(4.) It is objected that certain places are called in this book by names
which they did not acquire till some ages afterwards. But as to 'the
stray city Tyre,' ch. 19. 29, Bochart contends that this is not the cele
brated city of that name, but an inland fortified place. So the Cabul
mentioned ch. 19. 27, is affirmed by Reland not to have been the coun-
try to which that name was applied by Hiram in Solomon's time, but a
city which in the age of Josephus had degenerated into a village. We
may observe, too, in this connexion, that the expression' house of God,'
ch, 9. 23, is not exclusively applied to the temple, but also to the tabernacle,
as the Bedouins apply the term to a tent.

On the whole, therefore, we feel little hesitation in refering the author-
ship of the book, as a whole, to Joshua, though we doubt not that certain
isolated passages have been inserted by copyists or revisers at a subse-
quent period. We see no good reason to doubt that the history here
given is his work, as truly as the Commentaries of Cæsar are his; and
in this view we are confirmed by the a priori probabilities of the case.
Moses, it is certain, kept an accurate register of the various events that
took place during his administration in the wilderness; and as Joshua
was his constant servant and companion, he could not but be aware of
the importance of such historical memoranda, nor can it well be sup-
posed that, having succeeded him in the same office, he should not have
continued the same practice.

§ 2. Contents, Scope, and Design.

The book relates the history of Israel while under the command and
government of Joshua; the entrance of the Hebrews into Canaan; their
conquest of the greater part of the country; the division of the territory
by lot among the several tribes; and the provision made for the settle-
ment and establishment of the Jewish church in that country. The
length of time embraced in this history is variously stated by chronolo-
gists, at seventeen, twenty-seven, and thirty years. Between twenty-six
and twenty-seven years is the usually received and most probable period.
The leading drift of the writer is to demonstrate the faithfulness of God
in the perfect accomplishment of all his promises to the patriarchs,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and also to Moses, that the children
of Israel should obtain possession of the land of Canaan. Viewed in
this light, it is an invaluable appendage to the preceding five books of
Moses, and indeed bears to them very much the same relation as does
the Acts of the Apostles to the Gospels of the four Evangelists. The
inspired historian relates, with all the animation of one who was an
actual eye-witness and participator of the scenes described, the success-
ive miracles that favored and secured the conquest of the country, the

general zeal, activity, and obedience of Israel in prosecuting their wars,
with the occasional lapses and transgressions that interrupted the career
of their victories. We see the Divine power and faithfulness conspicu-
ously displayed in guiding, cherishing, and defending the chosen people
amidst all the trials to which they were exposed; and while the gen-
eral tenor of the narrative affords a striking emblem of the warfare of
the Christian in gaining possession of his heavenly inheritance, it min-
isters the most abundant encouragement to those who in sincerity and
faith throw themselves upon the superintending care of that Being, who
keepeth covenant and mercy for ever.

The following will serve as a synopsis of the contents of the several
chapters:

PART I.-The Entrance of the Israelites into Canaan.

1. The appointment of Joshua as leader of Israel, ch. 1.

2. The spies sent out to view the land, ch. 2.

3. The miraculous passage of the Jordan, ch. 1. 10-18, ch. 2. 4

4. The renewal of the covenant, ch. 5. 1–13.

PART II.-The Victories of the Israelites under Joshua.

1. The conquest of Jericho, ch. 6.

2. The capture of Ai, ch. 7. 8.

3. Fraud of the Gibeonites-conquest of the five kings-miracle
of the sun's standing still, ch. 9. 10.

4. Conquest of Canaan completed, ch. 11.

5. Recapitulation of the conquests of Israel, ch. 12. 13.

PART III.-Division of the Country.

1. Inheritance of the two tribes and a half, ch. 13.

2. General division of Canaan, ch. 14.

3. Inheritance of Caleb, ch. 14. 15.
4. Lot of Judah, ch. 15.

5. Lot of Joseph, ch. 16. 17.

6. The Tabernacle set up, ch. 18.

7. Lot of Benjamin and the remaining tribes, ch. 18. 19.

8. Inheritance of Joshua, ch. 19.

9. Cities of refuge and Levitical cities, ch. 20, 21.

PART IV.-The last Exhortations and Death of Joshua.

1. The assembling of the people and first address of Joshua, ch. 23.
2. The tribes again assembled and addressed by Joshua, ch. 24.
3. The death and burial of Joshua, ch. 24.

4. The death and burial of Eleazar, ch. 24.

§ 3. Commentators.
(1.) Jewish.

RABBI SCHELOMOH BEN JIZCHAK, commonly called RASCHE, or JARCHI; R. DAVID KIMCHI; and R. LEVI BEN GERSON, commonly denominated RALBAG, have each of them furnished commentaries on this book, which are found in the Biblia Rabbinica of Buxtorf, published A. D. 1618. For a character of Jarchi, see Introduction to Judges.

porosh Yehoshua lerabbi Yeshayale, i. e. The פירש יהושע לרבי ישעיה

Commentary of R. Isaiah on Joshua, written out, translated, and illustrated with notes, from a Manuscript in the Library of the Senate of Leipsic, by D. GEORGE ABICHT. Leips. 1712. Republished in the Thesaurus Novus Theologico-Philologico, or Sylloge of Exegetical Dissertations on Select Passages of the Old and New Testament, from the Museum of Theod. Hase and Conrad Iken, Leyden, 1732, vol. i., p. 474, seqq. This Rabbi Isaiah, the son of Elias, who is called Isaiah the latter, flourished in the 13th century, and wrote commentaries on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Ezra, which Masius says, in the catalogue of Jewish authors subjoined to his Commentary on Joshua, that he possessed in manuscript, and from which he often quotes. Comp. WOLFII Biblioth. Hebr. T. I., p. 705, seqq.

(2.) Christian.

MART. BORRHAI, called also CELLARIUS, Commentarii in Libros Josuæ, Judicum, Samuelis, et Regum. Basil. 1557. Fol.

VICTOR STRIGELII Liber Josuæ, argumentis et scholiis illustratus. Leips. 1570, 1575. 8 vo.

ANDREE MASII. Josua Imperatoris Historia illustrata atque explicata. Antverpiæ, 1574. Fol.

Masius, though a lawyer and a Catholic, has produced by far the most elaborate work ever published on the book of Joshua, and probably the most valuable commentary, with the single exception of that of Calmet, to which the Roman church can lay claim. Considering the age in which it was written, and the limited facilities which the author could have enjoyed for such a performance, it is truly a remarkable work; and it will rather enhance the reader's estimation of its merit to know, that it comes within the list of books prohibited by the Papal see -a fate which we might be certain a priori its excellence would secure to it. Pool, in the preface to his Synopsis, says of Masius, 'Vir longiore vita et immortali memoria dignus; interpres cui parem ingenio, judicio, rerum ac linguarum peritia, candore et modestia, haud facile reperies,'—a man worthy of a longer life and of an undying celebrity ;

an interpreter, whose equal in talent, judgment, historical knowledge, skill in languages, candor and modesty, is not easily to be found. Similar commendation is bestowed by Buddeus, Walchius, and other bibliographers upon the commentary of Masius; and from having it constantly before me in the preparation of the ensuing notes, I feel no hesitation in subscribing to the general justice of these encomiums. The work contains, besides the commentary, the book of Joshua in the original Hebrew, with the Greek of the Septuagint, and a three-fold Latin translation, together with a preface containing valuable readings to the Greek, from a manuscript copy in his possession, which since his death has unfortunately been lost to the learned world.

DAVID CHYTRÆI Prælectiones in librum Josua. Rostochii. 1577. 8vo. BENED. ARIÆ MONTANI Liber de optimo Imperio, sive in Librum Josuæ Commentarius. Antwerp. 1583. 4to.

NICOL. SERARII Commentarius in Librum Josuæ. Duob. Tom. Mogunt. 1609. Paris. 1610. Fol.

COSME MAGALIANI Commentarii in sacram Josua historiam, cum Appendice rerum ab eo gestarum ante ingressum terræ Sanctæ. Turnoni. 1612. Tom. I., II. Fol.

Jo. DRUSII ad loca difficiliora Josuæ, Judicum, el Samuelem Commentarius. Additur est Sixtini Amama Commentarius de Decimis Mosaicis. Franeck. 1618. 4to.

JAC. BONFRERII Josua, Judices, et Ruth Commentario illustrati. Paris. 1631. Fol.

Emanuelis de NAXERA Commentarii literales et morales in Josuam, hostilibus redimitum trophæis, cum appendice de Rahab et Arca figurata. T.I Antwerp. 1650, and T. II. Lugd. 1652. Fol.

HENR MARCELLI Commentarius in librum Josua. Herbipoli. 1665. 4to. PHIL. LUD. HANNECKII Adnotata philologica in Josuam. Gissæ. 1665. 8vo.

Jo. ADAMI OSIANDRI Commentarius in Josuam, exhibens sacrum cum exegesi textum, lectionum et versionum varietatem, conciliatas antilogias, chronologiam, utilium quæstionum solutionem, objectiones cum vinäiciis, observationes philologicas, et locos cummunes doctrinales. Tubing. 1681. Fol.

SEBAST. SCHMIDII Prælectiones academicæ in octo priora libri Josuæ capita. Hamburgi. 1693. 4to.

For the character of Schmid as a Scriptural critic, see the list of Commentators prefixed to the book of Judges. His Prelections on Joshua, which were arrested at the eighth chapter by the death of the author, are of similar character and value with those on the succeeding book. He affords very important aid to the commentator.

JAC. FELIBIEN Pentateuchus historicus, sive quinque libri historici, Josua, Judices, Ruth, ac duo Regum (Samuelis), cum Commentariis, ex fonte Hebraica, versione Septuaginta Interpretum et variis auctoribus collectis. Paris. 1704. 4to.

GOTTLOB WILH. MEYER Ueber die Bestandtheile und die Ekonomie des Buchs Josua. In the Theolog. Krit. Journ., edited by Bertholdt, vol. II., Fasc. 4to. p. 337, seqq. 337, seqq. Solisbach. 1815.

H. E. G. PAULUS Blicke in das Buch Josua, als Vorgeschichte der Suffetin und Samuels, in auctoris Theologisch-Exegetischen Conservatorium, P. II., p. 149, et seq. Heidelberg. 1822.

CLAUD. HENR. VAN HERWERDEN Disputatio de Libro Josua, sive de diversis ex quibus constat Josuæ liber monumentis, deque ætate, qua eorum vixerint auctores. Groning. 1826. 8vo.

The object of the author is to show that the book of Joshua is composed of ten different documents, each of which is clearly distinguished from the others in style, diction, and scope. These various portions he has designated, and contends that they are distinctly marked by certain peculiarities of verbal usage, running through them respectively. Rosenmueller, however, objects that this is very precarious ground on which to form a definite decision of this nature; and though he gives the author credit for great research and acumen, he evidently deems his conclusions of little value.

F. J. V. D. MAURER Commentar uber das Buch Joshua. Stuttgard. 1831. 8vo.

This is mainly a verbo-critical commentary, detailing the nice points of grammatical construction, and indicating the application of certain philological principles, fixed by Gesenius and Ewald, to the language of the book. In this respect it has some value, but very little in any other. The author belongs to the freest school of biblical criticism, and does not scruple to call all the supernatural events recorded mythical, and like De Wette and others, considers the book a sort of patchwork, made up of the shreds of pre-existing rhapsodies and fragments. In the ensuing Commentary, as well as in all my former vols. on the Pentateuch, I have adopted the plan of giving the Hebrew without points, simply with a view to preserve uniformity in the appearance of the printed page; as the insertion of the points would necessarily throw the lines, between which they occurred, wider asunder than the rest. By way of compensation I have endeavored to express the pronunciation of the Hebrew words in English letters; and as for this purpose the sounds of the vowels have to be modified by accents, the reader will bear in mind that they are indicated as follows:

¿za in kall. ë=a in hate. i=i in shire, 0=0 in bone. Ù≈00 in moon,