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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry |
J O S H U A
CHAP. III.
This chapter, and that which follows it, give us the history of
Israel’s passing through Jordan into Canaan, and a very memorable
history it is. Long afterwards, they are told to remember what God did
for them between Shittim (whence they decamped,
and Gilgal, where they next pitched,
that they might know the righteousness of the Lord. By Joshua’s order
they marched up to the river’s side,
(ver. 1),
and then almighty power led them through it. They passed through the
Red Sea unexpectedly, and in their flight by night, but they have
notice some time before of their passing through Jordan, and their
expectations raised.
I. The people are directed to follow the ark,
II. They are commanded to sanctify themselves,
III. The priests with the ark are ordered to lead the van,
IV. Joshua is magnified and made commander in chief,
V. Public notice is given of what God is about to do for them,
IV. The thing is done, Jordan is divided, and Israel brought safely
through it,
This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.
| Preparation for Passing over the Jordan. | B. C. 1451. |
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1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from
Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel,
and lodged there before they passed over.
2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went
through the host;
3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of
the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites
bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after
it.
4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may
know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this
way heretofore.
5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to
morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of
the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up
the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
Rahab, in mentioning to the spies the drying up of the Red Sea
(ch. ii. 10),
the report of which terrified the Canaanites more than anything else,
intimates that those on that side the water expected that Jordan, that
great defence of their country, would in like manner give way to them.
Whether the Israelites had any expectation of it does not appear. God
often did things for them which they looked not for,
Isa. lxiv. 3.
Now here we are told,
I. That they came to Jordan and lodged there,
v. 1.
Though they were not yet told how they should pass the river, and were
unprovided for the passing of it in any ordinary way, yet they went
forward in faith, having been told
that they should pass it. We must go on in the way of our duty though
we foresee difficulties, trusting God to help us through them when we
come to them. Let us proceed as far as we can, and depend on divine
sufficiency for that which we find ourselves not sufficient for. In
this march Joshua led them, and particular notice is taken of his early
rising as there is afterwards upon other occasions
vii. 16; viii. 10),
which intimates how little he loved his ease, how much he loved his
business, and what care and pains he was willing to take in it. Those
that would bring great things to pass must rise early. Love not
sleep, lest thou come to poverty. Joshua herein set a good example
to the officers under him, and taught them to rise early, and to all
that are in public stations especially to attend continually to the
duty of their place.
II. That the people were directed to follow the ark. Officers were
appointed to go through the host to give these directions
(v. 2),
that every Israelite might know both what to do and what to depend
upon.
1. They might depend upon the ark to lead them; that is, upon God
himself, of whose presence the ark was an instituted sign and token. It
seems, the pillar of cloud and fire was removed, else that would have
led them, unless we suppose that it now hovered over the ark and so
they had a double guide: honour was put upon the ark, and a defence
upon that glory. It is called here the ark of the covenant of the
Lord their God. What greater encouragement could they have than
this, that the Lord was their God, a God in covenant with them? Here
was the ark of the covenant; if God be ours, we need not fear
any evil. He was nigh to them, present with them, went before them:
what could come amiss to those that were thus guided, thus guarded?
Formerly the ark was carried in the midst of the camp, but now it went
before them to search out a resting-place for them
(Num. x. 33),
and, as it were, to give them livery and seisin of the promised land,
and put them in possession of it In the ark the tables of the law were,
and over it the mercy-seat; for the divine law and grace reigning in
the heart are the surest pledges of God’s presence and favour, and
those that would be led to the heavenly Canaan must take the law of God
for their guide (if thou wilt enter into life keep the
commandments) and have the great propitiation in their eye,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
2. They might depend upon the priests and Levites, who were appointed
for that purpose to carry the ark before them. The work of ministers is
to hold forth the word of life, and to take care of the administration
of those ordinances which are the tokens of God’s presence and the
instruments of his power and grace; and herein they must go before the
people of God in their way to heaven.
3. The people must follow the ark: Remove from your place and go
after it,
(1.) As those that are resolved never to forsake it. Wherever God’s
ordinances are, there we must be; if they flit, we must remove and go
after them.
(2.) As those that are entirely satisfied in its guidance, that it will
lead in the best way to the best end; and therefore, Lord, I will
follow thee whithersoever thou goest. This must be all their car,
to attend the motions of the ark, and follow it with an implicit faith.
Thus must we walk after the rule of the word and the direction of the
Spirit in every thing, so shall peace be upon us, as it now was
upon the Israel of God. They must follow the priests as far as they
carried the ark, but no further; so we must follow our ministers only
as they follow Christ.
4. In following the ark, they must keep their distance,
v. 4.
They must none of them come within a thousand yards of the ark.
(1.) They must thus express their awful and reverent regard to that
token of God’s presence, lest its familiarity with them should breed
contempt. This charge to them not to come near was agreeable to that
dispensation of darkness, bondage, and terror: but we now through
Christ have access with boldness.
(2.) Thus it was made to appear that the ark was able to protect
itself, and needed not to be guarded by the men of war, but was itself
a guard to them. With what a noble defiance of the enemy did it leave
all it its friends half a mile behind except the unarmed priests that
carried it as perfectly sufficient for its own safety and theirs that
followed it!
(3.) Thus it was the better seen by those that were to be led by it:
That you may know the way by which you must go, seeing it, as it
were, chalked out or tracked by the ark. Had they been allowed to come
near it, they would have surrounded it, and none would have had the
sight of it but those that were close to it; but, as it was put at such
a distance before them, they would all have the satisfaction of seeing
it, and would be animated by the sight. And it was with good reason
that this provision was made for their encouragement: For you have
not passed this way heretofore. This had been the character of all
their way through the wilderness, it was an untrodden path, but this
especially through Jordan. While we are here we must expect and
prepare for unusual events, to pass ways that we have not passed
before, and much more when we go hence; our way through the valley
of the shadow of death is a way we have not gone before, which
makes it the more formidable. But, if we have the assurance of God’s
presence, we need not fear; that will furnish us with such strength as
we never had when we come to do a work we never did.
III. They were commanded to sanctify themselves, that they might be
prepared to attend the ark; and with good reason: For to-morrow the
Lord will do wonders among you,
v. 5.
See how magnificently he speaks of God’s works: he doeth
wonders, and is therefore to be adored, admired, and trusted in.
See how intimately acquainted Joshua was with the divine counsels: he
could tell before-hand what god would do, and when. See what
preparation we must make to receive the discoveries of God’s glory and
the communications of his grace: we must sanctify ourselves. This we
must do when we are to attend the ark, and God by it is about to do
wonders among us; we must separate ourselves from all other cares,
devote ourselves to God’s honour, and cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of flesh and spirit. The people of Israel were now
entering into the holy land, and therefore must sanctify themselves.
God was about to give them uncommon instances of his favour, which by
meditation and prayer they must compose their minds to a very careful
observation of, that they might give God the glory, and take to
themselves the comfort, of these appearances.
IV. The priests were ordered to take up the ark and carry it before
the people,
v. 6.
It was the Levites’ work ordinarily to carry the ark,
But on this great occasion the priests were ordered to do it. And they
did as they were commanded, took up the ark, and did not think
themselves disparaged, went before the people, and did not thing
themselves exposed; the ark they carried was both their honour and
their defence. And now we may suppose that prayer of Moses used, when
the ark set forward
(Num. x. 35),
Rise up, Lord and let they enemies be scattered. Magistrates are
here instructed to stir up ministers to their work, and to make use of
their authority for the furtherance of religion. Ministers must
likewise learn to go before in the way of God, and not to shrink nor
draw back when dangers are before them. They must expect to be most
struck at, but they know whom they have trusted.
7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to
magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that,
as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the
covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of
Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.
9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and
hear the words of the LORD your God.
10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God
is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from
before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and
the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the
Jebusites.
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth
passeth over before you into Jordan.
12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of
Israel, out of every tribe a man.
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet
of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the
earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of
Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from
above; and they shall stand upon a heap.
We may observe here how God honours Joshua, and by this wondrous work
he is about to do designs to make Israel know that he is their
governor, and then how Joshua honours God and endeavours by it to make
Israel know that he is their God. Thus those that honour God he will
honour, and those whom he has advanced should do what they can in their
places to exalt him.
I. God speaks to Joshua to put honour upon him,
1. It was a great honour God id him that he spoke to him as he had done
to Moses from off the mercy-seat, before the priests removed it with
the ark. This would make Joshua easy in himself and great among the
people, that God was pleased to speak so familiarly to him.
2. That he designed to magnify him in the sight of all Israel.
He had told him before that he would be with him
(ch. i. 5),
and that comforted him, but now all Israel shall see it, and this would
magnify him. Those are truly great with whom God is and whom he employs
and owns in his service. God magnified him because he would have the
people magnify him. Pious magistrates are to be highly honoured and
esteemed as public blessings, and the more we see of God with them the
more we should honour them. By the dividing of the red Sea Israel was
convinced that God was with Moses in bringing them out of Egypt;
therefore they are said to be baptized unto Moses in the sea,
1 Cor. x. 2.
And upon that occasion they believed him,
Exod. xiv. 31.
And now, by the dividing of Jordan, they shall be convinced that God is
in like manner with Joshua in bringing them into Canaan. God had
magnified Joshua before on several occasions, but now he began to
magnify him as the successor of Moses in the government. Some have
observed that it was at the banks of Jordan that God began to magnify
Joshua, and at the same place he began to magnify our Lord Jesus as
Mediator; for John was baptizing at Bethabara, the house of
passage, and there it was that when our Saviour was baptized it was
proclaimed concerning him, This is my beloved Son.
3. That by him he gave orders to the priests themselves, though they
were his immediate attendants
(v. 8):
Thou shalt command the priests, that is, “Thou shalt make known
to them the divine command in this matter, and take care that they
observe it, to stand still at the brink of Jordan while the waters
part, that it may appear to be at the presence of the Lord, of
the mighty God of Jacob, that Jordan is driven back,”
God could have divided the river without the priests, but they could
not without him. The priests must herein set a good example to the
people, and teach them to do their utmost in the service of God, and
trust him for help in time of need.
II. Joshua speaks to the people, and therein honours God.
1. He demands attention
(v. 9):
“Come hither to me, as many as can come within hearing, and,
before you see the works, hear the words of the Lord your God,
that you may compare them together and they may illustrate each other.”
He had commanded them to sanctify themselves, and therefore calls them
to hear the word of God, for that is the ordinary means of
sanctification,
2. He now tells them, at length, by what way they should pass over
Jordan, by the stopping of its streams
(v. 13):
The waters of Jordan shall be cut off. God could by a sudden and
miraculous frost have congealed the surface, so that they might all
have gone over upon the ice; but that being a thing sometimes done even
in that country by the ordinary power of nature
it would not have been such an honour to Israel’s God, nor such a
terror to Israel’s enemies; it must therefore be done in such a way as
had no precedent but the dividing of the Red Sea: and that miracle is
here repeated, to show that God has the same power to finish the
salvation of his people that he had to begin it, for he is the
Alpha and the Omega; and that the word of the Lord
(as the Chaldee reads it,
v. 7),
the essential, eternal Word, was as truly with Joshua as he was with
Moses. And by the dividing of the waters from the waters, and the
making of the dry land to appear which had been covered, God would
remind them of that in which Moses by revelation had instructed them
concerning the work of creation
(Gen. i. 6, 9),
that by what they now saw their belief of that which they there read
might be assisted, and they might know that the God whom they
worshipped was the same God that made the world and that it was the
same power that was engaged and employed for them.
3. The people having been directed before to follow the ark are here
told that it should pass before them into Jordan,
v. 11.
Observe,
(1.) The ark of the covenant must be their guide. During the reign of
Moses, the cloud was their guide, but now, in Joshua’s reign, the ark;
both were visible signs of God’s presence and presidency, but divine
grace under the Mosaic dispensation was wrapt up as in a cloud and
covered with a veil, while by Christ, our Joshua, it is revealed in the
ark of the covenant unveiled.
(2.) It is called the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the
earth. “He that is your God
(v. 9),
in covenant with you, is the Lord of all the earth, has both
right and power to command, control, use, and dispose of all nations
and of all creatures. He is the Lord of all the earth, therefore
he needs not you, nor can he be benefited by you; therefore it is your
honour and happiness to have him in covenant with you: if he be yours,
all the creatures are at your service, and when he pleases shall be
employed for you.” When we are praising and worshipping God as Israel’s
God, and ours through Christ, we must remember that he is the Lord
of the whole earth, and reverence him and trust in him accordingly.
Some observe an accent in the original, which they think directs us to
translate it somewhat more emphatically, Behold the ark of the
covenant, even the ark of the Lord, or even of the covenant of the Lord
of all the earth.
(3.) They are told that the ark should pass before them into
Jordan. God would not appoint them to go any where but where he
himself would go before them and go with them; and they might safely
venture, even into Jordan itself, if the ark of the covenant led them.
While we make God’s precepts our rule, his promises our stay, and his
providence our guide, we need not dread the greatest difficulties we
may meet with in the way of duty. That promise is sure to all the seed
When thou passes through the waters I will be with thee, and through
the rivers they shall not overflow thee.
4. From what God was now about to do for them he infers an assurance of
what he would yet further do. This he mentions first, so much was his
heart upon it, and so great a satisfaction did it give him
(v. 10):
“Hereby you shall know that the living God (the true God, and
God of power, not one of the dead gods of the heathen) is among
you, though you see him not, nor are to have any image of him, is
among you to give you law, secure your welfare, and receive your
homage,–is among you in this great undertaking now before you; and
therefore you shall, nay, he himself will, without fail, drive out
from before you the Canaanites.” So that the dividing of Jordan was
intended to be to them,
(1.) A sure token of God’s presence with them. By this they could not
but know that God was among them, unless their unbelief was as
obstinate against the most convincing evidence as that of their fathers
was, who presently after God had divided the Red Sea before them,
impudently asked, Is the Lord among us, or is he not?
Exod. xvii. 7.
(2.) A sure pledge of the conquest of Canaan. “If the living God is
among you, expelling he will expel (so the Hebrew phrase is)
from before you the Canaanites.” He will do it certainly, and do
it effectually. What should hinder him? What can stand in his way
before whom rivers are divided and dried up? The forcing of the lines
was certain presage of the ruin of all their hosts: how could they
stand their ground when Jordan itself was driven back? When they had
not courage to dispute this pass, but trembled at the approach of the
mighty God of Jacob
(Ps. cxiv. 7),
what opposition could they ever make after this? This assurance which
Joshua here gives them was so well grounded that it would enable one
Israelite to chase a thousand Canaanites, and two to put then thousand
to flight; and it would be abundantly strengthened by remembering the
song of Moses, dictated forty years before, which plainly foretold the
dividing of Jordan and the influence it would have upon the driving out
of the Canaanites.
“The inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away, and so be
effectually driven out; they shall be as still as a stone till thy
people pass over, and then thou shalt bring them in and plant them.”
Note, God’s glorious appearances for his church and people ought to be
improved by us for the encouragement of our faith and hope for the
future. As for God, his work is perfect. If Jordan’s flood
cannot keep them our, Canaan’s force cannot turn them out again.
5. He directs them to get twelve men ready, one of each tribe, who must
be within call to receive such orders as Joshua should afterwards give
them,
It does not appear that they were to attend the priests, and walk with
them when they carried the ark, that they might more immediately be
witnesses of the wonders done by it, as some think; but they were to be
at hand for the service they were called to,
ch. iv. 4, &c.
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14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their
tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of
the covenant before the people;
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the
feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of
the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of
harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose
up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside
Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain,
even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people
passed over right against Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the
LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the
Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were
passed clean over Jordan.
Here we have a short and plain account of the dividing of the river
Jordan, and the passage of the children of Israel through it. The story
is not garnished with the flowers of rhetoric (gold needs not to be
painted), but it tell us, in short, matter of fact.
I. That this river was now broader and deeper than usually it was at
other times of the year,
The melting of the snow on the mountains of Lebanon, near which this
river had its rise, was the occasion that at the time of harvest,
barley-harvest, which was the spring of the year, Jordan overflowed all
his banks. This great flood, just at that time (which Providence might
have restrained for once, of which he might have ordered them to cross
at another time of the year) very much magnified the power of God and
his kindness to Israel. Note, Though the opposition given to the
salvation of God’s people have all imaginable advantages, yet god can
and will conquer it. Let the banks of Jordan be filled to the brink,
filled till they run over, it is as easy to Omnipotence to divide them,
and dry them up, as if they were ever so narrow, ever so shallow; it is
all one with the Lord.
II. That as soon as ever the feet of the priests dipped in the brim of
the water the stream stopped immediately, as if a sluice had been led
down to dam it up,
So that the waters above swelled, stood on a heap, and ran back, and
yet, as it should seem did not spread, but congealed, which
unaccountable rising of the river was observed with amazement by those
that live upward upon it many miles off, and the remembrance of it
remained among them long after: the waters on the other side this
invisible dam ran down of course, and left the bottom of the river dry
as far downward, it is likely, as they swelled upward. When they
passed through the red Sea, the waters were a wall on either hand, here
only on the right-hand. Note, The God of nature can, when he pleases,
change the course of nature, and alter its properties, can turn fluids
into solids, waters into standing rocks, as, on the contrary,
rocks into standing waters, to serve his own purposes. See
What cannot God do? What will he not do for the perfecting of his
peoples, salvation? Sometimes he cleaves the earth with rivers
(Hab. iii. 9),
and sometimes, as here, cleaves the rivers without earth. It is easy to
imagine how, when the course of this strong rapid stream was arrested
on a sudden, the waters roared and were troubled, so that the
mountains seemed to shake with the swelling thereof
(Ps. xlvi. 3),
how the floods lifted up their voice, the floods lifted up their
waves, while the Lord on high showed himself mightier than the
noise of these many waters,
Ps. xciii. 3, 4.
With reference to this the prophet asks, Was the Lord displeased
against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers?
Hab. iii. 8.
No, Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people,
v. 13.
In allusion to this, it is foretold, among the great things God will do
for the gospel church in the latter days, that the great river
Euphrates shall be dried up, that the way of the kings of the east
may be prepared,
Rev. xvi. 12.
When the time has come for Israel’s entrance into the land of promise
all difficulties shall be conquered, mountains shall become
plains
and rivers become dry, for the ransomed of the Lord to pass
over. When we have finished our pilgrimage through this wilderness,
death will be like this Jordan between us and the heavenly Canaan, but
the ark of the covenant has prepare us a way through it; it is the last
enemy that shall be destroyed.
III. That the people passed over right against Jericho, which
was,
1. An instance of their boldness, and a noble defiance of their
enemies. Jericho was one of the strongest cities, and yet they dared to
face it at their first entrance.
2. It was an encouragement to them to venture through Jordan, for
Jericho was a goodly city and the country about it extremely pleasant;
and, having that in view as their own, what difficulties could
discourage them from taking possession?
3. It would increase the confusion and terror of their enemies, who no
doubt strictly observed their motions, and were the amazed spectators
of this work of wonders.
IV. That the priests stood still in the midst of Jordan while all
the people passed over,
v. 17.
There the ark was appointed to be, to show that the same power that
parted the waters kept them parted as long as there was occasion; and
had not the divine presence, of which the ark was a token, been their
security, the waters would have returned upon them and buried them.
there the priests were appointed to stand still,
1. To try their faith, whether they could venture to take their post,
when god assigned it to them, with mountains of water over their heads.
As they made a bold step when they set the first foot into Jordan, so
now they made a bold stand when they tarried longest in Jordan; but
they knew they carried their own protection with them. Note, Ministers
in times of peril should be examples of courage and confidence in the
divine goodness.
2. It was to encourage the faith of the people, that they might go
triumphantly into Canaan, and fear no evil, no, not in this
valley of the shadow of death (for so the divided river was),
being assured of God’s presence, which interposed between them and the
greatest danger, between them and the proud waters, which otherwise had
gone over their souls. Thus in the greatest dangers the saints are
comforted with his rod and his staff,
Ps. xxiii. 4.
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