leui is againe excluded least the Leuites in time to come should pretende that the land which was graunted to the Gadites and Rubenites the halfe tribe of Manasses without casting of lotts was common to them also because they were by name forbidden to cast lottes with their brethren which they might easily haue expounded subtily for their owne aduantage that their part was left them in the other landes But now the sacrifices are not called their inheritance as a while before they were but God himselfe with whom if they be not content they bewray too greate pride and intollerable disdainefulnesse Chap. 14. THese also are the places whiche the children of Israel inherited in the lande of Chanaan whiche Eleazer the Priest and Ioshue the sonne of Nun and the cheefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed to them 2 By the lot of their inheritance as the Lorde had commanded by the hande of Moses to geue to the nine tribes and the halfe tribe 3 For Moses had geuen inheritaunce vnto two tribes and an halfe tribe beyonde Iordan but vnto the Leuites he gaue none inheritaunce among them 4 For the children of Ioseph were two tribes Manasseh and Ephraim therefore they gaue no parte vnto the Leuites in the lande saue cities to dwell in with the suburbes of the same for their beastes and their substance 5 As the Lorde had commaunded Moses so the children of Israel did when they diuided the lande 6 Then the children of Iudah came vnto Ioshue in Gilgal and Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite saide vnto him Thou knowest what the Lorde said vnto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea 7 Fourtie yeares olde was I when Moses the seruant of the Lorde sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espie the land and I brought him worde againe as I thought in mine heart 8 But my brethren that went vp with me discouraged the heart of the people yet I followed still the Lorde my God. 9 Wherefore Moses sware the same day saying Certeinly the land whereon thy feete haue troden shall be thine inheritance and thy childrens for euer because thou hast followed constantly the Lorde my God. 10 Therefore beholde now the Lorde hath kept me aliue as he promised this is the fourtie and fift yeare since the Lorde spake this thing vnto Moses while the children of Israel wandered in the wildernesse and now loe I am this day foure score and fiue yeares olde 11 And yet am as strong at this time as I was when Moses sent me as strong as I was then so strong am I now either for warre or for gouernement 12 Now therefore giue me this mountaine whereof the Lord spake in that day for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there and the cities great and walled if so be the Lorde will be with me that I may driue them out as the Lorde saide 13 Then Ioshue blessed him and gaue vnto Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh Hebron for an inheritance 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite vnto this day because he followed constantly the Lord God of Israel 15 And the name of Hebron was before time Kiriath-arba which Arba was a great
diuided into tenne tribes which number could not stand except they discerned the tribe of Manasse from the tribe of Ephraim Therefore it is certeine that they were not deceiued with so grosse an errour that they would cast two names vppon one lot For it had bene intollerable vnrighteousnesse to bide two tribes vnder the name of Ioseph that they might defraud them of the one halfe of their right Aâ—de herevnto that the portion of either of them was before distinctly described and set foorth with their seuerall boundes Therefore reason leadeth vs rather to this opinion When the lottes were cast vppon two tribes it came to passe by the wonderfull counsell of God that these brethren which had one father should be neighbours and lie both together therefore they doe vniustly find fault that they haue but one inheritaunce geuen them because neither was the negligence of Iosue so gâ—eate nor his minde so malignant that either for lacke of consideration or through enuie he would defraud them of their cleere and manifest right but hereof did arise this false complaint of the scantnesse of their landes because they made none accompte of all that grounde which was yet to be conquered by prowesse of warre as though the lott had placed all the other tribes beside in a peaceable foile And therefore Iosue with one worde doeth confute and discusse all their contention and quareling and turneth vppon their owne heades that crime whereby they assaied to make him to be enuied If ye haue such store of men saith he and so great a multitude why doe you not fall vppon your enimies whose region is geuen vnto you â–ª For if ye doe valiantly enter into the inheritaunce graunted to you by God trusting in his promise the successe shall not deceiue you We see that although they were wel prouided for yet they are blinded with their own slouthfulnes so that they complaine that they are pinned in with streightes because they would not moue their little finger to seeke the effect of their lot to haue larger roome Wherefore this place doeth teach vs if we thinke at any time that lesse is performed vnto vs than ought to be that we must diligently search ouâ— all lettes that we doe not rashly cast vppon others the fault that resteth in our selues 16 To whom they made answere c. It appeareth that they were too much addicted to them selues because they drawe backe as much as they ran that they might not geue place to the reason propounded by Iosue thâ—n the which yet nothing wâ—â— more indâ—â—ferent They obiect that the hill was vnfruitefull and as it was 〈◊〉 deserte so that if any thing were added they should feele small profite thereof As touching the plaine which was well occupied and fruitfull they obiect that they are shut out from it kept out of it through the terrible forces of their enimies Therefore they make mention of yron charriots as though they had neuer tried before that God could easily ouerthrowe as well the charriots as the horsemen But Iosue with a plaine and wise answere doeth well reproue both their couetousnesse and their delicacie slouthfulnesse If the forest saith he at this time be not fruitfull enough thou maist cuâ— downe the trees and make thee goodly feeldes so that if thou woulâ—est not spare thy laboure this dwelling which thou haste woulde serue thy turne well enough And as for yron charriots shall not let but God may performe that which he hath promised The inheritaunce is thine onely enter vppon it with such boldenesse as becommeth thee Chap. 18. AND the whole Congregation of the children of Israel came together at Shiloh for they set vp the Tabernacle of the Congregation there after the lande was subiect vnto them 2 Nowe there remained among the children of Israel seuen tribes to whome they had not diuided their inheritance 3 Therefore Ioshue saide vnto the children of Israel Howe long are ye so slacke to enter and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers hath geuen you 4 Giue from among you for euerie tribe three men that I may send them and that they may rise and walke through the land and distribute it according to their inheritance and returne to me 5 And that they may diuide it vnto them into seuen partes Iudah shall abide in his coast at the South and the house of Ioseph shall stand in their coastes at the North. 6 Ye shall describe the land therefore into seuen partes and shall bring them hither to me and I will cast lottes for you here before the Lorde our God. 7 But the Leuites shall haue no part among you for the Priesthoode of the Lord is their inheritance also Gad and Ruben and halfe the tribe of Manasseh haue receiued their inheritance beyond Iordan Eastward which Moses the seruant of the Lorde gaue them 8 Then the men arose and went their way and Ioshue charged them that went to describe the land saying Departe and goe through the land and describe it and returne to me that I may here cast lottes for you before the Lorde in Shiloh 9 So the men departed and passed through the land and described it by cities into seuen partes in a booke and returned to Ioshue into the campe at Shiloh 10 Then Ioshue cast lottes for them in Shiloh before the Lorde and there Ioshue diuided the land vnto the children of Israel according to their portions 1 And all the multitude c. Here is reported that solemne assemblie which was held at Silo where consultation was had for casting of the rest of the lottes For although they beganne to cast lottes of a godlie zeale yet that action was interrupted although the victorie ought to haue gone before the diuision which depended vppon the onely mouth of god Wherefore they come together in Silo to decree what was needfull to be done in time to come And there is no doubt but Iosue called this assemblie that he might shake away from them their slouthfulnesse For they vtter nothing of their owne accorde but he beginneth to chide them that they were slacke and slowe to enter vppon the inheritaunce which God him selfe had geuen them For we may gather by his speach that in the beginning they were full of cheerfulnesse but there followed no perseuerance And yet that obedience was adorned with the commendation of the holy Ghost which soone after vanished away And we must note that the people is reprehended not for that they were negligent in casting of lottes but because they did not possesse the inheritance which was offered to them by god And surely as the casting of lottes was a signe of some faith so that region which fell to euerie one of them was a sure and faithfull pledge of that possession which afterward they should haue for God did not trifle and plaie when he assigned to euerie one their portion The verbe RAPHAH which I haue translated To cease doeth signifie also To be
seuenth lotte came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families 41 And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir-shemesh 42 And Shaalabim and Aiialon and Ithlah 43 And Elon and Themnathah and Ekron 44 And Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalah 45 And Iehud and Bene-berak and Gathrimmon 46 And Me-iarkon and Rakkon with the border that lieth before Iapho 47 But the coastes of the children of Dan fell out too little for them therefore the children of Dan went vp to fight against Leshem and tooke it and smote it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and dwelt therein and called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father 48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families that is these cities and their villages 49 When they had made an end of diuiding the land by the coastes thereof then the children of Israel gaue an inheritance vnto Ioshue the sonne of Nun among them 50 According to the worde of the Lorde they gaue him the citie which he asked euen Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim he builte the citie and dwelt therein 51 These are the heritages which Eleazar the Priest and Ioshue the sonne of Nun and the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel diuided by lot in Shiloh before the Lorde at the dore of the tabernacle of the congregation so they made an end of diuiding the countrie Now he intreateth of the lotte of Nepthalie which seemeth to agree with the natures and manners of that tribe For Iacob had testified that they should be gentle vse faire speech to their neighboures After this manner it seemeth that of the one parte they ioyned vppon the children of Iuda and in other partes were compassâ—d about with the defence of their brethren Surely when it is said that the tribe of Dan tooke Lesen by assault there seemeth to be a secret comparison because the children of Nepthalie did not thrust into their inheritance by force of armes but kept themselues quietly in a peaceable prouince and so vnder the fidelitie and as it were the protection of the tribe of Iuda they were safe and at rest But where it is saide that the children of Dan challenged by force of armes the possession of the citie Lesen which was assigned them by God it happened after the death of Iosue But here is breefly and by the way enterlaced that historie which is set foorth more at large in the booke of Iudges for their valiantnesse was worthie of praise so to embrace the right graunted to them by God that trusting in him they went foorth manfully to chase away their enimies 49 When they had made an end c. Now at the length here is rehearsed the thankfulnesse of the people towarde Iosue Aâ—hough there ought to be an equall partition of the land of Chanaan among the posteritie of Abraham yet Iosue through the excellencie of his vertues deserued some honourable reward aboue the rest Neither could any man complaine that one man was enriched by the losse of many for first by his long staying shineth foorth the modestie of the holie man that he prouideth not for his priuate wealth before the publike state was well set in order For where shall you finde a man which after he hath declared one or two tokens of his manhood will not streight way make haâ—te to be partaker of the prey But Iosue did not so which thinketh not of him selfe vntill all the lande be diuided Also in the verie reward it selfe which he obteined the same temperaunce and frugalitie is seene He desireth a citie to be graunted to him and his familie which was indeed but a â—eape of stones for either it was destroyed and defaced with ruines or else there was no citie at all builded there But the coniecture may be likelie that to the intent his reward might be without enuie he required some such plot as was not verie wealthie If any man thinke it an absurditie that he bestowed not his labour freely let him consider that he obeyed the calling of God most liberally and freely and that he did not take so great trauell to indure so many dangers and troubles with the affection of an hireling But when he had executed his office willingly he was not to refuse a monument of the grace of God vnlesse with peruerse froward contempt he would haue ouerwhelmed his glorie For that prerogatiue which was offered vnto him was nothing else but a plaine testimonie of that heuenlie power which was shewed forth by his hand Neither can any ambition be here noted because he desireth nothing for him selfe nor rashely thrusteth in his couetous appetite but requireth to haue that honour which God had alredie bestowed vppon him to be confirmed by the consent of the people Yea if he had held his peace he had geuen a signe of slouthfulnes rather than of modestie Where as it is rehearsed in the end of the Chapter that Iosue and Eleazer made an end of distributing the lande it perteineth to a perpetuall Lawe of determination of their boundes that the children of Israel should stirre or moue nothing to weaken or deface that vnchaungeable decree of God. Chap. 20. THE Lorde also spake vnto Ioshue saying 2 Speake to the children of Israel and say Appoint you cities of refuge whereof I spake vnto you by the hand of Moses 3 That the slayer that killeth any person by ignorance and vnwittingly may flee thither and they shall be your refuge from the auenger of bloud 4 And he that doeth flee vnto one of those cities shall stand at the entring of the gate of the citie and shall shewe his cause to the Elders of the citie and they shall receiue him into the citie vnto them and giue him a place that he may dwell with them 5 And if the auenger of bloud pursue after him they shall not deliuer the slaier into his hand because he smote his neighbour ignorantly neither hated he him before time 6 But he shall dwell in that citie vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgment or vntill the death of the high Priest that shal be in those dayes then shall the slaier returne and come vnto his owne citie and vnto his owne house euen vnto the citie from whence he fled 7 Then they appointed Kedesh in Galil in mount Nephtali and Sechem in mount Ephraim and Kiriath-arba which is Hebron in the mountaine of Iudah 8 And on the other side Iordan towarde Iericho Eastwarde they appointed Bezer in the wildernesse vpon the plaine out of the tribe of Ruben and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh 9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the straunger that soiourned among them that whosoeuer killed any person ignorantly might flee thither and not dye by the hand of the
auenger of bloud vntill he stoode before the Congregation 1 And the Lorde spake c. Whereas it came not in their minde to appoint the cities of refuge vntill they were admonished againe it seemeth that their slacknesse is couertly reproued for this was decreed before by the commaundement of God beyond Iordan When the like and the verie same reason is here wherefore doe they staie why doe they not bring to an end that which they had well begonne considering that it was for great cause that innocent persons should haue safe places of refuge appointed them least the land should be defiled with bloud for except that remedie had bene vsed the kinsemen of them that were slaine by rashly reuenging their death would haue doubled the mischiefe Surely the people ought not to haue bene slacke in prouiding to auoyde that which might be a spot or defiling of the lande Whereby we may see how slowe men are not onely to doe their duetie but also to be carefull of their owne health except God did often pricke them foreward and prouoke them with the spurres of his exhortations Howbeit it appeareth by this that their offence was but of negligence that they are immediatly readie to obey and doe not prolong the matter nor hinder and staie so necessarie a busines with vnprofitable contentions But what was the lawe of these Sanctuaries we haue elsewhere declared For by them was no impunitie geuen to wilfull murders but if any man through error or chaunce had slaine a man that was not his enimie he had safe refuge vnto these cities which were appointed for the same purpose So God helped the poore wretches where they were without fault least they should haue suffered punishment vnworthily when they had committed no wicked facte In the meane time God of his clemencie graunted thus much to the brethren and kinsemen of them that were dead that their sorrowe shoulde not be increased by hauing them daily in their sight by whom they were depriued of their friendes Finally the people was accustomed to detest all manslaughter when such manslaiers as were acquitted of murder should be banished from their house and from their contrie vntill the death of the high priest For that temporall punishment did clearely shewe how pretious mans bloud is in the sight of god So the lawe both to the whole state and euerie priuate member was iust indifferent and profitable But we must note breefly that euerie point is not here sette forth in order For vppon this condition he that had slaine a man by chaunce might be preserued from danger if first he appered in iudgement to answer the cause and after it was throughly discussed and debated he were acquitted of murder as is more at large declared by Moses concerning this whole matter 7 And they appointed c. The verbe KADESH which here is set doeth signifie also To consecrate and appoint Wherefore I iudge that the citties were so chosen out as serued best for the common profite Whereby it is gathered that they did truely moderate themselues that priuate vtilitie gaue place to publique profite But in the next Chapter wee shall see that Kiriath-arba which afterward was called Hebron was translated to the Leuites whereas before it was vnder the dominion of Caleb Wherein the rare yea the incomparable continencie of that holy man appeared which willingly deliuered vp to other men as well the citie as the suburbes which he might well haue challenged to himselfe so soone as the lotte did shew that such was the pleasure of god And it was needefull briefly to touch this chaunge because God would haue the refuge to be only in the cities of the Leuites that their innocencie might be defended among them with more fidelitie and authoritie Chap. 21. THen came the principall fathers of the Leuites vnto Eleazar the Priest and vnto Ioshue the sonne of Nun and vnto the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel 2 And spake vnto them at Shiloh in the land of Chanaan saying The Lorde commaunded by the hand of Moses to giue vs cities to dwell in with the suburbes thereof for our cattell 3 So the children of Israel gaue vnto the Leuites out of their inheritance at the commaundement of the Lord these cities with their suburbes 4 And the lotte came out for the families of the Kohathites and the children of Aaron the Priest which were of the Leuites had by lot out of the tribe of Iudah and out of the tribe of Simeon and out of the tribe of Beniamin thirteene cities 5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim and out of the tribe of Dan and out of the halfe tribe of Manasseh ten cities 6 Also the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar and out of the tribe of Asher and out of the tribe of Nepthalie and out of the halfe tribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteene cities 7 The children of Merarie according to their families had out of the tribe of Ruben and out of the tribe of Gad and out of the tribe of Zebulun twelue cities 8 So the children of Israel gaue by lot vnto the Leuites these cities with their suburbes as the Lorde had commaunded by the hand of Moses 9 And they gaue out of the tribe of the children of Iudah and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities whiche are here named 10 And they were the childrens of Aaron being of the families of the Kohathites and of the sonnes of Leui for theirs was the first lotte 11 So they gaue them Kiriath-arba of the father of Anok which is Hebron in the mountaine of Iudah with the suburbes of the same rounde about it 12 But the lande of the citie and the villages thereof gaue they to Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh to be his possession 13 Thus they gaue to the children of Aaron the Priest a citie of refuge for the slayer euen Hebron with her suburbes and Libnah with her suburbes 14 And Iattir with her suburbes and Eshtemoa and her suburbes 15 And Holon with her suburbes and Debir with her suburbes 16 And Ain with her suburbes and Iuttah with her suburbes Beth shemesh with her suburbes nine cities out of those two tribes 17 And out of the tribe of Beniamin they gaue Gibeon with her suburbes Geba with her suburbes 18 Anathoth with her suburbes and Almon with her suburbes foure cities 19 All the cities of the children of Aaron Priests were thirteene cities with their suburbes 1 Then came c. Here is declared afterward that which should haue gone before For the cities of refuge were not geuen before they were assigned to the Leuites As also we must remember that which was saied before that Iosue and Eleazer made an ende of diuiding the lande for the lande was not iustly diuided vntill the Leuites had their dwelling place appointed them
hang ouer their heades it is all one as if they had founde a plaine and easie way vnder waters The place is described betweene two cities that the memorie thereof might neuer be forgotten like as also God woulde haue stones to be set vp there for a perpetuall monument that so wonderfull a benefite might be celebrated and praised of all ages vnto the worldes end Chap. 4. AND when all the people were wholy gone ouer Iordan after the Lorde had spoken vnto Ioshua saying 2 Take you twelue men out of the people out of euerie tribe a man 3 And commaund you them saying Take you hence out of the middest of Iordan out of the place where the Priestes stoode in a readinesse twelue stones which ye shall take away with you and leaue them in the lodging where you shall lodge this night 4 Then Ioshua called the twelue men whome he had prepared of the children of Israel out of euerie tribe a man 5 And Ioshua saide vnto them Goe ouer before the Arke of the Lorde your God euen through the middest of Iordan and take vp euerie man of you a stone vpon his shoulder according vnto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel 6 That this may be a signe among you that when your children shall aske their fathers in time to come saying What meane you by these stones 7 Then ye may aunsweare them that the waters of Iordan were cut off before the Arke of the couenant of the Lorde for when it passed through Iordan the waters of Iordan were cut off Therefore these stones are a memoriall vnto the children of Israel for euer 8 Then the children of Israel did euen so as Ioshua had commanded and tooke vp twelue stones out of the middest of Iordan as the Lorde had said vnto Ioshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel and carried them away with them vnto the lodging and layed them downe there 9 And Ioshua set vp twelue stones in the middest of Iordan in the place where the feete of the Priestes which bare the Arke of the couenant stood there haue they continued vnto this day 1 And it came to passe after c. That which he had breefely and darkely touched before concerning the twelue men nowe he setteth it foorth more at large and plainely He had sayd that they were chosen out of euerie tribe but breaking off that speache he declared not for what end they were chosen Now he saith that by the commaundement of Iosue they tooke vp twelue stones and set them vp in Gilgal that they might be a notable monument vnto the posteritie And for somuch as he rehearseth what was done after the people were passed ouer that which is interlaced must be translated by the Preterpluperfectense As for the Coniunction copulatiue it is easie to consider that it may be taken for a Causall or Illatiue The summe is thus muche that before the Priestes remoued one foote cut of the middest of the riuer where they stoode that the stones were taken from their feete and placed in Gilgal that they might be perpetuall witnesses of the miracle and so Iosue did faithfully perfourme that he was commaunded by god Wherefore Iosue calleth the men whom he had chosen out before but not without the commaundement of God that the testimonie might be of greater authoritie For if Iosue had set vp suche a tropheie of his owne minde his godlinesse in deede might well haue beene praised but the instruction perhaps woulde haue ben little set by as erected onely by the will of man But now when God himselfe doeth set vp a monument it is by no meanes tollerable to passe it ouer negligently Wherefore it was a monument woorthie to be diligently considered when he bringeth in their children demaunding of them What these stones meaned 7 Then you may answeare c. Although the stones speake not of them selues yet the monument of them geueth the parents matter of speach to testifie vnto their children what the benefite of God was And in this place are the elder sort charged to set forward the studie of godlinesse and to take paines in the instruction of their children For God would haue this doctrine to be deliuered as it were from hand to hand through out all ages that they which were not yet borne yet beeing instructed by ther parentes might be witnesses of that which they had had hearde although they sawe not the thing with their owne eyes And acording to the number of the tribes the stones were set vp that euerie tribe by their owne token might be stirred vp to thankfulnesse In deed the two tribes and the halfe whose inheritance was allotted to them on the other side of Iordan had no neede of that passage for their owne partes But because the lande of Chanaan was possessed to the common benefite of the whole stocke of Abraham it was not meete that some of them should haue bene seuered from the rest seing there was a common cause perteining to them all And although hitherto there is no mention made but of these twelue men yet by this clause it appeareth that the commandement was geuen to all the people because it is saide that the children of Israel were obedient vnto the wordes of Iosue It is like also that they were chosen by voyces which should carrie these stones in the name of all the rest 9 Twelue stones also c. It seemeth there was no vse of these stones which should lie vnder the water and therfore it was a vaine thing to lay stones to be ouerwhelmed in the deepest place For by the other that were set vp in Gilgal because they were in open sight occasion was geuen to enquire what was the cause of their erection But those that lay in the botome of the riuer hidden from the sight of men were nothing auaileable to stirre vp their mindes I confesse it had beene an vnprofitable monument if it had beene altogether buried in silence but when they rehersed one to another that they had leafce in the chanel of the riuer a token of their passage it was availeable to the confirmation of their faith to heare of that which they saw not The Arke of the couenant was inclosed in the sanctuarie and couered with a vaile that was ouer it and yet that glorie which was hidden was not vnprofitable when they lerned out of the lawe that the couenant of God was there laide vp It may be also that when the waters of the riuer were fallen the heape of stones might be seene at some times But that which I saide before is more like to be true that although Iosue hid stones in the botome of the riuer yet he made thereof a profitable testimonie to the people which afterward might be sett forth in the speach talke of all men 10 So the Priestes which bare the Arke stoâ—â— in the middest of Iordan vntill euerie thing was finished that
God by whose hand he doeth notably shewe foorth his power that they might obtaine due honour and reuerence amongest vs But if an many will obiecte That the people are saide to haue feared Iosue euen as they feared Moses it is confuted by so many troubles and seditions which they raised against him not onely frowardly but also furiously The answeare is easie that the whole time is not comprehended since they came out of Egypt but onely that time is noted in which after they were subdued and camed with punishmentes they beganne obediently to reuerence Moses For nowe his quiet gouernement is described after they had shaken off their olde frowardenesse but especially when their seditious fathers were dead a better issue succeeded in their place And therefore we reade not that it was any trouble to rule and gouerne them That which I haue alreadie expounded I doe nowe touche breefly For at the beginning when Iosue exhorted them to obedience they saide They woulde be obedient euen as they were before to Moses 16 Command the Priestes c. Nowe it is more plainely expressed with howe quiet and obedient mindes the Priestes submitted them selues to the pleasure of God for they moued not a foote vntill Iosue commaunded them to retire And as it was singular vertue in them to be so tractable and obedient so the fatherly carefulnesse of God sheweth foorth it selfe in this that he vouchsafed to direct and guide almost euerie steppe they remoued with his owne voyce least any doubtfulnesse should make them slacker in their office Then followeth a more notable confirmation of the miracle that as soone as they were come vp to the banke the riuer Iordane beganne to flowe as it was woont to doe For except it had returned vnto the olde nature thereof and that soudeinly many woulde haue imagined some secrete cause of that chaunge but yet suche as came by chaunce But when God doeth set foorth his power and grace at suche narrowe pinches and moments of time all doubtfulnesse is taken away So soone as the Priestes feete were wette with the water Iordane went backewarde nowe at their departure he recouereth his free course and that at the same instant that they were come vp vpon the banke For the drie lande is here taken for that part whiche was not couered with the ouerflowing So the riuer although he could not speake yet was he an excellent crier to testifie with a most lowde voyce that Heauen and Earth are subiect to the God of Israel 19 So the people came vp out of Iordan the tenth day of the first moneth and pitched in Gilgal in the East side of Iericho 20 Also the twelue stones which they tooke out of Iordan did Ioshua pitche in Gilgal 21 And he spake vnto the children of Israel saying When your children shall aske their fathers in time to come and say What meane these stones 22 Then ye shall shewe your children and say Israel came ouer this Iordan on drie lande 23 For the Lorde your God dried vp the waters of Iordan before you vntill ye were gone ouer as the Lorde your God did the red Sea which he dried vp before vs till we were gone ouer 24 That all the people of the worlde may knowe that the hande of the Lorde is mightie that ye might feare the Lorde your God continually 19 The people c. For what cause the day is noted in which they entered into the land and pitched their tentes therein we shall see in the next Chapter The name of the first station is called Gilgal by a figure of preuention because it was afterwardes so called up Iosue after their newe circumcision and the interpretation of that name in due place shal be considered But here is a speciall treatise of the monument of the twelue stones whereof although mention were made before yet nowe the solemne dedication thereof is rehearsed namely that Iosue did not onely make that heape of stones but also commended the vse thereof vnto the people that the famous memorie of the grace of God might flourish from the fathers to the children And whereas he bringeth in their sonnes asking them What these stones did meane We may gather that they were set vp in suche order as moued the sense of them that behelde them For if they had bene cast vp on an heape without any order it woulde neuer haue come into their posterities minde to enquire of their signification Therefore there was some notable order in the placing of them which would not suffer the beholders to make none accompt of it But because the couenaunt of God whereby he had adopted the stocke of Abraham was established to haue continuance for a thousand generations because of the vnitie of the bodie that benefite which God had perfourmed to their fathers which were dead is made common to their children which shoulde be borne many yeares afterwarde And this coniunction ought greatly to haue moued their mindes for by this meanes their posteritie was admonished that whatsoeuer was geuen in times past vnto their auncesters did also appeâ—â—â—ine vnto them Or else the answeare should haue bene little regarded if the grace of God had bene restrained vnto one day But when their childrens children doe heare that the riuer Iordan was dried vp before them many hundred yeares ere they were borne they acknowledge themselues to be that people towardes whom that merueslous fauour of God was shewed The same reason it is of the drying vp of the red sea although the matter was not so auncient Surely there were but two then aliue that is Caleb and Iosue which came out of Egypt yet he speaketh thereof to the whole people as though they had all seene the miracle with their eyes God dried vp the red sea before our face Namely for because in fauour of the perpetuall adoption whiche descended from the fathers to the children that benefite was graunted And it was expedient that the memorie of the passage through the red sea shoulde be continued not onely that the similitude of the miracle might cause credite but also that by hearing the historie of Iordan that former miracle might be renewed withall although no visible token thereof remained before their eyes 24 That all people may knowe c. He declareth that God did shew that token of his power not only that it should be published among his owne people but that the fame thereof might be spred far and wide among the nations For although God would haue his praise remaine in Sion yet would he also that his workes in some parte should be knowen to the straungers that they might be constrained to confesse that he is the true God â–ª and that him whom they had willingly despised they might feare against their willes as it is said in the song of Moses Our enimies are iudges For he signifieth that whether the vnbeeleuers will or nill yet this confession is wrested from them by the knowledge of the
workes of god But because it profited them nothing to knowe how great the power of God is Iosue discerneth them from the Israelites vnto whom he ascribeth a peculiar knowledge namely such as breedeth an earnest feare of God That the nations may knowe sayth he and thou maist feare god Therefore while the vnfaithfull do ouerwhelme the light in their darknesse let vs learne to profit in the feare of God by the consideration of his workes He addeth All thy dayes because the grace whereof he nowe speaketh was enlarged into many ages Chap. 5. NOw when all the Kings of the Amorites which were beyond Iordan Westward and all the Kings of the Canaanites which were by the Sea heard that the Lord had dried vp the waters of Iordan before the children of Israel vntill they were gone ouer their heart fainted and there was no courage in them any more because of the children of Israel 2 That same time the Lord said vnto Ioshua Make thee sharpe kniues and returne and circumcise the sonnes of Israel the seconde time 3 Then Ioshua made him sharpe kniues and circumcised the sonnes of Israel in the hill of the fores kinnes 4 And this is the cause why Ioshua circumcised all the people euen the males that came out of Aegypt because all the men of warre were dead in the wildernesse by the way after they came out of Aegypt 5 For all the people that came out were circumcised but all the people that were borne in the wildernes by the way after they came out of Aegypt were not circumcised 6 For the children of Israel walked fourtie yeeres in the wildernesse till all the people of the men of warre that came out of Aegypt were consumed because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord vnto whome the Lord sware that he would not shewe them the land which the Lorde had sworne vnto their fathers that he woulde giue vs euen a land that floweth with milke and honie 7 So their sonnes whome he raised vp in their stead Ioshua circumcised for they were vncircumcised because they circumcised them not by the way 8 And when they had made an end of circumcising all the people they abode in the places in the camp til they were whole 9 After the Lord said vnto Ioshua This day I haue taken away the shame of Aegypt from you wherefore he called the name of that place Gilgal vnto this day 1 When they heard c. The acknowledging of the fearefull power of God did so much preuaile with them that they were astonished through feare and fainted but it preuailed not to bende their mindes to seeke the remedie of their trouble Their heart was melted in that as men destitute of counsell and force they stirred not them selues but as touching obstinacie the same hardnesse did binde them still And we haue alredie seene els where that the vnfaithfull haue bene all amazed for feare and yet ceased not to wrestle against GOD and so haue fallen that still with their fiercenesse they haue cast stones against heauen Therefore that feare which should haue prouoked them to beware did nothing els but driue them headlong vpon their owne destruction Thus were they terrified by God in fauour of his people that they might more easily obteine the victorie and that the Israelites might haue better courage when they sawe that they had to doe with such enimies as were alreadie discomfited and halfe dead And so did God fauour their weakenes that he remoued all lettes and hinderances to make the way plaine for them other wise they were of them selues to fearefull and slowe The summe is this therefore that their enimies were alreadie ouerthrowen because the fame of the miracle had striken such a feare into them 2 That time c. It seemeth to be most vnreasonable and monstruous that circumcision was so long time omitted because they being admonished by dailie instructions should haue bene more diligent in practising all such exercises of godlinesse Circumcision was a seale of their adoption through which they obteined deliuerance And surely while they remained in their greatest miserie and morned vnder the tyrannie yet they did alway circumcise their children And we knowe howe sharply God threateneth that he will reuenge it if any omitted the eight day So that if they had neglected the keeping of that sacrament in Egypt their flacknes had bene more excusable for then it might haue seemed vnto them that the couenant of God was growne out of vse But now when the trueth of God shineth a freshe vpon them to establish his couenant what excuse can they haue if they doe not for their partes also testifie that they are the people of God That defence which the interpreters doe commonly alledge is altogether friuolous I confesse they were daily in a redines to remoue and that they were alwayes vncerteine when they should depart Neuerthelesse I say we doe not well gather hereof that they had neuer a day free for that purpose because it should haue bene a cruell thing to circumcise the young infantes when they should presently after remoue with the whole campe For nothing should haue bene of so great force with them that for it they should contemne that which was saide to Abraham The soule that is not circumcised shal be cut off frō his people And if there had bene any daunger of death the best and only remedie had ben to haue rested vpon the fatherlie prouidence of God which doubtles would not haue suffered that his commandement should be cause of destruction to the infantes Finally omitting of the sacrament in respect of perill could grow of nothing els but of distrust For if their infantes should haue bene cast into present daunger yet for all that they should haue bene obedient to God because the sealing up of the couenant by which they were receiued into the Church was more precious thā an hundred liues Neither would Moses haue suffered so great negligence if he had not bene induced by an other reason Wherefore ▪ as in a doubtfull matter I coniecture that they gaue not ouer circumcision from the first day of their departure out of Egypt but onely since that time that for their stubbernesse they were drawen backeward And by this reason is expressed both their falling away and their punishment For it is not sayed that they were circumcised agayne for that in their wandering through the wildernesse it behoued them oftentimes to chaunge their place but because fourtie yeares must be expired till those wicked backsliders were consumed which wilfully reiected the promised inheritance Therfore this cause must be well marked that the children of Israel wandered ouer the wildernesse vntill all that generation was abolished which refused to followe God Wherevpon in my iudgement we may gather that in token of Gods curse and their reiection the vse of circumcision ceased all that time It is true that this punishment was laid vpon the innocent children but yet it was
this admission Rahab receiued a singular fruite of her faith 26 And Iosue sware c. Therefore this consecration ought to preuaile not onely for one day but to admonishe the posteritie of all ages that this Citie was ouerthrowne by none other but by God himselfe Wherefore he would haue ruines and waste places in steed of a tropheie to remaine for a perpetuall monument because the new building woulde haue bene as a blotte to wipe out the memorie of the miracle Therefore that the deformitie of the place might renew the memorie of the power and grace of God vnto the posteritie Iosue decreeth with a seuere curse that no man shoulde builde the Citie being once destroyed And out of this place we gather that the dullnesse of men hath neede of many helpes least they burie the benefites of God in forgetfulnesse Therefore the sight of these ruines in which the power of God was plainely seene did as it were couertly reproue men for their vnthankefulnesse The summe of the curse is this That if any did euer attempt to builde vp Iericho againe he should feele by vnhappie and lamentable successe that it was a wicked and detestable worke For to lay the foundation vppon his eldest sonne is as much as to cast downe his sonne that being brused and ouerwhelmed with a heape of stones he might end his life miserably So to set vp the gates vpon his younger sonne signifieth as much as to take in hande that building which should not be finished but by the death of his sonne So he is condemned in his ofspring which should runne headlong into so great madnesse Neither did Iosue pronounce this curse of his owne head but as he was a proclamer of the vengeance of god So muche the more monstruous it is that there was a man founde among the people of God whom this terrible adiuration conceiued in solemne woordes could not refraine from suche sacrilegious rashnesse For in the time of Achab there arose vp one Hiel a Citizen of Bethel which was so bolde to prouoke GOD as it were of set purpose in this matter But the holy historie doth testifie likewise that the curse was not in vaine which God pronounced by the mouth of Iosue for in Abiram his eldest sonne he laide the foundation of new Iericho and in Segub his younger sonne he set vp the gates of it that in the destruction of his children he might acknowledge what it is to attempt any thing against the will of God and his determination Chap. 7. BVT the children of Israel committed a trespasse in the excommunicate thing for Achan the sonne of Carmi the sonne of Zabdi the sonne of Zerah of the tribe of Iudah tooke of the excommunicate thing wherfore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel 2 And Ioshua sent men from Iericho to Ai which is beside Bethauen on the East side of Beth-el and spake vnto them saying Go vp and viewe the countrie And the men went vp and viewed Ai 3 And returned to Ioshua and said vnto him Let not all the people go vp but let as it were two or three thousand men go vp and smite Ai and make not all the people to labour thither for they are fewe 4 So there went vp thither of the people about three thousand men and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them vpon a thirtie and sixe men for they chased them from before the gate vnto Shebarim and smote them in the going downe wherefore the heartes of the people mealted away like water 6 Then Ioshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth vpon his face before the Arke of the Lord vntill the euentide he and the Elders of Israel and put dust vpon their heades 7 And Ioshua said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou brought this people ouer Iordan to deliuer vs into the hand of the Amorites and to destroy vs Would God we had bene content to dwell on the other side Iordan 8 O Lord what shall I say when Israel turne their backes before their enimies 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall heare of it and shall compasse vs and destroy our name out of the earth and what wilt thou doe vnto thy mightie Name 1 But the children of Israel transgressed c. Here is rehearsed the offence of one man and that done in secret the fault whereof is ascribed to the whole people and not that onely but the punishment is laid vpon many that were innocent in the fault But it seemeth not agreeable to reason that all the people which were ignorant of the crime that was both priuate and secret should be charged withall I answere it is no straunge thing that the sinne of one member should redound to the hurt of the whole body If the reason thereof were hidden from vs yet it ought abundantly to satisfie vs that transgression is imputed to the children of Israel when the fault is restrained but vnto one man But because it commeth to passe oftentimes that not the worst men by winking at their brothrens offences doe nourishe their sinnes and so part of the fault is worthily laied vpon all them whom their dissimulation and forbearing linketh in societie with them By this reason S. Paule layeth to all the Corinthians the priuate offence of one man and inueiheth against their pride who being stained with so great reproch yet durst be bolde to boast and glorie But here it is easie to replie that all men were ignorant of the thefte therefore there is no place for that common saying That he is guiltie of the crime that may let it from being committed and doth suffer it to be done I confesse in deede it is not manifest why this priuate offence should be imputed to the whole people except perhaps for that they had not diligently punished offenders before times wherevpon it might growe that this wretch was made bolder to commit this horrible crime And verily euill weedes doe spring vp and bud out as it were by stealth and bring fourth hurtfull fruites if they be not plucked vp beetimes Although the reason why God maketh all the people guiltie of theft is more high and secret because he would haue them to be admonished in time to come with an vnwoonted document and instruction that by the wickednesse of one man all the rest may be made guiltie that they may lerne more diligently to beware take heede of vices Wherefore there is nothing better in this case than to holde our mindes in suspense vntill the bookes be opened where the iudgementes of God shall be openly seene which are nowe shadowed with our darkenes Let it suffice that the whole people was infected with one mans disease because the highest Iudge hath so pronounced before whom we ought nowe as well to keepe silence as when we shall be brought before his iudgement seate It is shewed of
their prayers bee defiled if God of his infinite mercie did not pardon them and wyping away the spottes did receiue them as pure And yet when they doe soe expostulate that they cast their care vppon GOD although this simplicitie haue neede of pardon yet is it more acceptable to God than the feigned modestie of Hypocrites which carefully take heede that no woord should escape them that might signifie to much boldenes yet inwardly they swell and are full stuffed with pride and stubbornnesse Iosue forgecceth modestie when he chideth with God that he brought the people out of the wildernesse but he groweth to further distemper when against the promise and decree of God he vttereth his rashe and troublesome wish I would wee had neuer come out of the wildernesse Which was all one as if he would breake the couenant of god But bicause his purpose was to maintaine and defend the glorie of God his vehemencie was excused which otherwise might haue prouoked God to anger Here wee are taught that the Saintes euen while they runne to the right marke doe often stumble fall which happeneth also sometime in their prayers in which the purenesse of their fayth well ordered affection of their obedience ought most of all to shine But that Iosue was chiefly carefull for the glorie of God it is euident by the next verse where he taketh vppon him the defence of it as a matter inioyned vnto him What shall I say saith he when it shall be obiected that the people haue turned their backes And he doth worthily complaine that he hath nothing to answere because God had made him a witnesse and publisher of his grace from whence a perpetuall course of victories was to be looked for Therefore whereas he had mightily extolled the power of God according to his office by Gods commaundement now by the contrarie euent he must shamefully hold his peace We see therfore that he was troubled with nothing more than with the shame of his calling not in respect of his owne reputation but that the trueth of God should not sustaine reproche before the world Finally because he had not brought the people into the land of Canaan but by Gods commandement now he calleth vpon him in this aduersitie as the authour and maintainer of this his enterprise as if he said Seeing I am cast into these streightes by thee that I may seeme to be a deceiuer it is thy parte to helpe mee and to minister matter of defence 9 And the Chananites shall heare c. He setteth forth another cause of feare least all the people thereabout which either subbued with miserie or terrified with miracles had hitherto beene quiet should soudeinly take heart of grace and runne vpon the people And this was like that as the power of God before had broken them and made them astonnished so they would boldly come downe into the battell as soone as they ceased to feele that GOD did fight against them Therefore he obiecteth vnto God the daunger of the time to come if he did not prouide in due season because the Chanaanites which hitherto had lyen bound as it were with numnesse taking this occasion would steppe foorth lustily and setting vppon the people being thus discouraged would easily destroy them But by the conclusion it appeareth that his principall care was not for the peoples safetie but that the honour of Gods name might remaine vntouched and not be subiect to the lewde scornes of the vngodlie which would haue come to passe if the people had bene cast out of the inheritance that was so often promised them That saying of God is well knowen which is conteined in the song of Moses My mind-was to destroy them but that I feared the pride of their enimies left happily they should say It is our high hand and not the Lorde which hath done all these thinges Therefore that which God speaking like a man pronounced that he feared nowe Iosue saith is to be preuented lest by this ouerthrowe of the people their enimies waxe so proude that they would triumphe euen against God himselfe 10 And the Lord said vnto Ioshua Get thee vp wherefore liest thou thus vpon thy face 11 Israel hath sinned they haue transgressed my couenant which I commaunded them for they haue euen taken of the excommunicate thing and haue also stollen and dissembled also and haue put it euen with their owne stuffe 12 Therefore the children of Israel can not stand before their enimies but haue turned their backes before their enimies bycause they be execrable neither will I be with you any more except ye destroy the excommunicate from among you 13 Vp therefore sanctifie the people and say Sanctifie your selues against to morrowe for thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an execrable thing among you O Israel therefore ye cannot stand against your enimies vntill ye haue put the execrable thing from among you 14 In the morning therfore ye shall come according to your tribes and the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families and the familie which the Lord shall take shall come by the housholds and the houshold which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. 15 And he that is taken with the excommunicate thing shal be burnt with fire he and all that he hath bycause hee hath transgressed the couenant of the Lord and bycause he hath wrought follie in Israel 16 So Ioshua rose vp early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes and the tribe of Iudah was taken 17 And he brought the families of Iudah and tooke the familie of the Zarhites and he brought the familie of the Zarhites man by man and Zabdi was taken 18 And he brought his housholde man by man and Achan the sonne of Carmi the sonne of Zabdi the sonne of Zerah of the tribe of Iudah was taken 10 The Lord sayd c. God doeth not simply reprehend Iosue that he lay along and bewayled the calamitie of the people seeing this was the way to obtaine pardon humbly to fal downe before him but that he gaue him selfe to sorowe without measure Although this chiding may be referred rather to the time to come than to the time past because he biddeth him make an end of mourning as if he said He hath lieâ— long enough prostrate he must shake off negligence for the matter requireth an other remedie But first in shewing the cause of the trouble he prescribeth a meane howe to take it away Wherefore he telleth him that the ende of the battell was therefore vnluckie for that being offended with the wickednesse of the people he hath refused the defence of them We haue shewed before why he transferreth the punishment of one mans sacrilege vnto the whole people for although they were not guiltie in their owne iudgment nor in the iudgement of other men yet the iudgement of GOD by which they were cast into the same condemnation had secret
within the walles I will not striue with him But if we consider that another litle towne was ioyned with the citie which was not verie great nor populous of it self it is more like that they which were slaine in the feeld are comprehended also 26 Ioshue withdrew not c. Because by holding vp his speare he gaue them a signe token as it were out of Heauen to hope well of the victorie he ceased not to retaine their mindes in the beholding thereof vntil they had obteined the citie By which continuance he shewed sufficiently how farre off he was from ambition that he shewed no token of baine ostentation and boasting For it was as much as if he renounced the office of a Captaine and ascribed the whole praise of the victorie vnto god How valiant a warrior he was it appeareth by other places And now he was redie enough to haue played the part of a good souldier and that had bene more apt to get him glorie and renowme But when his hand is as it were bound vnto his speare he doth only exhort his souldiers that they would looke to God alone vnto whom he resigneth the successe of the battell Neuerthelesse he preuaileth more by standing so still than if he had ouerthrowne great heapes of the enimies on euery side and this rest of his was more commendable than any agilitie that could bee 29 The King of Ai c. Although it seemeth he was more sharpe and seuere against the King of Hai to satisfie the hatred of the people yet I doubt not but his purpose was faithfully to execute the iudgement of god Conquerours are wont to spare the liues of such Kinges as they haue taken because their dignitie seemeth to drawe with it some reuerence but among those nations the state condition of the Kinges was otherwise in whome God would especially declare how much he detested their wickednesse whome he had so long borne withall For seeing they were all appointed to destruction the vengeaunce of God did iustly appeare sharpe and seuere in the heades themselues from whom the cause of destruction proceeded against the residue Adde herevnto that this shamefull death executed vppon the Kinges made the rascall people more reprochfull lest the people through follie and vnsesonable pitic should haue bene slacked in destroying of them And God of purpose deliuered the King aliue into the handes of Iosue that his punishment might be made the more notable and serue better for the example If he had bene slaine at all aduentures in the brunt of the battell he had bene exempt from this peculiar ignominie and shame Now doeth God also doe execution vpon his carcase after his death yea after he was hanged his bodie was cast at the gate of the citie where he vsed to sit in his throne and to exercise iudgementes And a monument is set vp to continue the reproch vnto the posteritie Yet mention is made of his buriall that we may knowe that nothing was done vpon a furious rage because Iosue did diligently obserue that which is commanded in the lawe by Moses namely that such as were hanged on the gallowes should be taken downe before the setting of the sunne because it is an abhominable sight And surely as it is a point of humanitie to lay vp the dead bodies under the earth so is it a barbarous crueltie to cast them foorth to be torne in peeces of the wilde beastes and foules Therefore that the people should not be accustomed to barbarousnesse God permitted them to hang vp male factours in such sort as they should not suffer them to hang longer then one day vnburied And that the people might geue better heede to their dutie in this behalfe which otherwise they would haue neglected Moses pronounceth that euery one that hangeth vpon the tree is accursed as if he should say that the lande is defiled with that kinde of death except the offence be immediately taken away 30 Then Ioshue built an altar vnto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal 31 As Moses the seruant of the Lord had commaunded the children of Israel as it is written in the boke of the Law of Moses an altar of whole stone ouer which no man had lift an yron they offered thereon burnt offerings vnto the Lord and sacrificed peace offeringes 32 Also he wrote there vppon the stones a rehersall of the Lawe of Moses which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel 33 And all Israel and their elders and officers and their Iudges stoode on this side of the Arke and on that side before the Priestes of the Leuites which bare the Arke of the couenant of the Lord as well the straunger as he that is borne in the countrie halfe of them were ouer against mount Getrizim and halfe of them ouer against mount Ebal as Moses the seruant of the Lord had commaunded before that they should blesse the people of Israel 34 Then afterwarde he read all the wordes of the Lawe the blessings and curssings according to all that is written in the booke of the Lawe 35 There was not a worde of all that Moses had commaunded which Ioshua read not before all the congregation of Israel as well before the women and the children as the straunger that was conuersant among them 30 Then Ioshue builded c. This first extraordinarie sacrifice God would haue to be offered vnto him in the land of Chanaan whereby the thankefulnesse of the people might be testified and the land might beginne to be consecrated with a solemne ceremonie For before this time they could not doe it freely and in their owne ground vntill they had obtained some voide region There were two things which God commanded at one time that they should set vp an altar in Mounte Ebal and secondarily that they should sette vp two stones and plaster them with plaster in whiche they might write the lawe that euery one which passed by might read it plainly Now we read that both was faithfully performed The third precept was rehearsing the blessinges and curssinges which Iosue did likewise execute with no lesse diligence Now to beginne with the altar it is saide that it was made according to the commaundement of God of vnhewen stones for whole stones ouer which no yron hath bene lifted are called rough vnwroughte stones This is especially prescribed of the altar whereof mention is nowe made Deut. 27. But the same lawe was geuen before generally of all other altars of stone The reason why is in vaine of the interpreters drawne out of an Allegorie that the hand and diligence of many is forbidden because that as soone as we bring forth our owne inuentions the woorship of God is defiled Which is in deede truly and skilfully spoken but out of place because the purpose of God was none other but to forbid altars of continuance and perpetuitie For we knowe that this was the lawe of right sacrificing that they
c. I said before that by good right this league was in vaine and to no purpose For what doe they winne if they obteine their desire but that they should bee in safetie if they came out of a farre distant region of the world And the oftener they doe repeate the same lie the more they doe abbrogate the couenant procured by deceipt because the league is not conceiued but in these words That the Israelites doe not molest a straunge farre distant people especially when the Israelites doe by name exclude all the inhabitantes of the land of Chanaan Therefore they should haue gained no reward by their subtiltie Neither doth it any thing helpe them that they doe deceiue the minde of Iosue with a false pretence of the name of god For they pretende that they were come in the name of God as though they professed that they gaue glorie to God and euen to the God of Israel in which wordes is contained a refusall of those superstitions vnto which they were accustomed For if it were true that they were moued to come by the fame of those miracles which were shewed in Egypt they ascribe the highest power to the God of Israel though vnknowen to them 14 So the men tooke c. They be vaine collections of them which thinke they tasted of the bread to feele whether it were moldie with oldnesse or that they did confirme their league with a feast whereas in my iudgement rather their too much credulitie is reproued that they did lightly beleeue such a feigned tale and that while they looke only to the bread they did not consider that this feigned deuise was without colour of trueth And surely if their senses had not bene dulled they might easily haue found manie thinges to disproue the Gibeonites But because the quickest sight is sometimes deceiued with a vaine shewe their error is more sharpely reproued that they enquired not what was the pleasure of god The remedie was at hande if they had attempted nothing without the oracle of god And the matter was of such weight as they ought to haue diligently enquired of it Wherefore it was a signe of grosse negligence when the Priest was at hand which by Vrim and Thumim might haue enquired an answere of God to decree vnaduisedly of so doubtfull a matter as though they had had no counsell to direct them Wherefore their rashnesse was the lesse excusable which was ioyned with such manifest neglect of the grace of God. 16 But at the ende of three dayes after they had made a league with them they heard that they were their neighbours and that they dwelt among them 17 And the children of Israel tooke their iourney and came vnto their cities the thirde day and their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriathearim 18 And the children of Israel slewe them not because the Princes of the Congregation had sworne vnto them by the Lorde God of Israel wherefore all the Congregation murmured against the Princes 19 Then all the Princes said vnto all the Congregation We haue sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touche them 20 But this we will doe to them and let them liue lest the wrath be vppon vs because of the othe which we sware vnto them 21 And the Princes saide vnto them againe Let them liue but they shall hewe wood and drawe water vnto all the Congregation as the Princes appoint them 22 Ioshue then called them and talked with them and said Wherefore haue ye beguiled vs saying We are verie farre from you when ye dwell among vs 23 Nowe therefore ye are cursed and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. 24 And they answered Ioshue and said Because it was tolde thy seruantes that the Lorde thy God had commanded his seruant Moses to giue you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land out of your sight therefore we were exceeding sore afraide for our liues at the presence of you and haue done this thing 25 And beholde nowe we are in thine hand doe as it seemeth good and right in thine eyes to doe vnto vs. 26 Euen so did he vnto them and deliuered them out of the hand of the children of Israel that they slewe them not 27 And Ioshue appointed them that same daye to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Congregation and for the altar of the Lord vnto this day in the place which he should choose 16 And after three dayes c. That within three dayes after the error being espied their lightnesse was reproued the speedie punishment ought to haue stricken them with more reproch and shame For so it was knowen that through to much negligence they were more than shamefully deceiued because they would not staie to enquire of a matter that was almost before their eyes That they take their iourney peaceably in that countrie that they enter safely into the cities and find victualles at will that proceedeth of the fatherlie mercifulnesse of God which doeth not only pardon their offence but also turneth into good that which of right should haue bene hurtfull vnto them And here is declared that the children of Israel doe not exercise any hostilitie in that contrie because the immunitie that was promised to the Gibeonites was confirmed with an othe Now it is first demanded Whether the Israelits were bound by any religion whose purpose was nothing lesse than to bind their faith to such deceiuers Then ariseth an other question Whether it were not in the peoples authoritie to breake that which the Capteines had foolishly and lewdly promised As touching the generall sentence the religion of an othe ought to be so holy amongest vs that vnder pretence of error we departe not from those couenantes euen in which we haue bene deceiued seeing the holy name of God is more pretious than all the riches of the world Therefore though a man haue sworne vnaduisedly no losse or hinderance ought to breake his promise And I doubt not but in this sense Dauid saith that the true worshippers of God if they sweare to their hinderance do not chaunge it For they will rather suffer losse than by breaking their promise bring the name of God in contempte Wherefore I determine if only our priuate commoditie be to be considered whatsoeuer we haue promised by othe is to be performed And by the wordes it appeareth that the Israelites were afraid to bring the name of their God in reproch among the nations of Chanaan For I vnderstand that it is saide for vehemence sake that they sware by the God of Israel But there was a speciall reason which made it free for the Israelites not to abide by that deceiptfull couenant because they had not only departed from their owne right but also they had gone from the commandement of God which it
was not lawfull to touch in the smallest point It was not in their power either to spare them that are vanquished or else to make any couenantes of geuing ouer and yeelding But nowe they indent as though the matter were in their owne handes We see therefore howe they haue twise dishonored the name of God while vnder pretence of an othe they doe obstinately defend that which they had foolishly promised But whereas the common people doe yeelde so much to their Capteines in that they hold their hands from the Gibeonits therein appeareth the honest simplicitie of that age For it had bene an easie matter to illude them that the whole people was not bound by the decree of a few men like as once the Romanes refused the peace called Caudina vnto which only the Consuls and Liuetenantes and Tribunes had sworne without the commaundement of the Senate the people Therefore that rude simplicitie was more commendable in which appeareth more reuerence and religion than too curious and neere sifting of matters in which the greatest parte of men at this day doe please themselues and greatly delight And although the people take it heauily that the Capteines haue taken vppon them more than was meete they shoulde yet it was a token of modestie that the people proceeded no further than murmuring and grudging 20 This will we doe c. Although they graunt the Gibeonits their life according to the couenant yet they doe not confirme the league but touching the one halfe thereof For whereas they should haue performed vnto the Gibeonites perfect safetie they take from them their libertie which was deerer than their life it selfe Whervpon we gather that Iosue with the rest as in a doubtfull and vncertaine matter deuised this meane way that the othe should not bee altogether in vaine The cheefe reason indeed of this deuise was to appease the multitude yet because they were highly displeased that the Gibeonites had so deceiued them they punished their craftie dealing lest if they had escaped without any reuenge the scornfull reproch might haue bene increased And this was an harde condition not only to be bound to slauish labor but also to be drawne from their houses to leade a wandering and an vncerteine life Therefore they are appointed to be cleauers of woode and drawers of water for the host which was an office no lesse base than painefull But this is an increase of the slauerie that they must cleaue woode and drawe water wheresoeuer it shall please God to place the Arke 22 Iosue called c. Because he was to pronounce a sharpe and heauie sentence against them he telleth them before that he decreeth nothing vniustly because it was nothing conuenient that they should take any aduantage of their owne craft and deceiptfulnesse Therefore he rebuketh them that they sought by making a lie to auoyde the daunger and afterward pronounceth that they were accursed by which worde I vnderstande that the fault of their bondage is laied vpon them selues that they susteined no harder punishment than they deserued by their fraude and subtiltie as if he saide The mater of that coÌ„demnation which he pronounceth was in them selues It is sharpe in deede that no ende is appointed to their labours wherevnto they were made thrall and so the wordes doe sounde There shall neuer faile to be seruantes of you But yet he affirmeth they shall haue no wrong because they were accursed through their owne fault As for them they excuse their fault as much as they canne by necessitie and yet they refuse not the punishment which they acknowlege they haue iustly deserued It may be they were so ouercome with feare that they refused nothing or else that without flatterie they did humbly and â—uetly submitte them selues to such conditions as were laied vpon them For what shoulde they haue preuailed by contending or striuing Because their conscience did accuse them and they were not able to defend their offence I doubt not but that they thought they were very gently dealt withall that their life was preserued Chap. 10. NOW when Adoni-zedek King of Hierusalem had heard howe Ioshue had taken Ai and had destroied it for as he had done to Iericho and to the King thereof so he had done to Ai and to the King thereof and howe the inhabitantes of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them 2 Then they feared exceedingly for Gibeon was a great citie as one of the royall cities for it was greater than Ai and all the men thereof were mightie 3 Wherefore Adoni-zedek King of Hierusalem sent vnto Hoham King of Hebron and vnto Piram King of Iarmuth and vnto Iapia King of Lachish and vnto Debir King of Eglon saying 4 Come vp vnto me and helpe me that we may smite Gibeon for they haue made peace with Ioshue and with the children of Israel 5 Therefore the fiue Kings of the Amorites the King of Hierusalem the King of Hebron the King of Iarmuth the King of Lachish and the King of Eglon gathered them selues together and went vp they with all their hostes and besieged Gibeon and made warre against it 6 And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Ioshue euen to the hoste to Gilgal saying Withdrawe not thine hand from thy seruants come vp to vs quickely and saue vs and helpe vs for all the Kings of the Amorites which dwell in the mountaines are gathered together against vs. 7 So Ioshue ascended from Gilgal he and all the people of warre with him and all the men of might 8 And the Lorde saide vnto Ioshue Feare them not for I haue giuen them into thine hand none of them shall stand against thee 9 Ioshue therefore came vnto them soudenly for he went vp from Gilgal all the night 10 And the Lorde discomfited them before Israel and slewe them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Beth-horon and smote them to Azekah and to Makkedah 11 And as they fled from before Israel and were in the going downe to Beth-horon the Lorde cast downe great stones from heauen vpon them vntill Azekah and they dyed they were more that died with the hailestones than they whome the children of Israel slewe with the sworde 12 Then spake Ioshue to the Lorde in the day when the Lord gaue the Amorites before the children of Israel and he said in the sight of Israel Sunne staie thou in Gibeon thou Moone in the vallie of Aialon 13 And the Sunne abode and the Moone stoode still vntill the people auenged them selues vppon their enimies Is not this written in the booke of Iasher So the Sunne abode in the middest of the heauen and hasted not to go downe for a whole day 14 And there was no day like that before it nor after it that the Lorde heard the voice of a man for the Lorde fought for Israel 1 When Adoni-zedek c. That which he touched before breefly he doeth nowe prosecute
their actes and deedes I truly by that worde doe vnderstand either God or Israel rather than the author of the historie 14 And there was no day c. Once againe we reade in the Prophet Esaie and in the holy historie that the ordinarie course of the Sunne was chaunged in fauour of King Ezechias For that he might be persuaded that his life should be prolonged by the space of fifteene yeares the shadowe of the Sunne was drawen backe by tenne degrees whiche he had descended Therefore it is not precisely denied that any such like thing hath bene graunted to any other but the miracle is extolled as singular Whereas some turne the Uerbe SHAMANG to obey I refuse it as to hard For though it is said in the Psalme that God doth according to the desire of his seruantes which is as much in effect as to obey yet it is better to auoide what soeuer seemeth to bring GOD in subiection Simply therefore the excellencie of the miracle is praised because no such thing had bene seene before nor hath happened afterward In the seconde member of the verse as well the gentlenesse and facilitie of God is commended as also his fatherlie fauour towardes the people for whom he is saied to haue fought 15 After Ioshue returned and all Israel with him vnto the campe to Gilgal 16 But the fiue Kings fled were hid in a caue at Mak-kedah 17 And it was tolde Ioshue saying The fiue Kinges are found hid in a caue at Mak-kedah 18 Then Ioshue saide Roll great stones vpon the mouth of the caue and set men by it for to keepe them 19 But stand ye not still followe after your enimies and smite all the hindmost suffer them not to enter into their cities for the Lorde your God hathe giuen them into your hand 20 And when Ioshue and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with an exceeding great slaughter till they were consumed and the rest that remained of them were entred into walled cities 21 Then all the people returned to the campe to Ioshue at Mak-kedah in peace no man moued his tongue against the children of Israel 22 After Ioshue saide Open the mouthe of the caue and bring out these fiue Kinges vnto me foorth of the caue 23 And they did so and brought out those fiue Kinges vnto him foorth of the caue euen the King of Hierusalem the King of Hebron the King of Iarmuth the King of Lachish and the King of Eglon. 24 And when they had brought out those Kings vnto Ioshue Ioshue called for all the men of Israel and saide vnto the chiefe of the men of warre which went with him Come neere set your feete vpon the neckes of these Kings and they came neere and set their feete vppon their neckes 25 And Ioshue said vnto them Feare not nor be faint hearted but be strong of a good courage for thus will the Lord doe to all your enimies against whome ye fight 26 So then Ioshue smote them and slewe them and hanged them on fiue trees and they hanged still vpon the trees vntill the euening 27 And at the going downe of the Sunne Ioshue gaue commandement that they shoulde take them downe off the trees and cast them into the caue wherein they had bene hid and they layed great stones vpon the caues mouth which remaine vntill this day 28 And the same day Ioshue tooke Mak-kedah and smote it with the edge of the sworde and the King thereof destroyed he with them and all the soules that were therein he let none remaine for he did to the King of Mak-kedah as he had done vnto the King of Iericho 15 And Ioshue returned c. This verse is interlaced not in proper place For immediatly after is annexed the ende of the battell and the punishment that was taken of the Kinges which followed after the battell It is saide also that they pitched in Mak-kedah at length in the ende of the Chapter is repeated that which is here saide without regarde of the order of the time of their returne into Gilgal Therfore that which is told of the fleeing and hiding of the Kinges agreeth with the historie before For when worde was brought to Iosue in the middest of the heate of the battell that they were hidde in a caue he prouideth wisely least if he shoulde haue bene occupied in taking of them the rest should haue escaped Therefore he commaundeth that the mouth of the caue should be stopt vp with great stones setteth men to keepe them that being inclosed as it were in prison they might be drawne foorth in due time to suffer death And hereof it appeareth that it was an exceeding great armie that when the Israelites followed fiercely at the backes of them that fled the Sunne himselfe gaue them leisure to kill them yet it could not be auoyded but that many escaped into the strong cities But this was sufficient to testifie the goodnesse of God that without resistaunce they slue as many as came in their handes vntill they were wearie and returned without losse For where it is saide that none durst stirre their tongue it is noted that the victorie was without bloudshed on the Israelites parte as if they had come foorth not to a battell but to a slaughter 18 Then said Ioshue c. When the armie was discomfited then Iosue did freely and at leisure take punishment on the Kinges wherein we must alway consider the commaundement of god Or else it had bene barbarous crueltie intollerable pride to tread with their feete vppon the neckes of Kinges and to hang vp their dead bodies vppon the gallowes For surely they were not long before lifted vp by God into that excellent dignitie placed in the royall throne Wherefore so to reioyce in despight of them had bene no point of humanitie but that God did so commaunde it But because he would haue it to be so we must rest in his sentence neither is it lawfull to enquire Why he was so seuere Although we must remember that which I touched before that seing from the highest to the lowest they were all worthie of destruction because their iniquitie was come vp to the full the Kings which exceeded the rest in wickednesse deserued the sharper punishment and secondly example of rigour without mercie was to be shewed in their person least the people fondly desiring the praise of vnlawfull clemencie should haue bene made more readie to pardon the rest For God would haue them all to be destroyed and the execution of this iudgement he had committed to his people And except he had sharpely pricked them forwarde to doe their duetie in this behalfe they would haue found out goodly pretences of graunting of pardon But that mercie is detestable which breaketh the authoritie of God for the will and pleasure of men Now when the honour of Kinges is not spared all cause of humanitie towardes the inferiours and the whole
vew them except all lettes beeing remoued his way had bene made open by God himselfe This also increased the miracle that the King of Geser which came to aide the other no doubt but with great boldnesse was soudenly and with none a do discomfited and nothing stayed his continuall tenour of marching for warde As for them that were slaine in the cities doe as it were in a glasse represent those men whose punishment God suspendeth while he is doing execution vpon others for although they reioyce in themselues for the respite of a short time yet they are in worse case than if they had ben drawen vnto death at the first It had ben a miserable thing to haue ben slaine in the feelde Well they escaped and defend themselues with the malles of their cities But there which is more miserable their wiues children are slaine in their sight and they themselues haue a more shamefull ende than if they had bene slaine fighting in the feelde Let vs not therefore enuie the reprobate their short truce while God doth beare with them for when they shall promise vnto themselues securitie soudeine destruction shall come vpon them In the meane time let vs not abuse the long suffering of God while he deferreth his iudgement and if wee shall seeme to haue escaped one danger or if any holes offer themselues to hide vs let vs not therefore please our selues but rather let vs thinke uppon that saying of Ieremie That some ripe figges hauesome tast but other are reiected for their bitternesse 40 And Iosue smote c. Here againe is brought in the authoritie of God which dischargeth Iosue frō all note of crueltie for if he had raged without respect vpon his owne head against women and children none excuse would haue serued but that it had bene detestable crueltie the like whereof is not reade of no not in the sauage and almost beastlie nations But that which otherwise all men would abhorre we must reuerently embrace because it proceedeth from god Clemencie hath cheefe praise among vertues and worthily namely when men that haue bene hurt and which haue priuately iust cause to shed bloud doe moderate their wrath But because God had appointed the swordes of his people to slaie the Amorites Iosue could doe no other but obey his commandement Therefore by this voice not only the mouthes of all men are stopped but their mindes are also restrained that they steppe not forth to wrong iudgement If any man doe heare that Iosue siue all that came before him without respect although they threwe downe their weapons and humbly desired peace this bare and simple report woulde trouble quiet and peaceable mindes but when it is added As God commaunded it is no more lawfull to speake against it then when execution is done vppon wicked offenders And although in our iudgement at least wise the children and many women also were without fault let vs remember that the Court of heauen is not subiect to our lawes But rather when wee see that greene trees are so burnt wee that are drie wood ought to bee afraid of greater destruction And surely if euerie man do well examine himselfe he shall find him selfe worthie of an hundred deathes Why should not God then find iust matter of one death in an infant yet scarse come forth out of his mothers wombe In vaine truely should we trouble him with murmuring and grudging complaintes that he did throwe the issue of the cursed nation into the same destruction for when wee haue all saied the Potter hath still full and souereigne authoritie ouer his owne vessels or rather ouer the clay The last verse confirmeth that which I saied before that all the people had their abiding place in Gilgal the soldiers that went forth to the warre returned thither both to refreshe themselues from wearinesse and also to lay vp their praise in safetie For it was not meete that they should haue bene dispersed farre abroade till the lottes were cast which shewed where euery one shouldabide Chap. 11. ANd when Iabin King of Hazor had heard this then hee sent to Iobab King of Madon and to the King of Shimron and to the King of Achshaph 2 And vnto the Kinges that were by the North in the mountains and plaines towarde the Southside of Cinneroth and in the vallies and in the borders of Dor Westward 3 And vnto the Chanaanites both by East by West and vnto the Amorites and Hittites and Perizzites and Iebusites in the mountaines and vnto the Hiuites vnder Hermon in the land of Mizpeh 4 And they came out and all their hoastes with them many people as the sand that is on the Sea shoare for multitude with horses and charriots exceeding many 5 So all these Kinges met together and came and pitched together at the waters of Merom for to fight against Israel 6 Then the Lord saide vnto Ioshue Be not afraide for them for to morrowe about this time will I deliuer them all slaine before Israel Thou shalt hough their horses burne their charriots wtih fire 7 Then came Ioshue and all the men of warre with him against them by the waters of Merom soudeinly and fell vpon them 8 And the Lord gaue them into the hand of Israel and they smote them and chased them vnto great Sidon and vnto Misrephothmaim and vnto the vallie of Mizpeh Eastwarde and smote them vntill they had none remaining of them 9 And Ioshue did vnto them as the Lorde bade him hee houghed their horses and burnt their charriots with fire 10 At that time also Ioshue turned backe and tooke Hazor and smote the King thereof with the sworde for Hazor before time was the head of all those kingdomes 11 Moreouer they smote all the persons that were therin with the edge of the sworde vtterly destroying all leauing ' none aliue and he burnt Hazor with fire 12 So all the cities of those Kings and all the Kings of them did Ioshue take and smote them with the edge of the sworde and vtterly destroyed them as Moses the seruante of the Lorde had commaunded 13 But Israel burnt none of the cities that stoode still in their strength saue Hazor only that Ioshue burnt 14 And all the spoile of these cities and the cattell the children of Israel tooke for their praie but they smote euerie man with the edge of the sworde vntill they had destroyed them not leauing one aliue 1 When Iabin c. In this new conspiracie also doth shine the louing care of God more than fatherlie in preuenting the daungers of his seruantes and also his mercie and kindenesse in helping their infirmitie If Iabin with his confederates which are nowe mentioned had ioyned with the former Kinges the weight of the warre would haue lien more heauie vppon the Israelites and greater care and doubtfulnesse would haue troubled them Indeed it had bene as easie for God to haue ouerthrowen that huge armie all together and to haue
not make them serue for the warres yet the price of them was not to be despised if they had bene solde But Iosue thought it not good to consider any thing but that which pleased god Now because he had obteined through his vertue that he had the people tractable and obedient that which was performed by all men is reckoned in the praise of one man. 12 All the cities of these Kinges c When the armie was throughly discomfited then they began to waste spoile the contrie to take sacke the cities Where it is said that the cities which remained vntouched were not burned thereof we may gather a likely coniecture that some were taken by force and assault and so destroyed Only Hazor after it was taken the heate appeased was consumed with fire because it was the firebrand to kindle the rest vnto warre Moreouer that which we haue seene before that Iosue refrained not the heate of his wrath vntill he had slaiue all from the greatest to the least it is often and plainely repeated in this place For that which before was not expressed is now plainely set downe that Iosue did faithfully perfourme his duetie because he accomplished that which God by Moses had commaunded Therefore it was euen as much as if he had consecrated his handes vnto God when he destroyed those nations according to his commandement For thus we must take it though all the world condemne vs yet it is sufficient to discharge vs of all crime that we haue God for our authour In the meane time we must wisely consider what euerie mans vocation requireth that no man take vpon him to followe Iosue in the licentiousnesse of his owne zeale least he be iudged a cruel bloudsucker rather than a seuere minister of God. 15 As the Lorde had commaunded Moses his seruant so did Moses commaunde Ioshue and so did Ioshue he left nothing vndone of all that the Lord had commaunded Moses 16 So Ioshue tooke all this land of the mountaines and all the South and all the land of Goshen and the lowe countrie and the plaine and the mountaine of Israel and the lowe countrie of the same 17 From the mount Halak that goeth vp to Seir euen vnto Baal-gad in the vallie of Lebanon vnder mount Hermon and all their Kings he tooke and smote them and slewe them 18 Ioshue made warre long time with all those Kinges 19 Neither was there any citie that made peace with the children of Israel saue those Hiuites that inhabited Gibeon all other they tooke by battell 20 For it came of the Lorde to harden their heartes that they should come against Israel in battell to the intent that they shuld destroy them vtterly and shewe them no mercie but that they should bring them to nought as the Lorde had commaunded Moses 21 And that same season came Ioshue and destroyed the Anakims out of the mountaines as out of Hebron out of Debir out of Anab and out of all the mountaines of Iudah and out of all the mountaines of Israel Ioshue destroyed them vtterly with their cities 22 There was no Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel onely in Azzah in Gath and in Ashdod were they left 23 So Ioshue tooke the whole land according to all that the Lord had said vnto Moses and Ioshue gaue it for an inheritance vnto Israel according to their portions through their tribes then the land was at rest without warre 16 And Iosue tooke c. In the continuall course of these victories when the land of it selfe did spue out the olde inhabitantes to giue place vnto the Israelites it did openly appeare which is said in the Psalme Although they fought valiantly yet they conquered not the land with their swordes nor 〈◊〉 them selues with their owne arme but by the hand and arme and brightnesse of the countenance of God they obteined all thinges For this purpose the places and regions are reckoned vp that we may knowe that God proceeded with a continuall course in that woorke which he began But they are deceiued which thinke a certeine mountaine to be noted by the name of Israel because it will appeare in the end of the Chapter that the hillie part is indifferently called by the name of Israel and Iuda Wherefore the singular number is put for the plurall because the mountaines of the tenne tribes are compared with the mountaines of Iuda Therefore this opposition must be vnderstood In the other hill the name is doubtful some take it for a diuision as though the hill were cutte in two partes other for smooth because it was without trees like as a mans heade becommeth smooth with baldnesse Let the readers take their choise in a matter vncerteine and of small effect 18 Many dayes c. Before within a short time and as it were with a swift course he had conquered fiue kingdomes in the rest there was another respect not through slacknesse or wearinesse or idlenesse but because God did exercise his people diuersly that his manifold grace might appeare more manifestly which for the most part is not esteemed of vs if it shewe it selfe all after one manner Therefore like as before that wonderfull easinesse of victories did set foorth the power of God so this lingering warfare did declare the redie helpe of God by many documentes Neither did it so happen soudenly and vnlooked for for God shewed aforehand by Moses that it should so come to passe least if the lande were streight way made desolate the wilde beastes would increale vpon it Finally we see here as it were in a glasse that whatsoeuer God promised by Moses was performed in deede and plaine effect But with the truth of the promises we must also consider the singular fauour of God toward his chosen people that as a prouident and carefull housholder he neglected or omitted not any thing that might serue for their profit 19 There was no citie which made peace c. At the first sight it is contrarie to this sentence that which is often repeted by Moses that the Israelites should not make any couenant with those nations nor admitte any conditions of peace but vtterly consume and destroy their race â—sâ—ed their name Therefore seeing they were excluded from all couenantes and should haue desired peace in vaine it is against reason that their destruction should be imputed to their owne stubbornesse when they coulde by no entreatie haue obteined pardon For suppose they had sent Embassadours with oliue branches haue desired peace Iosue would streight haue answered that it was not lawfull for him to enter into any treatie with them because God had forbidden him Wherefore if they had assaied an hundred wayes to haue auoyded the warre yet they must needs haue ben destroyed Why are they blamed therefore that they did not desire peace As though they were not constrained of necessitie to fight when they sawe they had to doe with such a
people as would not be pacified Wherefore seeing they could not do otherwise the fault is vniustly laied to their charge that being constreined they set themselues against the furie of their enimies I answeare although the Israelites were forbidden to receiue them to mercie yet that the warre might be iust they were interteined with hostilitie And that was wonderfully gouerned by the secret prouidence of God that they which were appointed to destruction shoulde offer themselues thereto and by prouoking the Israelites should procure their owne ouerthrowe and vtter decay Therefore God which forbad that any pittie should be shewed on them draue them into such a furie that they might not be worthie to haue any mercie bestowed vpon them And in this behalfe it was not meete the people should be to curious or inquisitiue For when God on the one side forbad them to enter into any couenant yet would not haue them to shewe any hostilitie except they were iustly prouoked to doubtfull a disputation would haue troubled their mindes Wherefore this was the only way to be rid of this perplexitie to cast all their care on God alone And he himselfe according to his incomprehensible wisedome prouided that when they came to the point the course of the people should not be hindered with any let So the Kings beyond Iordan when they had first armed themselues suffered punishment worthily of their rashnesse For the Israelites did not set vppon them with open warre before they were prouoked Likewise after the same manner the Citizens of Iericho when they shut their gates offered warre themselues The like stubbornesse was in the rest which after the same sort gaue the Israelites occasion to fight Now it appeareth how aptly these thinges agree together that God commanded Moses that the nations which he had appointed to destruction should be vtterly defaced and rooted out and therefore he doeth open a way for his decree to take place when he hardeneth the reprobate Therefore in the first degree is placed the will of God that it might haue the preeminence as the cheefe cause For because their iniquitie was come vp to the full he determined to destroy them Wherevppon proceeded the commaundement of God geuen to Moses which yet should haue had no effect except the people had bene armed to execute the iudgement of God through the obstinacie and stubbornesse of them that were to be destroyed For this end doeth God harden them that they may turne themselues away from obteining of mercie therfore this hardnesse is called his woorke because it establisheth the effect of his purpose Now if they which feigne that God doeth spie out of Heauen what the pleasure of men is go about to darken with their cloudes so plaine a matter and cannot abide that by his secret working the hearts of men shoulde be bridled what else shall they do but bewray their owne impudencie They will graunt no more to God but that he doeth permit so they hang his purpose vpon the will of man But what saith the holie Ghost That their hardening was of God that he might cast downe headlong them that he would haue to be destroyed 21 And Ioshue came c. We haue heard in an other place what the sonnes of Anak were They were a race of Giantes with whose tallnesse the spies terrified the people so that they woulde not goe forwarde into the land of Chanaan Wherefore seeing they were so terrible it was a woorthie woorke to take them away that the people might be more cheerefull to hope well of their affaires For it had bene a verie hurtefull thing that such a sight should haue remained which daily should haue vexed and greeued them for feare would haue darkened the glory of God in the former victories and would haue ouerwhelmed their faith when they did cast in their minde that the hardest battell of all did yet still remaine Wherefore not without cause this is remembred among other helpes of God that the lande being purged from such monsters was graunted to be a quiet dwelling place vnto the people For the lesse credible that it was that they might be vanquished the more notable was the power of God in conquering them 23 Ioshue tooke c. Although Iosue was farre off from being conquerer of all the lande yet it is truely saide that he obteined the whole lande as God testified to Moses by which worde the generall sentence is restrained For this exception was added by name that the dominion which God promised should not be obteined but by little and little lest they should afterward haue bene troubled to fight against cruell and sauage beastes if they should haue cast them selues into a waste wildernesse Wherefore although GOD had not yet placed the people in possession of the promised lande yet he performed his couenant according to the condition with which it was made because he gaue them conuenient interteinement and as much as sufficed them for the present time And by the wordes may be gathered that other coastes are comprehended which were not yet come into their hande and full possession For it is saide that he did distribute according to their families that which he had conquered But afterwarde we shall see in the portion that lottes were cast for those countries which were subdued vnto the gouernement of the people after the death of Iosue yea many hundred yeares after Now the sense of the wordes is manifest that while Iosue was yet aliue the promise was begonne to be exhibited so that they neede not doubt to diuide the whole lande by lottes Chap. 12. AND these are the Kings of the land which the children of Israel smote and possessed their lande on the other side Iordan toward the rising of the Sunne from the riuer Arnon vnto mount Hermon and all the plaine Eastward 2 Sihon King of the Amorits that dwelt in Heshbon hauing dominion from Aroer which is beside the riuer of Arnon and from the middle of the riuer and from halfe Gilead vnto the riuer Iabbok in the border of the children of Ammon 3 And from the plaine vnto the Sea of Cinneroth Eastward and vnto the Sea of the plaine euen the salt Sea Eastward the way to Behtieshimoth and from the South vnder the springes of Pisgah 4 They conquered also the coast of Og King of Bashan of the remnant of the Giantes which dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei 5 And reigned in mount Hermon and in Salcah and in all Bashan vnto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites and halfe Gilead euen the border of Sihon King of Heshbon 6 Moses the seruant of the Lorde and the children of Israel smote them Moses also the seruant of the Lord gaue their land for a possession vnto the Rubenites and vnto the Gadites and to halfe the tribe of Manasseh 7 These also are the Kinges of the countrie which Ioshue and the children of Israel smote on this side Iordan Westward from Baal-gad in the
the first verse riseth a question because that after it is said that there were fiue principalities about the Sea coast the Auites are added in the sixt place Some thinke they are not reckoned among the fiue because it was a small prouince But let the readers consider whether there be not a secreat opposition betweene a people that was free and of their owne gouernement and of the fiue principalities Therefore because the state of the Auites was diuerse from the rest they are numbered seuerally And therefore a Nowne plurall is set for distinction sake But as for the rehearsall of these principalities is not made according to the dignitie or wealth of euerie one but Aza occupied the first place because it was next Egypt And the same reson is in Asdod the rest The Grecians after their manner for the Hebrue letter AIN put their GAMMA so they cal that Gaza which the Hebrues call Aza like as of Amorrha they make Gomorrha Wherby their error is sufficiently discouered which faine that Gaza was a Persian name so called of riches because Cambyses when he would make warre in Greece laid vp his treasure there But because in Luke mention is made of the desert of Gazaâ—it appeareth that a citie of the same name was builded neere to it but in another place Asdod is that Citie which the Grecians called Azotus Now all this Sea coast or that which is nigh the Sea is brought a long euen vnto Sidon And there be which thinke that the Phenicians in times past were Lordes both of Gaza and Azotus Nowe farre the mount Libanus extendeth it is well knowne for some time it comprehendeth the mount Hermon And for the length of it one part of it is called Antilibanus Of that mount Hermon the reader shall find Deuteronomie 4. Towarde the East is Hemath which is also called Antiochia of Syria 6 All the inhabitantes of the hill c. Iosue is againe admonished that although the Israelites did not yet possesse those regions yet he shoulde not deferre the partition but trust in the promise of God because men doe maliciously defame his power when they doubt of the end Wherefore it is said Only doe thou thy duetie in distribution of the lande neither let that bee exempted from the lottes which the enimies doe quietly possesse bycause I will haue a care to fulfill that I haue promised Hereof let vs learne in taking affaires in hand so to depend vppon the mouth of God that no doubtfulnesse doe stay vs Indeede it is not our parte to frame vaine hope vnto our selues but when our trust is grounded vppon God onely let vs obey his commandements because it is not to be feared that wee can be deceiued in the successe Afterward he assigneth the land of Chanaan to nine tribes an halfe because the Rubenites Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasses had their portion geuen them on the other side of Iordan And although there seemeth to be a vaine repetition in these wordes which Moses gaue vnto them as Moses gaue vnto them yet is there nothing super fluous for that in the second member the gift is confirmed as if God ratified that which was done Therfore as Moses gaue theÌ„ that land so let them remaine in quiet possession And for this cause he is adorned with the title of The seruant of God that no man should breke that decree which Gods faithfull minister had published by his authoritie And surely it was needfull to stay all controuersies which otherwise might daily haue arisen 14 Onely to the tribe of Leui c. This exception also was necessarie least the Leuites should complaine that they were vniustly disherited and so might raise great trouble about their right Therefore he admonisheth them that Moses was the authour of this distinction and with all teacheth that they haue no cause to complaine for any thing taken from them because a goodly recompense was geuen vnto them And although the sacrifices were not equally diuided among the Leuites yet it is sufficient that they all had their liuing of the first fruites and tenthes And as God by reward allureâ—h them to take charge of the holy things so likewise he exhorteth the people to performe and pay their holie oblations faithfully when he pronounceth that his sacrifices are their liuing 15 Moses then gaue vnto the tribe of the children of Ruben inheritance according to their families 16 And their coast was from Aroer that is on the brinke of the riuer Arnon and from the citie that is in the middest of the riuer and all the plaine which is by Medeba 17 Heshbon with all the cities thereof that are in the plaine Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon 18 And Iahazah and Kedemoth and Mephaath 19 Kiriathaim also and Sibmah Zerethshahar in the mount of Emek 20 And Beth-peor and Ashdoth-pisgah and Beth-ieshimoth 21 And all the cities of the plaine and all the kingdome of Sihon King of the Amorites which reigned in Heshbon whom Moses smote with the Princes of Midian Eui and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba the Dukes of Sihon dwelling in the countrie 22 And Balaam the sonne of Beor the southsayer did the children of Israel slaie with the sworde among them that were slaine 23 And the border of the children of Ruben was Iordan with the coastes this was the inheritance of the children of Ruben according to their families with the cities and their villages 24 Also Moses gaue inheritance vnto the tribe of Gad euen vnto the children of Gad according to their families 25 And their coastes were Iazer and all the cities of Gilead and halfe the land of the children of Ammon vnto Aroer which is before Rabbah 26 And from Heshbon vnto Ramoth Mizpeh and Betonim and from Mahanaim vnto the borders of Debir 27 And in the vallie Beth-aram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon the rest of the kingdome of Sihon King of Heshbon vnto Iordan and the borders euen vnto the Sea coast of Cinereth beyonde Iordan Eastward 28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families with the cities and their villages 29 Also Moses gaue inheritance vnto the halfe tribe of Manasseh and this belonged to the halfe tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families 30 And their border was from Mahanaim euen all Bashan to wit all the kingdome of Og King of Bashan and all the townes of Iair which are in Bashan threescore cities 31 And halfe Gilead and Ashtaroth and Edrei cities of the kingdome of Og in Bashan were geuen vnto the children of Machir the sonne of Manasseh to halfe of the children of Machir after their families 32 These are the heritages which Moses did distribute in the plaine of Moab beyonde Iordan towarde Iericho Eastward 33 But vnto the tribe of Leui Moses gaue none inheritance for the Lorde God of Israel is their inheritance as he saide vnto them 15 Moses gaue c. That
had his part doubled This is out of doubt that Gilead the sonne of Machir which was the great grandfather to these women of whom we speake did choose his seate in the mount Gilead Basan Therefore seeing he had by priuiledge without casting of lottes obteined an inheritance alreadie he ought not to cast lots in the land of Chanaan except peraduenture he placed but halfe his familie beyond Iordan For Hepher was one of his sonnes but not his only sonne like as the issue of the other fiue brethren might be diuided into more heades according to which number the diuision was made For we cannot tell in what degree the families were taken vnto whom their portion fell out in the land of Chanaan And we reade none other thing here but that tenne lottes were cast among the sonnes of Manasse beside that region which they had obteined before beyond Iordan Therefore it is in vaine to contend about the number the certeintie whereof wee can not gather out of this present historie for this before all things must be obserued vnto how many families the partition was made cōmon And it may be that the daughters of Selophehad had their patrimonie geuen them there For they are saide in deede to haue dwelled among their fathers brethren but the place is not assigned where Howsoeuer it is I doubt not but a mutuall equalitie was obserued that seing the rest were prouided for beyond Iordan they diuided the land that was subiect to casting of lots into ten families whose names are not here rehearsed 11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and her townes and Ibleam and her townes and the inhabitantes of Dor with the townes thereof and the inhabitantes of En-dor with the townes thereof and the inhabitantes of Thaanach with her townes and the inhabitantes of Megiddo with the townes of the same euen three countries 12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not destroy those cities but the Chanaanites dwelled still in that land 13 Neuerthelesse when the children of Israel were strong they put the Chanaanites vnder tribute but cast them not out wholy 14 Then the children of Ioseph spake vnto Ioshue saying Why hast thou geuen me but one lot and one portion to inherite seeing I am a greate people for asmuch as the Lorde hath blessed me hitherto 15 Ioshue then answeared them If thou be much people get thee vp to the wood and cut trees for thy selfe there in the lande of the Perizzites and of the Giantes if mount Ephraim be too narrowe for thee 16 Then the children of Ioseph said The mountaine will not be enough for vs and all the Chanaanites that dwell in the lowe countrie haue charriots of yron as well they in Beth-shean and in the townes of the same as they in the vallie of Izreel 17 And Ioshue spake vnto the house of Ioseph to Ephraim and to Manasseh saying Thou art a great people and hast great power and shalt not haue one lot 18 Therefore the mountaine shal be thine for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it downe and the endes of it shal be thine thou shalt cast out the Chanaanites though they haue yron chariots and though they be strong 11 And Manasseh c. It is not easie to gather how they were so mingled that they possessed certeine cities in the lot of Aser and Izachar when the tribe of Ephraim dwelt within their borders except peraduenture it was so prouided lest a more commodious kind of dwelling shoulde haue bene subiect to many quarelles and complaintes or else perhapps as the whole region was afterward better knowen some thing was chaunged in the former partition according to the rule of equitie Therefore this seemeth to be a new addition while it was knowen that the children of Manasse might be enlarged without the losse of the other Neither was there geuen them a peaceable possession which they might presently enioy but their inheritaunce was layed vp vnder hope that they might rest rather in the heauenlie promise than in the earthlie possession Yet that they obteined not those cities it is imputed to their owne fault for the lot was to them an vndoubted pledge of victorie Therefore they could not driue out the inhabitantes because they were not persuaded in their hearts that God was true of his promise and so they stopped the course of Gods power through their own slouthfulnes But the other fault was lesse tollerable when they might easily haue destroyed them all they were not onely slouthfull in executing the commaundement of God but being moued with filthie lucre they saued those aliue whom GOD had appointed to be destroyed For those whom we charge with tribute we doe in a manner receiue them vnder our tuition and protection God had appointed them to be ministers of his vengeaunce he had geuen them strength enough to execute the same but they were not onely slacke therein but also depriued them selues of libertie to doe well Therefore it is no meruell if God seuerely reuenged their so froward slouthfulnesse that those nations whom they had pardoned contrarie to the manifest prohibition of God shoulde bee come prickes to be thrust into their eyes and goades to digge in their sides Also here ariseth a question how they had cities graunted to them in the tribes of Aser and Izachar when both their portions was yet vnknowen Therefore by anticipation that is rehearsed which was not yet fulfilled Howsoeuer it be we gather that because of the ignorance of the places euerie parte was not so exactly diuided at the first but that it was needefull more or lesse to correct that which was first set downe And geuerally we must take it so of the tribe of Ephraim and the rest that many cities which they obteined were so wasted that they serued them to no vse Wherefore I doubt not but many ruines are here buried And then it is to be thought that where base townes were through the fruitefulnesse of the soile and other commodities noble cities were builded For surely Sichem was of sufficient renowne to haue had a name and a degree yet there is no mention of it here like as there is not also of Samaria which being the Metropolitane citie of the kingdome of Israel perteineth to the same tribe of Ephraim as it is well knowne Therefore it is manifest that many cities were possessed in euerie tribe whereof here is no mention at all 14 And the children of Ioseph c. Although they set a faire colour of excuse for their complaint yet they dissemble amisse that no more was comprehended in one lot than serued for one tribe Yet I can not tell whether the lot was cast confusedly for the sonnes of Ioseph and surely it seemeth against reason that it should be so Iosue was not ignorant nor yet the other ouerseers of the diuiūon that Ephraim and Manasse made two heads or two stockes and it hath bene often saide before that the lande was
of other tribes were not so streight but they conteined a greater number of cities than was set foorth before It is well knowen that the tribe of Leuie was the least of them all Therefore what equitie had it bene that it should haue bene enlarged fourefolde more than the tribe of Zabulon which we see had but twelue cities although it was much more populous In the tribe of Isachar are numbered onely sixeteene cities The tribe of Nepthalie nineteene The tribe of Aser twentie two Surely the diuision had bene vnequall if more cities had bene geuen to them that were fewer to dwell in Whereof it is gathered that not only the townes which are rehearsed as the appurtenances of the cities were apte for habitation but that other cities also were comprehended of which there was no mention made Finally by the lot of the tribe of Leui it appeareth plainly how large and how ample the dominion of the other tribes was 43 The Lord gaue c. If any man moue question of the rest the answere is easie that the nations of Chanaan were so terrified and amased with feare that they thought nothing more profitable for them than by slauish flatterie to redeeme peace of the children of Israel Therefore the contrie was throughly subdued and their habitation peaceable seeing that no man did either trouble them or durst enterprise any thing against them seeing there was no threatening no treason no violence or conspiracies But of the second point it is doubted how the children of Israel were placed in the possession of the promised land enioyed it so that not one syllable wanted in the promises of God of the fruition thereof Whereas before we sawe that manie enimies were dispersed amongest them The sentence of God was that not one should remaine aliue yet many they expelled not but admitted them for their neighboures as though they had bene partakers of the inheritaunce with them yea they make couenantes also with them How doe these thinges agree together that God gaue the people the possession of the land as he promised it which yet was excluded from some parte thereof by the force or stubbornesse of their enimies That this shew of coÌ„trarietie may be taken away we must discerne betweene the certeine cleere and stedfast faithfulnesse of God in keeping his promises and the â—â—ouch and negligence of the people whereby it came to passe that the benefite of God did fall away as it were out of their hands What warres so euer the people tooke in hand into what parte so euer they moued their standard the victorie was readie neither was there any other let or stay but that they might roote out all their enimies sauing their owne voluntarie slouthfulnesse Wherefore although they chaced them not away that the possession might be voyded of them yet the manifest trueth of God did appeare and set forth it selfe because it had bene no trouble for them to haue obteined the rest if the had listed to embrace the victories that were offered The summe of all this is that it was through their owne cowardise that they enioyed not the full and perfect benefite of God which we shall see in the next Chapter more plainly Chap. 22. THEN Ioshue called the Rubenites and the Gadites the halfe tribe of Manasseh 2 And said vnto them Ye haue kept all that Moses the seruant of the Lorde commaunded you and haue obeyed my voyce in all that I commanded you 3 Ye haue not forsaken your brethren this long season vnto this day but haue diligently kept the commandement of the Lorde your God. 4 And now the Lorde hath giuen rest vnto your brethren as he promised them therefore now returne ye and goe to your tentes to the land of your possession which Moses the seruant of the Lorde hathe giuen you beyond Iordan 5 But take diligent heede to do the commandement and Law which Moses the seruant of the Lorde commanded you that is that ye loue the Lord your God and walke in all his wayes and keepe his commandements and cleane vnto him and serue him with all your heart and with all your soule 6 So Ioshue blessed them and sent them away and they went vnto their tents 7 Now vnto one halfe of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had giuen apossession in Bashan and vnto the other halfe thereof gaue Ioshue among their brethren on this side Iordan Westwarde therefore when Ioshue sent them away vnto their tentes and blessed them 8 Thus he spake vnto them saying Returne with much riches to your tentes and with a great multitude of cattell with siluer with gold with brasse with yron with great abundance of raiment diuide the spoile of your enimies with your brethren 9 So the children of Ruben and the children of Gad and halfe the tribe of Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel from Shiloh which is in the land of Chanaan to goe vnto their countrie of Gilead to the land of the possession which they had obteined according to the worde of the Lorde by the hand of Moses 1 Then Iosue c. Here is reported the discharging of the two tribes an halfe which followed the rest of the people not that they should conquere any thing for them selues but because they had alredie obteined houses and landes without casting of lottes that they might holde out the common warre with their brethren vntill they also had obteined their quiet inheritaunce Now because they haue bene faithfull companions and helpers vnto their brethren Iosue pronounceth that they haue serued out their full time and so sendeth them home discharged and at libertie Yet it may be demaunded howe he iudgeth them to haue accomplished their lawfull time of warrefare when as yet a parte of the lande was possessed by the enimies the onely possession whereof ought to haue made a perfect end of that warre But if we call to minde that which I saied before this knot would be easie to loose If they had followed the calling of God and bene obedient to his power yea if they had not shamefully drawen backe when he reached out his hand to helpe them they might easily without any danger and with small trouble haue dispatched the remnantes of that warre Therefore through their owne slouth fulnesse they refused that which God of his liberalitie was readie to haue geuen them And so it came to passe that the couenaunt was fulfilled whereby the two tribes and the halfe had bound themselues For they bound themselues no otherwise but to accompanie the ten tribes and to fight as manfully for their inheritaunce as they would haue done for their owne Now seeing they haue continually shewed themselues faithfull companions and the ten tribes being content with their present estate doe not require but rather doe secreatly refuse their further aide they are by right permitted to returne freely vnto their owne And their patience is worthie of commendation that they are not
moued with any wearinesse to make sute for their discharge but tarrie quietly vntill Iosue himselfe of his owne accord doe send for them 5 Onely take heede c. He doeth so sette them free and discharge them of their temporall seruice that he bindeth them for euer vnto the obedience of the onely true god Therefore he permitteth them to returne home but on this condition that they serued God wheresoeuer they became Also he prescribeth the manner how namely that they keepe his Lawe But because the vanitie and inconstancie of mans minde is such that religion will easily vanish out of their heartes negligence and contempt will easily growe vppon them he requireth of them studie and diligence in perfourming the Lawe And he calleth it the Lawe of Moses that their mindes should not flee about vaine speculations in the aire but abide stedfast in that doctrine which they had learned of the faithfull seruantes of god Also he toucheth the end and summe of the Lawe that they loue God cleaue to him for else the outward forme of worshipping hath small weighte in it The same thing he confirmeth in other wordes that they serue God with all their hearte and with all their soule by which wordes sincertie is noted 8 With much riches Because we haue seene before that the greatest part of the two tribes were left behind in their lands beyond Iordan when the rest went ouer the riuer to goe on warrefare it was meet that seeing they liued in quiet with their families or els were occupied about their owne domesticall businesse they should be content with their liuinges and the fruite of their labours And surely it had bene against reason they should haue required any parte of the prey or spoyle to be diuided amongest them seeing they tooke no paines at all nor aduentured themselues into any daunger But Iosue standeth not vppon the extremitie of iustire but exhorteth the souldiers of their liberalitie to make them partakers of their prey Here it were out of season to dispute whether the prey were common to them all or no. For Iosue doth not simply pronounce that it was of duetie which he enioyueth them but only admonisheth them that seeing they were enriched by the blessing of God they should not shew themselues to be indued with humanitie except they were bountifull and liberall to their brethren specially seeing there was no fault in them but that they were readie to haue gone on the same warrefarre But when he biddeth them to distribute he doeth not exact an equall partition such as is woont to be made among companions and equalles but by geuing away some parte to take away the matter of enuie and hatred 10 And when they came vnto the borders of Iordan which are in the land of Chanaan then the children of Ruben and the children of Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Iordan a great altar to see to 11 When the children of Israel heard say Beholde the children of Ruben and the children of Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasseh haue built an altar in the forefront of the land of Chanaan vpon the borders of Iordan at the passage of the children of Israel 12 When the children of Israel heard it then the whole Congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together at Shiloh to goe vp to warre against them 13 Then the children of Israel sent vnto the children of Ruben and to the children of Gad and to the halfe tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest 14 And with him ten Princes of euerie chiefe house a Prince according to all the tribes of Israel for euerie one was chiefe of their fathers housholde among the thousandes of Israel 15 So they went vnto the children of Ruben to the children of Gad and to the halfe tribe of Manasseh vnto the land of Gilead and spake with them saying 16 Thus saith the whole Congregation of the Lorde What transgression is this that ye haue transgressed against the God of Israel to turne away this day from the Lorde in that ye haue built you an altar for to rebell this day against the Lord 17 Haue we too little for the wickednesse of Peor whereof we are not cleansed vnto this day though a plague came vpon the Congregation of the Lord 18 Ye also are turned away this day from the Lord and seeing ye rebell to day against the Lorde euen to morowe he wil be wroth with all the Congregation of Israel 19 Notwithstanding if the lande of your possession be vncleane come ye ouer vnto the land of the possession of the Lord wherein the Lords Tabernacle dwelleth and take possession among vs but rebell not against the Lord nor rebell not against vs in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lorde our God. 20 Did not Achan the sonne of Zerah trespasse grieuously in the execrable thing and wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel And this man alone perished not in his wickednesse 10 And they came c. This historie is very worthy to be remembred that when the two tribes and the halfe were determined to set vp a monument of their common faith and brotherlie concorde yet through vnaduised zeale they tooke such a way as was was worthily suspected to their brethren But the tenne tribes when they thought that the worshippe of God had bene defiled through vngodly boldensse and rashnesse being kindled with an holy anger they tooke armes to be reuenged vpon their bloud and were not pacified before they had receiued a full answeare and satisfaction For the end of the setting vp of that altar of it selfe was good and right For the purpose of the sonnes of Ruben and Gad and Manasse was to testifie that although they were diuided and parted asunder by the riuer yet in religion they were all one and mainteined a mutuall consent in the doctrine of the lawe for there was nothing lesse in their minde than to chaunge any thing in the worshippe of god But yet it was no small offence that they committed without asking the aduise of the Priest and their brethren to take in hande such a straunge peece of worke and secondly because the forme it selfe of their monument was such as might be taken in euill parte We knowe howe seuerely the lawe forbiddeth two altars because God would be worshipped in one only place Wherefore seeing vpon the very sight of it it came into euery mans minde that they had set vp a seconde altar who woulde not haue condemned them of sacrilege as though they had inuented a straunge and counterfeit worshippe contrarie to the lawe of God Therfore seeing their worke might haue bene thought to be vngodlie they ought surely in so great and weightie a matter to haue made their brethren partakers of their purpose especially they ought not to haue neglected the iudgement of the high Priest seeing they should
haue enquired the will of God at his mouth Wherefore they were worthie to be reprehended because that as though they had bene alone in the worlde they did not consider what offence might growe by the straungnesse of the example Wherefore let vs learne to attempt nothing vnaduisedly although the thing of it selfe be not euill but rather let vs alwayes remember that admonition of S. Paule that we must not onely consider what is lawfull but also what is expedient especially let vs take good heede that we trouble not the mindes of the godlie with any new or straunge examples 11 The children of Israel heard c. There is no doubt but that they were kindled with holy zeale neither ought we to think that this was too great vehemencie that for a heape of stones they armed themselues to destroy their owne countriemen For they iudged truely and wisely that the lawfull Sanctuarie of God was ouerthrowen his woorshippe prophaned religion defiled the consent of godlinesse torne asunder the gate opened to the licence of all superstitions if sacrifices should haue bene offered to God in two places for which causes he had so streightly bounde the whole people to one altar Therefore it is not without a cause that the tenne tribes doe so much detest the sacrilegious boldenesse in a prophane altar Wherefore here is set foorth vnto vs a worthie example of godlinesse that if we see the pure worshippe of God to be corrupted we shoulde seeke as muche as lieth in vs to see it most sharply reuenged Indeede the sworde is not geuen into euerie mans hande but euery man according to his office and calling ought mantully and constantly seeke to mainteine the pure state of religion against all corruptions But especially the zeale of the halfe tribe of Manasse was worthie of singular commendation whiche setting aside all carnall respect woulde not forbeare their owne familie And yet I confesse that this zeale as godlie as it was is not without some disordered affection for before they had enquired of the intent of their brethren and vnderstoode the cause thoroughly they make haste to decree warre against them I confesse they doe it not but vnder condition because they send Embassadoures which should reporte the cause vnto them when they had well and throughly vnderstoode the matter neither doe they moue one finger to take punishment before they were perfectly certified of the crime Therefore the heate of their anger may be excused whiles they prepare themselues to fight if there had bene any such departing from religion found out as they suspected 16 Thus saith all the congregation of the Lord c. Euen as though it had bene alredie knowen that this second altar had bene set vp against the onely altar of GOD they beginne to chide with them and that verie hardely and sharpely Therefore they take this as confessed that this altar was builded vppon which the two tribes did offer their sacrifices Here they are deceiued in their opinion because it was set vp for an other end and purpose But if it had bene true which they had conceiued in their mindes all the expostulations which they vse had bene iust for it had bene a plaine Apostasie and falling away to chaunge any thing in the lawe of God with whome obedience is more worth than all sacrifices and this their condemnation is founded vppon verie good reason that they are guiltie of Apostasie which withdrawe themselues from the only true altar 17 Is it a small thing for vs c. They amplifie the wickednesse through their stubbornesse that they cease not to prouoke God oftentimes with their abhominations They alledge for that a notable example and that was fresh in memorie For when they did compasse the Sanctuarie and the foure quarters of the world as good watchmen of God when they had a rule geuen them howe to worshippe God aright in which they were kept in continuall exercise yet they were deceiued through the entisement of harlots and defiled them selues with filthie superstitions and worshipped Baal-peor Because the whole people were intangled with this wickednesse the tenne Embassadours doubt not to adioyne themselues as partakers of that offence Therefore they demaund Is not that iniquitie sufficient for vs which we committed about the idol of Peor They adde moreouer that they are not yet clensed from it as though they should say The remembrance of it is not yet buried Or the vengeance of God yet quenched Therevpon they gather that the two tribes and the halfe while through wicked stubbornesse they turne them selues from God and cast off his yoke doe not onely prouide euill for them selues but also procure like destruction for the whole people because God will reuenge this iniurie further which they confirme also by the example of Achan which when he alone and that priuily had stolen of the accursed thinges yet he alone suffered not punishment of his sacrilege but drew other with him also like as it well appeared when some were slaine in the fielde and all the rest shamefully put to flight because that pollution remained among the people And they reason from the greater to the lesser If the anger of God did burne against many for the secret offence of one man much lesse shall the people escape vnpunished if they dissemble and will not reuenge so manifest idolatrie Yet this meane and indifferent sentence is interlaced that if the two tribes and halfe haue builded this altar as though their condition were worse because they dwelled not in the land of Chanaan that they also might come and dwell in the land of Chanaan rather than they should prouoke God with false counterfeting of his religion Hereof we gather that they were not stirred vp with any vaine force of affection when they are redie with their owne losse and hinderance gently to admitte them into fellowshippe and parte of inheritaunce which had desired them selues a seate and dwelling place in an other countrie 21 Then the children of Ruben and the children of Gad and halfe the tribe of Manasseh answered and saide vnto the heades ouer the thousandes of Israel 22 The Lord God of gods the Lorde God of gods he knoweth and Israel him selfe shall knowe if by rebellion or by transgression against the Lorde we haue done it saue thou vs not this day 23 If we haue built vs an altar to returne away from the Lord either to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering or to offer peace offerings thereon let the Lorde him selfe require it 24 And if we haue not rather done it for feare of this thing saying In time to come your children might say vnto our children What haue ye to do with the Lorde God of Israel 25 For the Lorde hath made Iordan a border betwene vs and you ye children of Ruben and of Gad therefore ye haue no parte in the Lorde so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lorde 26 Therefore we saide
We will now go about to make vs an altar not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice 27 But for a witnesse betweene vs and you and betweene our generations after vs to execute the seruice of the Lorde before him in our burnt offeringes and in our sacrifices and in our peace offeringes and that your children should not say to our children in time to come Ye haue no part in the Lorde 28 Therefore said we If so be that they should so say to vs or to our generations in time to come then will we answer Behold the fashion of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice but it is a witnesse betweene vs and you 29 God forbid that we should rebell against the Lord turne this day away from the Lord to build an altar for burnt offering or for meate offering or for sacrifice saue the altar of the Lorde our God that is before his Tabernacle 30 And when Phinehas the Priest and the Princes of the congregation and heades ouer the thousandes of Israel which were with him heard the wordes that the children of Ruben the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake they were well content 31 And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest said vnto the children of Ruben and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh This day we perceiue that the Lord is among vs because ye haue not done this trespasse against the Lord now ye haue deliuered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. 32 Then Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest with the Princes returned from the children of Ruben and from the children of Gad out of the land of Gilead vnto the land of Chanaan to the children of Israel and brought them answere 33 And the saying pleased the children of Israel and the children of Israel blessed God and minded not to goe against them in battell for to destroy the land wherein the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt 34 Then the children of Ruben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed for it shal be a witnesse betweene vs that the Lorde is God. 21 Then answeared c. The state of the cause standeth vpon definition For the children of Ruben Gad and Manasse excuse the matter that they had an other purpose and intent and so the crime is wiped away because the qualitie of the fact is otherwise than the rest did take it But whereas they make no stirre nor moue any contention for the iniurie that was offered vnto them it is an example of rare modestie which is sette forth for vs to followe that if it happen at any time that that which is rightly well done of vs be blamed falsly and vniustly by them that are vnskillfull it may suffice vs to confute the reprehension in such sorte as we may be purged of the crime supposed But that they may purchase vnto themselues the greater credit and better testifie their innocencie with a most weightie obtestation they reiect and detest that heynous wickednes whereof they were suspected Also the repetition is not without great weight The Lord the God of gods the Lord the God of gods with which vehemencie also they confirme how faithfully they desire to continue in the doctrine of the lawe and how greatly they abhore all contrarie superstitions But because their purpose was not knowne to men and according to euery mans heade was expounded in diuerse sentences and opinions therefore they appeale to the iudgment of God offer themselues to suffer punishment if he knowe they haue attempted any thing of euill purpose or intent And that they may proue themselues to be vnlike to hypocrites which with diuelish impudencie will not sticke an hundred times to call vpon God to be their Iudge when their conscience neuer thelesse doeth accuse them within they doe not onely pretende their conscience but also doe pronounce that all the people shal be witnesse as if they saide It shal be founde manifest in deede that it came neuer in their thought to inuent a newe worshippe of God and they doe rightly interprete howe that altar shoulde haue bene vnlawefull namely if they had determined to offer their sacrifices vpon it For the lawe did not simply condemne heapes of stones but appointed that sacrifices should be offered in one place onely to reteine the people in one faith that religion shoulde not be rent a sunder that licence shoulde not be graunted to the rashnesse of many and so euery one shoulde fall away after their owne inuentions Thus we see that the qualitie of the facte being shewed the detestable vse is taken away which their tenne tribes had imagined It is in deede vnproperly but yet aptly according to the rudenesse of our sense that God is placed aboue all gods For he could not truely be compared with other if there were no more but he And therefore to auoyde this absurditie some doe expounde it of Angels which although in some places it may well agree to be true yet I denie that it can be so taken in all places Neither ought it to seeme any harde phrase that he which is but one and the onely God should be called The God of gods because he hath none equall but is aboue all hight and doeth in deede abscure and darken with his glorie and bring to nothing all names of Godhead which are celebrated in the worlde So this maner of speach ought to be referred to the sense of the common people 26 And we saied c. That grosse impietie whereof they were accused is very well confuted and yet they seeme not to be altogether without fault because the lawe forbiddeth to set vp any images But the excuse is easie that no other images are condemned but such as were made to represent god But to set vp a heape of stones for a Trophie or for testimonie of a miracle or in the remembraunce of some notable grace of God the lawe did neuer forbidde for else both Iosue and many holy Iudges and Kinges which did the like had defiled themselues with prophane superstition But nothing else displeased God but that the mindes of men shoulde be drawen downewarde that he should be worshipped after a grosse and earthly manner Therefore the children of Ruben Gad and Manasse doe well sufficiently discharge themselues from offence while they professe that there shal be none other vse of the altar but that it should be a bonde of their brotherlie coniunction for which they bring a good reason Because it was to be doubted least in long processe of time the ten tribes woulde exclude the rest from them as straungers because they did not inhabite the same lande For in as much as the region beyond Iordan was not at the first comprehended in the couenant their seuerall dwelling might haue moued occasion of dissention Therefore they prouide in time for their posteritie that
should delight and be content with him alone 25 So Ioshue made a couenant with the people the same day and gaue them an ordinance and lawe in Shechem 26 And Ioshue wrote these wordes in the booke of the Lawe of God and tooke a great stone and pitched it there vnder an Oake that was in the Sanctuarie of the Lorde 27 And Ioshue said vnto all the people Beholde this stone shal be a witnesse vnto vs for it hath heard all the wordes of the Lorde which he spake with vs it shal be therefore a witnesse against you least ye denie your God. 28 Then Ioshue let the people depart euerie man vnto his inheritance 29 And after these thinges Ioshue the sonne of Nun the seruant of the Lorde died being an hundred and tenne yeeres olde 30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah which is in mount Ephraim on the Northside of mount Gaash 31 And Israel serued the Lorde all the dayes of Ioshue and all the dayes of the Elders that ouerliued Ioshue and which had knowen all the workes of the Lorde that he had done for Israel 32 And the bones of Ioseph which the children of Israel brought out of Aegypt buried they in Shechem in a parcell of ground which Iaakob bought of the sonnes of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred peeces of siluer and the children of Ioseph had them in their inheritance 33 Also Eleazar the sonne of Araon died whome they buried in the hill of Phinehas his sonne which was giuen him in mount Ephraim 25 So Iosue made a couenaunt c. This place declareth for what end this assemblie was called that the people renewing the couenaunt might be more addicte and streightly bound vnto god Therefore in this contracte Iosue was the messenger of God which required faith and obedience of the people in his name Therefore the seconde clause is added that he propounded to them the precept and the iudgement For they doe vtterly depraue and peruert the sense which doe expounde these wordes of some new speach of Iosue when they ought to be vnderstoode properly of the lawe of Moses as if it were said That Iosue made none other couenant than that they shoulde remaine constant in keeping the lawe and that none other articles of the couenant were propounded but that they were confirmed in that doctrine which they had before imbraced and professed Like as Malachias also to keepe them vnder the yoke of God doeth require nothing else but that they shoulde be mindfull of the lawe deliuered by Moses 26 And Iosue did write c. I vnderstand that authenticall volume which was kept by the Arke of couenaunt as if he had laid vp a publike recorde in the register for a perpetuall memorie And there is no doubt but when the lawe was rehearsed this proclamation of the couenant was also published But because that which is written is often times hidde in shutte bookes he appointeth an other healpe of memorie wihch might euer be extant in the eyes of all men namely a stone vnder the oke which was neere the Sanctuarie Not that the abiding place of the Arke was there perpetuall but because it was set there that they might appeare before god Therefore as often as they came before God the testimonie or memoriall of the couenant which they made was before their eyes that they might be better reteined in their fidelitie Where as he saith that the stone hath hearde the wordes of the Lord it is indeede an Hyperbolicall but yet not a foolish kinde of speaking to expresse the efficacie and vertue of the worde of God as if it had bene saied That it pearceth into dead rockes and stones that if men be deafe their damnation soundeth in all elementes To lie here as often times elsewhere signifieth to doe deceiptfully and craftily to faile and breake promise Who would not thinke that a couenant established so surely should haue bene firme and holie into many ages of the posteritie And yet Iosue preuailed no more with all his great carefulnesse but that it might continue for a few yeares after 29 After these things c. The honour of buriall was a token of reuerence which testified the pietie of the people But neither of both had any deepe rootes Wherfore that title wherewith Iosue is adorned after his death when he is called The seruant of God tooke away from the wicked wretches all excuse which soone after despised God which had meruellously wrought in him Therefore their inconstancie is couertly noted that they serued God as long as he liued and vntill the death of the Elders For therein is priuily conteined an opposition of their falling away and alienation when they had soudeinly forgotte the benefits of god Therfore it is no meruell at this day also when God endueth some of his seruantes with noble and excellent giftes that their authoritie doeth defend and preserue the order and state of the Church but when they are dead inmediately ariseth an heuie dissipation vngodlinesse that lay hid breaketh forth into vnbrideled licentiousnesse 32 But the bones of Ioseph c. What time the bones of Ioseph were buried is not here expressed but it is easie to gather that after the Israelites had quiet habitation in the citie of Sichem they did their duetie therein For although he appointed no certeine place for his buriall yet they thought good for honours sake to lay him in the feelde which Iacob bought Peraduenture also this is expressed to reproue the slouthfulnesse of the people whereby it came to passe that Ioseph was not buried with Abraham because the enimies as yet had dominion of that place Steeuen reherseth the bones of the twelue Patriarchs and it may be that the other tribes being moued with emulation brought the bones of their fathers also But where some copie saith that the feelde was bought by Abraham it is a faulte in the name As touching buriall we must holde this generally that there is so often mention thereof in the Scripture because it was a token of the resurrection to come Praise be vnto God Amen FINIS Deut. 7. 22. Num 33. 55 Gene. 15. â—8 Psal. 72. 89. Num. 33. 55. Heb. 13. 〈◊〉 Dent. 12 32. 1. Cor. 9. 7. Psal. 65. 8. 〈◊〉 10. 11. Deut. 1 22. Num. 13 4. Heb. 11. 3â— I am 2 25. Gen. 27 5. Heb. 11. 1 â–ª Heb. 11. 38. Iam. 2 25. Against the Ciuil lawe Act. 9. 25. Num. 4. 15. 2. Sam. 6 Exod. 19. 14. Psal. 136. Psal. 114. Deut. 32. 31. Gen. 17. 14. Gen. 34. Exod. 12. 42. Exo. 12. 48. 1. Cor. 10. 4. Exod. 32. 34. Ezech. 1. Exod. 3. 5. Gen. 26. 17. Psal. 95. 11. and. 132. 14. 1. Reg. 1â— 1. Cor. 5. 4. 5. 6. Deut. 32. 27. Ezech. 18. Deut. 21. 23. Deut. 27. 2. 3. 4. Psal. 122. 1 2. Gen. 34. Psal. 15. 4. Math. 17. 2â— Luke 17. 6. 1. Reg. 17 〈◊〉 Esay 38. 5. 8.