days of thy life: fas I was with "I will not fail thee nor forsake Moses, so I will be with thee: thee. g Exod. 3. 12. g Deut. 31. 8, 23. ver. 9, 17. ch. 3. 7. and 6. 27. Isai. 43. 2, 5. h Deut 31. 6, 8. Hebr. 13. 5. not absolute. before the men of Ai, the answer iş that they failed in the conditions on which the promises of victory were suspended. These promises were They were made with They were to be fulfilled on condition of the implicit faith and obedience of the people, with the perfect understanding, at the same time, that God's grace was sufficient for them, and that if they sought him sincerely, they should never fail to receive an adequate measure of ability to enable them to comply with these conditions. On the occasion alluded to, they had grossly failed in duty, they had sinned and transgressed the covenant and were therefore smitten before the enemy, 'because they were accursed,' i. e. laboring under the Divine displeasure, Josh. 7. 12. idea expressed in our version no doubt correctly represents the sense of the original, which is not so much to deny the fact that opposition would be made to Joshua and the Israelites, for we know that their enemies did often 'plant themselves' against them, but rather to assert the inability of their adversaries to make any successful resistance. No man shall be able effectually to withstand thee, to maintain his ground before thee, or to throw any serious obstacle in thy way. Joshua is, however, admonished that his sufficiency was not of himself. It was solely in consequence of God's being with him, upholding and prospering him, as he did Moses, that he was to be rendered thus invincible. Those that contended with him were contending with omnipotence, and in this unequal contest they must necessarily be worsted. 'If God be for us who can be against us? What Joshua had himself, on another occasion, said to encourage the people, Num. 14. 9,3 lo arpekâ. God now says to him. This signal success, moreover, was not only to mark the commencement of his enterprises, but to attend him throughout Lis whole career. However it might be with Israel when he was gone, yet during his 1 fe-time he should be favored with a constant tide of triumphs. If it be asked how this as-reph yâdekâ) from thy servants.' It surance consists with the fact, that he met with such a serious repulse in one of his earliest expeditions, and that so many thousands of Israel were smitten and turned their backs -¶ As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. Chal. As my Word was for Moses' help, so shall my Word be for thy help.'——¶ I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Heb. The original term here rendered 'fail' properly signifies to let sink, to let grow slack and fall down, being generally spoken of the hands, and implying a loosing or relaxing of one's grasp, and the consequent falling down of the hands, as in Josh. 10. 6, 'Slack not thy hands ( 91 3o al të has a meaning directly opposite to that of the word for laying a firm holi, taking a vigorous grasp, of any thing. The other is the usual word for leave, forsake, abandon. The sense clearly 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people vi Deut. 31. 7, 23. is, that God would keep firm hold of his servant, would not let go of him, would not resign him up to the power of his enemies. Moses had before given to Joshua the same assurance, couched almost in the express words of this passage, Deut. 31. 6-8; and here God is pleased, in accordance with the character which he elsewhere gives of himself, Is. 44. 26, to 'confirm the word of his servant,' and engages never to leave or be wanting to Joshua. cause to inherit. Which supposes the previous entire conquest of the land; and in this respect a higher degree of honor was vouchsafed to Joshua than to Moses, for he was only permitted to conduct Israel through the wilderness, and bring them to the borders of the promised land, while Joshua had the glory of actually taking possession of, and distributing 6. Be strong and of a good cour- the land to his people as an inherituge. Heb. 72 pin hazak ve- ance. God is pleased, therefore, to ematz. Gr. loxve kai ȧvôoíčov, be make known to him his purposes strong and act the man. The orig- concerning him, as a reason for his inal terms, though nearly related, assuming all that strength and courare not precisely synonymous with age which he now enjoins upon him. each other. They both occur, though Compare the parallel passage, Deut. under slightly different forms, Is. 1. 37, 38: 'Also the Lord was angry 35.3:' Strengthen ye ( hazzeku) with me, for your sakes, saying, the weak hands and confirm (TN | Thou also shalt not go in thither. ammëtzu) the feeble knees,' from But Joshua the son of Nun, which which and from other passages, it is standeth before thee, he shall go in inferred that the first, 'be strong,' thither. Encourage him for he properly implies that strength which shall cause Israel to inherit it.' This is in the hands for grasping and encouragement' which Moses was holding firmly any thing, while the to give to Joshua we find embodied latter points primarily to the strength in his farewell address, Deut. 31. of the knees in steadfastly maintaining one's position, and withstanding every aggressive assault of the enemy. From this view of the primary and literal acceptation of the words, we obtain a better idea of their import when applied metaphorically, as here, to the acts of the mind. They imply the utmost degree of vigorous and determined action, a spirit and energy directly the reverse of every thing imbecile and pusillan 7, 8, 23: 'And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee* fear not, neither be dismayed. And 1 7 Only be thou strong and my servant commanded thee; very courageous, that thou that thou turn not from it to the right mayest observe to do according or to the left, that thou mayest to all the law which Moses * Numb. 27.23. Deut. 31. 7. ch. 11. 15. 1 Deut. 5. 32, and 28. 14. he gave Joshua the son of Nun a is in this chiefly that the fortitude of charge, and said, Be strong and of a the Christian soldier is to evince good courage: for thou shalt bring itself. He is not only to fight, but to the children of Israel into the land' fight lawfully,' that is, in conformwhich I sware unto them: and Iity to that system of Divine instrucwill be with thee.' The Most High, therefore, in these words emphatîcally reminds Joshua of the solemn charge which Moses had given him. God will not fail to adopt and enforce as his own those commands which are uttered by his servants in accordance with his will. tions contained in the Scriptures. From this he is never to deviate, nor to turn away his eyes. However difficult or self-denying its injunctions, he must obey them, and rather die than depart from them, In so doing he will find the promises fulfilled, and the Divine blessings imparted as truly and as signally as did Joshua himself in his arduous warfare.- -T Which Moses my servant commanded thee. The particular commands of Moses here referred to are to be found in Deut. 5. 32; 28. 14, and 31. 7, 8; and though originally delivered to all the congregation, yet here they are especially applied to Joshua, who, as leader, stood as the representative of the whole collective body of the people.-¶ Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left. 7. Only be thou strong and very courageous. The Heb. term here employed prak, only, clearly indi- | cates that a condition is stated on which the promise of the foregoing verse shall be made good. This condition is the constant and rigid observance of the Divine command, an inflexible firmness in adhering to that code of precepts contained in the law of Moses. This he was incessantly to make the man of his counsel and the theme of his daily and nightly study. It was in this respect mainly that his courage and fortitude were to be evinced. A steadfast obedience to the mandates of Jehovah would require a stronger principle of courage, than his anticipated conflicts with the most formidable | The metaphor is taken from a man's enemies. The important lesson which we hence learn is, that in nothing is there more scope for the display of the highest moral heroism than in daring, in all circumstances, | ther. to cleave steadfastly to the word of Or, Heb. un tashkil, mayest do God as the rule of our conduct. It wisely, mayest deal or behave under Heb. 10 3x al tâsur mimmenu, turn not from him; i. e. from Moses; where his person stands for his writings. So our Saviour says, ' If they hear not Moses and the prophets,' i. e. the words of Moses. pursuing a journey, who goes straight forward in the direct road, if he knows it, without turning aside into by-paths that lead he knows not whi¶ That thou mayest prosper. prosper whithersoever thou goest 8 m This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; m Deut. 17. 18, 19. overflow with its rich contents, as standingly. The primary and most usual sense of the original is, to direct one's self wisely, to act with prudence and discretion, to be wise, intelligent, and thence secondarily, to prosper, to have good success. Thus 1 Sam. 18. 14, ' And David behaved himself wisely (n mashkil) in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.' These two senses of the word are so intimately connected, that it is often difficult to determine precisely which of them is intended in a given passage. This very uncertainty, how-where it is implied that the covenant ever, proves it to be clearly intima- promise should be deemed so preted, in the native import of the term, cious, that it should be a perpetual that real prosperity and success in the theme of meditation and discourse; affairs of life, is the result of a wise, that it should constantly dwell on the discreet, and prudent course of con-tongues of those interested in it. It duct, and inseparable from it, and is moreover implied, in this charge that it is vain to look for it from any to Joshua, that he was not only to other source. Those only can rea- make the book of the law the subject sonably expect the blessing of God of assiduous study for his own perupon their temporal affairs, who sonal benefit, but also to make it the make his word their rule, and con- sole rule and standard of all his pubscientiously walk by it in all circum-lic and official proceedings; he was stances; and this is the way of true to issue orders and pronounce judgwisdom. 8. This book of the law. That is, by way of emphasis, 'the book of the law,' the law of Moses, to which, as he well knew, God attached the utmost importance, and of which he speaks as if it were at that moment in Joshua's hand, or at his side, as it continually ought to be.¶ Shall not depart out of thy mouth. Thou shalt constantly read and ponder it; it shall incessantly employ thy lips; thou shalt have thy heart so constantly imbued with its letter and spirit, that thy mouth shall, as it were, ments according to its precepts, and that too without exception or reserve --he must 'do according to all that is written therein.' Though appointed to the rank of supreme head and magistrate of the nation, he was not to consider himself elevated in the slightest degree above the authority of the Divine law, or the necessity of consulting it; nor should any Christian magistrate at this day consider himself at liberty to dispense with the light which beams from the word of God, in regard to the great matters of his duty. The higher any but "thou shalt meditate therein | thee? Be strong and of a good day and night, that thou mayest courage; be not afraid, neither observe to do according to all be thou dismayed: for the LORD that is written therein: for then thy God is with thee whithersothou shalt make thy way pros-ever thou goest. perous, and then thou shalt have 10 T Then Joshua commanded good success. the officers of the people, saying, 9 ° Have not I commanded n Ps. 1. 2. man is raised in office, the more need has he of an acquaintance with the sacred oracles, and the better will he be qualified by the study of them for the discharge of his arduous duties. o Deut. 31. 7, 8, 23. p Ps. 27. 1. Jer, 1. 8. Were it only an earthly monarch to whom we had devoted ourselves, we ought to serve him with all fidelity; what then should we not do for the King of kings, who has not only -¶ Thou shalt meditate therein day chosen us to be his soldiers, but has and night. This is the character of himself taken the field for our sakes, the good man as described by the to subdue our enemies, and to dePsalmist, Ps. 1. 2, in words which liver us from their assaults ?—It are almost an exact transcript of those should be remarked, that the interrohere employed. The Heb. term for gative form of speech is often used, ' meditate,' (În hâgâh) implies that not as implying any thing doubtful, kind of mental rumination which is but as the most emphatic mode of exapt to vent itself in an audible sound pressing either a negation or affirmof the voice. See my Comment. onation, particularly when the speaker Ps. 1. 2.————¶ Make thy way prosper-wishes to rouse and excite strongly ous-have good success. Two different words are here employed, the latter of which is the same with that remarked upon above, v. 7, and which should probably be rendered here also, 'do wisely,'' conduct understandingly,' as otherwise it is little, if any thing, more than a bare repetition of the preceding phrase. The Arab. renders it, and thy ways shall be directed, the attention of the hearer. Instances are innumerable.¶ The Lord thy God is with thee. Here is somewhat of a remarkable change in the persons, from the first to the third, but whether with any peculiar significancy it is not easy to determine. The Chaldee renders it in reference to the Son, 'The Word of the Lord thy God shall be with thee.' Con sidered as a pledge of the presence and support of the God of heaven with all his faithful people, in their trials and conflicts, the promise is full of precious meaning. He says to us, in effect, what he says to Joshua; and what encouragement can we desire more? 9. Have not I commanded thee? I, whose authority is paramount, whose power is infinite; who am able to carry thee through all difficulties and dangers, and whom thou art bound implicitly to obey. So in the Christian warfare, it is the God of heaven whose battles we fight, and 10. Commanded the officers of the in whose service we are engaged. people. Heb. shoterim. These |