promise made to the Fathers, that this land should be given to the seed of Jacob, to them, and not to any other. The preserving of this distribution would be of great use to the Jewish nation, who were obliged by the law to keep up this first distribution, and not to transfer inheritances from tribe to tribe, Numb. 36. 9. It is likewise of use to us for the explaining of other scriptures: the learned know how much light the geographical description of a country gives to the history of it. And therefore we are not to skip over these chapters of hard names, as useless and not to be regarded; where God has a mouth to speak, and a hand to write, we should find an ear to hear, and an eye to read; and God give us a heart to profit! In this chapter, I. God informs Joshua what parts of the country that were intended in the grant to Israel, yet remained unconquered, and not got in possession, v. 1..6. II. He appoints him, notwithstanding, to make a distribution of what was conquered, v. 7. III. To complete this account, here is a repetition of the distribution Moses had made of the land on the other side Jordan; in general, v. 8..14. In particular, the lot of Reuben, v. 15..23. Of Gad, v. 24..28. Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, v. 29..33.
1.NOW Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. 2. This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 3. From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: 4. From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: 5. And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sun-rising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath: 6. All the inhabitants of the hill country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance as I have commanded thee.
Here,
I. God puts Joshua in mind of his old age, v. 1. 1. It is said that Joshua was old and stricken in years, and he and Caleb were at this time the only old men among the thousands of Israel; none (except them) of all those who were numbered at mount Sinai being now alive. He had been a man of war from his youth, Exod. 17. 10. but now he yielded to the infirmities of age, with which it is in vain for the stoutest man to think of contesting. It should seem Joshua had not the same strength and vigour in his old age, that Moses had; all that come to old age, do not find it alike good; generally, the days of old age are evil days, and such as there is no pleasure in them, nor expectation of service from them. 2. God takes notice of it to him, God said unto him, Thou art old. Note, It is good for those who are old and stricken in years, to be put in remembrance of their being so. Some have gray hairs here and there upon them, and perceive it not, Hos. 7. 9. they do not care to think of it, and therefore need to be told of it, that they may be quickened to do the work of life, and make preparation for death which is coming toward them apace. But God mentions Joshua's age and growing infir mities, (1.) As a reason why he should now lay by the thoughts of pursuing the war; he cannot expect to see an end of it quickly, for there remained much land, more perhaps than he thought, to be possessed, in several parts remote from each other: and it was not fit that at this age he should be put upon the fatigue of renewing the war, and carrying it to such distant places; no, it was enough for him that he had reduced the body of the country, let him be gathered to rest, with honour and the thanks of his people, for the good services he had done them, and let the conquering of the skirts of the country be left for those that shall come after. As he had entered into the labours of Moses, so let others enter into his, and bring forth the top-stone; the doing of which was reserved for David long after. Observe, God considers the frame of his people, and would not have them burthened with work above their strength. It cannot be expected that old people should do as they have done for God and their country. (2.) As a reason why he should speedily apply himself to the dividing of that which he had conquered. That work must be done, and done quickly; it was necessary that he should preside in the doing of it, and therefore, he being old and stricken in years, and not likely to continue long, let him make that his concluding piece of service to God and Israel. All people, but especially old people, should set themselves to do that quickly which must be done before they die, lest death prevent them, Eccl. 9. 10.
II. He gives him a particular account of the land that yet remained unconquered, which was intended for Israel, and which, in due time, they should be masters of, if they did not put a bar in their own door. Divers places are here mentioned, some in the south, as the country of the Philistines, governed by five lords, and the land that lay toward Egypt, v. 2, 3. Some westward, as that which lay toward the Sidonians, v. 4. Some eastward, as all Lebanon, v. 5. Joshua is told this, and he made the people acquainted with it, 1. That they might be the more affected with God's goodness to them in giving to them this good land, and might thereby be engaged to love and serve him; for if this which they had was too little, God would moreover give them such and such things, 2 Sam. 12. 8. 2. That they might not be tempted to make any league, or contract any dangerous familiarity with these their neighbours, so as to learn their way, but might rather be jealous of them, as people that kept them from their right, and that they had just cause of quarrel with. 3. That they might keep themselves in a posture for war, and not think of putting off the harness, as long as there remained any land to be possessed. Nor must we lay aside our spiritual armour, or be off our watch, till our victory be complete in the kingdom of glory.
III. He promises that he would make the Israelites masters of all those countries that were yet unsubdued, though Joshua was old, and not able to do it, old and not likely to live to see it done. Whatever becomes of us, and however we may be laid aside as despised broken vessels, God will do his own work in his own time, v. 6, I will drive them out. The original is emphatical, "It is I that will do it, I that can do it, when thou art dead and gone, and will do it, if Israel be not wanting to themselves." "I will do it by my Word," so the Chaldee here, as in many other places, "by the eternal Word, the Captain of the hosts of the Lord." This promise that he would drive them out from before the children of Israel, plainly supposes it as the condition of the promise, that the children of Israel must themselves attempt and endeavour their extirpation, must go up against them,
