Jos 23:1 And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.
This and the next chapter contain the last addresses of Joshua. These addresses were no doubt among the closing acts of Joshua’s life, but were evidently given on different occasions, and are of different character and scope. In the former Joshua briefly reminds the princes of the recent benefits of God toward them and their people, declares that God had fulfilled all His promises, and exhorts to faithfulness on their side to God that so His mercies may not be withdrawn: in the latter he takes a wider range, rehearses the gracious dealings of God with the nation from its very origin, and upon these as his grounds, he claims for God their sincere and entire service. But he grants them the option of withdrawing from the covenant if they so choose; and when they elect still to abide by it, it is solemnly renewed by the free consent of the whole people. Joshua’s reproofs and warnings are in sum and substance identical with those with which Moses closed his career (Deut. 31, etc.).
Joshua's address to the elders of all Israel consists of two parts, which run parallel to one another so far as the contents are concerned, Jos_23:2-13 and Jos_23:14-16. In both parts Joshua commences with a reference to his age and his approaching death, in consequence of which he felt constrained to remind the people once more of all the great things that the Lord had done for them, and to warn them against falling away from their gracious covenant God. Just as Joshua, in this the last act of his life, was merely treading in the footsteps of Moses, who had concluded his life with the fullest exhortations to the people to be faithful to the Lord (Deu_1:30), so his address consists entirely of reminiscences from the Pentateuch, more especially from Deuteronomy as he had nothing fresh to announce to the people, but could only impress the old truth upon their minds once more.
A long time after that the Lord had given rest - This is supposed to have been in the last or one hundred and tenth year of the life of Joshua, about thirteen or fourteen years after the conquest of Canaan, and seven after the division of the land among the tribes.
Jos 23:2 And Joshua called for all
All
Joshua called for all
1. zekenim, the elders or senate, the Princes of the tribes.
2. rashim or rashey aboth, the Chiefs or Heads of families.
3. shophetim, the Judges who interpreted and decided according to the law.
4. shoterim, the Officers, serjeants, etc., who executed the decisions of the judges.
Jos 23:3 And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you.
For the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you - There is much both of piety and modesty in this address. It was natural for the Israelites to look on their veteran, worn-out general, who had led them on from conquest to conquest, with profound respect; and to be ready to say, “Had we not had such a commander, we had never got possession of this good land.” Joshua corrects this opinion, and shows them that all their enemies had been defeated, because the Lord their God had fought for them. That the battle was the Lord’s, and not his; and that God alone should have the glory. Dismissing all thoughts of his personal services, he ascribed the subjugation and occupation of Canaan entirely to the favoring presence and aid of God; This had been promised (Deu_1:30; Deu_3:22); and the reality of the divine aid was seen in the rapid overthrow of the Canaanites, which had already led to the division of the whole land among the tribes [Jos_23:4].
Jos 23:4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
Behold, I have divided to you by lot these nations - Joshua had now divided by lot among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance these still remaining Canaanite nations, as the Lord had commanded (Jos_13:6-7), The whole of the promised land had been portioned out, as well those parts which had not yet been conquered, as those from which the ancient inhabitants had been expelled.
Even to the great sea in the west - The breadth of the land of Canaan is here given in a peculiar manner, the terminus a quo being mentioned in the first clause, and the terminus ad quem in the second; and through the parallelism which exists between the clauses, each clause is left to be completed from the other. So that the whole sentence would read thus: “All these nations which remain ... from
Jos 23:5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land - The same Hebrew word yarash is used here to signify to expel from an inheritance, and to succeed those thus expelled. Ye shall disinherit them from your sight, and ye shall inherit their land.
as the Lord your God hath promised unto you - all which is to be understood on condition of their good behavior towards the Lord, and obedience to his commands; by which tenure they held the possession of the land when put into it, and for their disobedience did not possess the whole.
Jos 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do - It requires no small courage to keep a sound creed in the midst of scoffers, and not less to maintain a godly practice among the profane and profligate.
That is written in the book - By the word of God alone his followers are bound. Nothing is to be received as an article of faith which God has not spoken.
The right hand or the left - That is, in one kind or other, by adding to the law, or diminishing from it.
Jos 23:7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
That ye come not among these nations - Have no civil or social contacts with them, as these will infallibly lead to spiritual affinities, in consequence of which, ye will make honorable “mention of the name of their gods,” “swear by them” “and serve” them in their abominable rites; and “bow yourselves unto them,” as your creators and preservers. All this will follow by simply coming among them. He who walks in the counsel of the ungodly, will soon stand in the way of sinners, and sit in the seat of scorners. Jos_23:12; Exo_23:33; Deu_7:2, Deu_7:3; Pro_4:14; 1Co_15:33; 2Co_6:14-17; Eph_5:11
Jos 23:8 But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
as ye have done unto this day - that is, since they came into the land of Canaan, and had been under the government of Joshua; for otherwise, while in the wilderness, they frequently revolted from God, and murmured against him; To wit, since you came in to Canaan; since which time the body of the people (for of them he speaks, not of every particular person) had behaved themselves much better than they did in the wilderness, and had not been guilty of any gross and general apostacy from God, or rebellion against him.
Cleave to the Lord - By constant obedience, entire affection, faithful service and worship of him alone.
Jos 23:9 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day - that is, of those whom you have invaded.
Jos 23:10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
One man of you shall chase a thousand - Do not remain inactive on the supposition that you must be much more numerous before you can drive out your enemies, for it is the Lord that shall drive out nations great and strong; and under his direction and influence one of you shall chase a thousand. This is what they should be able to do if they cleaved unto the Lord; this was fulfilled in Samson, Jdg_15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it; such a promise was made, Lev_26:8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight. And your enemies shall fall by the sword in front of you.
Jos 23:11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.
Jos 23:12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:
Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations--As marriage connections with the idolatrous Canaanites would present many and strong temptations to transgress it, these were strictly prohibited (Exo_34:12-16; Deu_7:3). With his eye, as it were, upon those prohibitions, Joshua threatens them with the certain withdrawal of the divine aid in the further expulsion of the Canaanites (a threat founded Exo_23:33; Num_33:55; Deu_7:16).
Jos 23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
They shall be snares and traps - lephach, a net or gin, set by the artful fowler to catch heedless birds. Any snare, toil, or trap, placed on the ground to catch the unwary traveler or wild beast by the foot.
Scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes - Nothing can be conceived more vexatious and distressing than a continual goad in the side, or thorn in the eye. They will drive you into obedience to their false gods, and put out the eyes of your understandings by their idolatries. And God will preserve them merely to distress and punish you. Who by their bad examples would draw them both to idolatry and superstitious worship, and into all irreligion, profaneness, and immorality, as they did, Psa_106:34-36 They did not destroy the nations as the LORD commanded them; but were mixed among the nations, and learned their works. And they served their idols, which were a snare to them. They could be the means of the Lord's correcting and chastising them with the rod and stripes of men, for the iniquities these would draw them into; the allusion is to scourges and lashes laid on the sides of men, or to goads with which beasts are pushed on their sides and driven:
Till ye perish - They shall so persecute you, and fight against, you with such success, that you shall be forced to quit your own land, and wander you know not whither; which must needs be very terrible to them to think of, when they compared this present ease, and plenty and safety, with the pains, and weariness, and hazards, and wants of their former wanderings.
Jos 23:14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
The way of all the earth – He is about to die; going into the grave.
Not one thing hath failed - God had so remarkably and literally fulfilled his promises, that not one of his enemies could state that even the smallest of them had not had its most literal accomplishment: this all
In the second part of his address, Joshua sums up briefly and concisely the leading thoughts of the first part, giving greater prominence, however, to the curse which would follow apostasy from the Lord.
Jos 23:15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things - His faithfulness in fulfilling his promises is a proof that he will as faithfully accomplish his threatenings, for the veracity of God is equally pledged for both. The accomplishment of God's promise is a pledge that he will also fulfill his threats; both of them depending upon the same ground, the faithfulness of God.
Jos 23:16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD - The law, so called, and the several precepts of it, particularly those which relate to the faith and worship of the one only true God; Exo_24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people. And they said, All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.
then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you - nothing being more provoking to him than idolatry, he being a jealous God of his honor and worship:
ye shall perish quickly from off the good land - as they did at the time of the Babylonian captivity, and at the last destruction of
