BIBLES NET. COM
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
on the Whole Bible
Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
J O S H U A
CHAP. IX.
Here is in this chapter,
I. The impolite confederacy of the kings of Canaan against Israel,
II. The polite confederacy of the inhabitants of Gibeon with Israel,
1. How it was subtly proposed and petitioned for by the Gibeonites
pretending to come from a far country,
2. How it was unwarily consented to by Joshua and the Israelites, to
the disgust of the congregation when the fraud was discovered,
3. How the matter was adjusted to the satisfaction of all sides, by
giving these Gibeonites their lives because they had covenanted with
them, yet depriving them of their liberties because the covenant was
not fairly obtained,
| The Application of the Gibeonites. | B. C. 1450. |
|
|
|
1 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this
side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the
coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and
the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the
Jebusite, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua
and with Israel, with one accord.
Hitherto the Canaanites had acted defensively; the Israelites were the
aggressors upon Jericho and Ai. But here the kings of Canaan are in
consultation to attack Israel, and concert matters for a vigorous
effort of their united forces to check the progress of their victorious
arms. Now,
1. It was strange they did not do this sooner. They had notice long
since of their approach; Israel’s design upon Canaan was no secret; one
would have expected that a prudent concern for their common safety
would put them upon taking some measures to oppose their coming over
Jordan, and maintain that pass against them, or to give them a warm
reception as soon as they were over. It was strange they did not
attempt to raise the siege of Jericho, or at least fall in with the men
of Ai, when they had given them a defeat. But they were, either through
presumption or despair, wonderfully infatuated and at their wits’ end.
Many know not the things that belong to their peace till they are
hidden from their eyes.
2. It was more strange that they did it now. Now that the conquest of
Jericho had given such a pregnant proof of God’s power, and that of Ai
of Israel’s policy, one would have thought the end of their
consultation should be, not to fight with Israel, but to make peace
with them, and to gain the best terms they could for themselves. This
would have been their wisdom
(Luke xiv. 32),
but their minds were blinded, and their hearts hardened to their
destruction. Observe,
(1.) What induced them now at last to enter upon this consultation.
When they heard thereof
(v. 1),
not only of the conquest of Jericho and Ai, but of the convention of
the states of Mount Ebal, of which we have an account immediately
before,–when they heard that Joshua, as if he thought himself already
completely master of the country, had had all his people together, and
had read the laws to them by which they must be governed, and taken
their promises to submit to those laws,–then they perceived the
Israelites were in good earnest, and thought it was high time for them
to bestir themselves. The pious devotion of God’s people sometimes
provokes and exasperates their enemies more than any thing else.
(2.) How unanimous they were in their resolves. Though they were many
kings of different nations, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, &c.,
doubtless of different interests, and that had often been at variance
one with another, yet they determined, nemine
contradicente—unanimously, to unite against Israel. O that
Israel would learn this of Canaanites, to sacrifice private interests
to the public welfare, and to lay aside all animosities among
themselves, that they may cordially unite against the common enemies of
God’s kingdom among men!
| The Artifice of the Gibeonites. | B. C. 1450. |
|
|
|
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done
unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been
ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine
bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments
upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and
mouldy.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said
unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far
country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye
dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua
said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants
are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have
heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that
were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of
Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country
spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and
go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants:
therefore now make ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our
houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold,
it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and,
behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are
become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel
at the mouth of the LORD.
Here,
I. The Gibeonites desire to make peace with Israel, being alarmed by
the tidings they heard of the destruction of Jericho,
v. 3.
Other people heard those tidings, and were irritated thereby to make
war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites heard them and were induced to make
peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and grace of God in
the gospel is to some a savour of life unto life, but to others a
savour of death unto death,
2 Cor. ii. 16.
The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. I do not remember that we
read any where of a king of Gibeon. Had their government been at this
time in a single person, perhaps his heart would have been too high to
yield to Israel, and he would have joined with the rest of the kings
against Israel. But these four united cities (mentioned
seem to have been governed by elders, or senators
(v. 11),
who consulted the common safety more than their own personal dignity.
The inhabitants of Gibeon did well for themselves. We have,
II. The method they took to compass it. They knew that all the
inhabitants of the land of Canaan were to be cut off; perhaps they had
some spies in the congregation at Ebal, when the law was read, who
observed and brought them notice of the command given to Israel
that they should show no mercy to the Canaanites, give them no
quarter in battle, which made them afraid of fighting them, and that
they should make no covenant with them, which made them despair
of gaining any advantage by treating with them; and therefore there was
no way of saving their lives from the sword of Israel unless they
could, by disguising themselves, make Joshua believe that they came
from some very country, which the Israelites were not commanded to make
war upon nor forbidden to make peace with, but were particularly
appointed to offer peace to,
Deut. xx. 10, 15.
Unless they could be admitted under this notion, they saw there was but
one way with them: they must submit to the fate of Jericho and Ai.
Though the neighbouring princes knew that all the men thereof were
mighty
(ch. x. 2),
and they knew it themselves, yet they durst not contend with Israel,
who had an Almighty God on their side. This therefore is the only game
they have to play, and observe,
1. They play it very artfully and successfully. Never was any such
thing more craftily managed.
(1.) They come under the character of ambassadors from a foreign state,
which they thought would please the princes of Israel, and make them
proud of the honour of being courted by distant countries: we find
Hezekiah fond of those that came to him from a far country
they were not used to be thus courted.
(2.) They pretended to have undergone the fatigues of a very long
journey, and produced what passed for an ocular demonstration of it. It
should seem it was then usual for those that undertook long journeys to
take with them, as we do now for long voyages, all manner of provision
in kind, the country not being furnished as ours is now with houses of
entertainment, for the convenience of which, when we have occasion to
make use of them, we have reason to be very thankful. Now they here
pretended that their provision, when they brought it from home, was
fresh and new, but now it appeared to be old and dry, whereas it might
well be presumed they had not loitered, but made the best of their way;
so that hence it must be inferred that they came, as they said they
did, from a very far country: their sacks or portmanteaus were old; the
wine was all drunk, and the bottles in which it had been were broken;
their shoes and clothes were worse than those of the Israelites in
forty years, and their bread was mouldy,
and again,
Thus God’s Israel have often been deceived and imposed upon with a show
of antiquity. But (as bishop Hall expresses it) errors are never the
older for being patched, and so seeming old; but those that will be
caught with this Gibeonitish stratagem prove they have not consulted
with God. And thus there are those who make themselves poor with the
badges of want and distress and yet have great riches
or at least have no need of relief, by which fraud charity is misplaced
and diverted from those that are real objects of it.
(3.) When they were suspected, and more strictly examined as to whence
they came, they industriously declined telling the name of their
country, till the agreement was settled.
[1.] The men of Israel suspected a fraud
(v. 7):
“Peradventure you dwell among us, and then we may not, we must
not, make any league with you.” This might have discouraged the
Gibeonites from urging the matter any further, concluding that if the
peace were made the Israelites would not think themselves obliged to
keep it, having thus solemnly protested against it in case they
dwelt among them; but, knowing that there was no hope at all if
they stood it out, they bravely ventured a submission. “Who knows but
the people of Israel may save us alive, though thus inveigled into a
promise; and if we tell them at last we shall but die.”
[2.] Joshua put the questions to them, Who are you? and whence come
you? He finds himself concerned to stand upon his guard against
secret fraud as well as against open force. We in our spiritual
warfare must stand against the wiles of the devil, remembering
he is a subtle serpent as well as a roaring lion. In all leagues of
relation and friendship we must first try and then trust, lest we
repent at leisure agreements made in haste.
[3.] They would not tell whence they came; but still repeat the same
thing: We have come from a very far country,
v. 9.
They will have it thought that it is a country Joshua knows nothing of
nor ever heard of, and therefore would be never the wiser if they
should tell him the name of it.
(4.) They profess a respect for the God of Israel, the more to
ingratiate themselves with Joshua, and we charitably believe they were
sincere in this profession: “We have come because of the name of the
Lord thy God
(v. 9),
because of what we have heard of that name, which has convinced us that
it is above every name, and because we have a desire towards
that name and the remembrance of it, and would gladly come under its
protection.”
(5.) They fetch their inducements from what had been done some time
before in Moses’s reign, the tidings whereof might easily be supposed
ere this to have reached distant regions, the plagues of Egypt and the
destruction of Sihon and Og
(v. 9, 10),
but prudently say nothing of the destruction of Jericho and Ai (though
this was the true inducement,
v. 3),
because they will have it supposed that they came from home long before
those conquests were made. We need not be long to seek for reasons why
we should submit to the God of Israel; we may be furnished either with
new or old, which we will.
(6.) They make a general submission–We are our servants; and
humbly sue for a general agreement–Make a league with us,
v. 11.
They insist not upon terms, but will be glad of peace upon any terms;
nor will the case admit of delays, lest the fraud be discovered; they
would fain have the bargain struck up immediately; if Joshua will but
make a league with them, they have all they come for, and they
hope their ragged clothes and clouted shoes will be no exception
against them. God and Israel reject none for their poverty. But,
2. There is a mixture of good and evil in their conduct.
(1.) Their falsehood cannot be justified, nor ought it to be drawn into
a precedent. We must not do evil that good may come. Had they owned
their country but renounced the idolatries of it, resigning the
possession of it to Israel and themselves to the God of Israel, we have
reason to think Joshua would have been directed by the oracle of God to
spare their lives, and they needed not to have made these pretensions.
It is observable that when they had once said, We have come from a
far country
(v. 6),
they found themselves necessitated to say it again
(v. 9),
and to say what was utterly false concerning their bread, their
bottles, and their clothes
(v. 12, 13),
for one lie is an inlet to another, and that to a third, and so on. The
way of that sin is down-hill. But,
(2.) Their faith and prudence are to be greatly commended. Our Lord
commended even the unjust steward, because he had done wisely and well
for himself,
In submitting to Israel, they submitted to the God of Israel, which
implied a renunciation of the god they had served, a resignation to the
laws of true religion. They had heard enough to convince them of the
infinite power of the God of Israel, and thence might infer his other
perfections of wisdom and goodness; and how can we do better for
ourselves than surrender at discretion to infinite wisdom, and cast
ourselves upon the mercy of a God of infinite goodness. The submission
of these Gibeonites was the more laudable because it was,
[1.] Singular. Their neighbours took another course, and expected they
should join with them.
[2.] Speedy. They did not stay till Israel had besieged their cities;
then it would have been too late to capitulate; but when they were at
some distance they desired conditions of peace. Thy way to avoid a
judgment is to meet it by repentance. Let us imitate these Gibeonites,
and make our peace with God in the rags of humiliation, godly sorrow,
and mortification, so our iniquity shall not be our ruin. Let us be
servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and make a league with him and
the Israel of God, and we shall live.
| The League with the Gibeonites. | B. C. 1450. |
|
|
|
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with
them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware
unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had
made a league with them, that they heard that they were their
neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their
cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and
Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the
princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God
of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have
sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may
not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest
wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them
be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation;
as the princes had promised them.
Here is,
I. The treaty soon concluded with the Gibeonites,
The thing was not done with much formality, but in short,
1. They agreed to let them live, and more the Gibeonites did not ask.
In a common war this would have been but a small matter to be granted;
but in the wars of Canaan, which were to make a general destruction, it
was a great favour to a Canaanite to have his life given him for a
prey,
Jer. xlv. 5.
2. This agreement was made not by Joshua only, but by the princes of
the congregation in conjunction with him. Though Joshua had an
extraordinary call to the government, and extraordinary qualifications
for it, yet he would not act in an affair of this nature without the
counsel and concurrence of the princes, who were neither kept in the
dark nor kept under foot, but were treated by him as sharers in the
government.
3. It was ratified by an oath; they swore unto them, not by any of the
gods of Canaan, but by the God of Israel only,
Those that mean honestly do not startle at assurances, but satisfy
those with whom they treat, and glorify God by calling him to witness
to the sincerity of their intentions.
4. Nothing appears to have been culpable in all this but that it was
done rashly; they took of their victuals, by which they satisfied
themselves that it was indeed old and dry, but did not consider that
his was no proof of their bringing it fresh from home; so that, making
use of their senses only, but not their reason, they received the
men (as the margin reads it) because of their victuals,
perceiving perhaps, upon the view and taste of their bread, not only
that now it was old, but that it had been fine and very good at first,
whence they inferred that they were persons of some quality, and
therefore the friendship of their country was not to be despised. But
they asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. They had the
Urim and Thummim with them, which they might have advised with in this
difficult case, and which would have told them no lie, would have led
them into no error; but they relied so much on their own politics that
they thought it needless to bring the matter to the oracle. Joshua
himself was not altogether without blame herein. Note, We make more
haste than good speed in any business when we stay not to take God
along with us, and by the word and prayer to consult him. Many a time
we see cause to reflect upon it with regret that such and such an
affair miscarried, because we asked not counsel at the mouth of the
Lord; would we acknowledge him in all our ways, we should find them
more safe, easy, and successful.
II. The fraud soon discovered, by which this league was procured. A
lying tongue is but for a moment, and truth will be the daughter of
time. Within three days they found, to their great surprise, that the
cities which these ambassadors had treated for were very near them, but
one night’s foot-march from the camp at Gilgal,
Either their own scouts or the parties that sallied out to acquaint
themselves with the country, or perhaps some deserters that came over
to them from the enemy, informed them of the truth in this matter.
Those that suffer themselves to be deceived by the wiles of Satan will
soon be undeceived to their confusion, and will find that near, even at
the door, which they imagined was very far off.
III. The disgust of the congregation at this. They did indeed submit to
the restraints which this league laid upon them, and smote not the
cities of the Gibeonites, neither slew the persons nor seized the prey;
but it vexed them to have their hands thus tied, and they murmured
against the princes
(v. 18)
it is to be feared, more from a jealousy for their own profit than from
a zeal for the fulfilling of God’s command, though some of them perhaps
had a regard to that. Many are forward to arraign and censure the
actions of princes while they are ignorant of the springs of those
actions and are incompetent judges of the reasons of state that govern
them. While therefore we are satisfied in general that those who are
over us aim at nothing but the public good, and sincerely seek the
welfare of their people, we ought to make the best of what they do and
not exercise ourselves in things above us.
IV. The prudent endeavour of the princes to pacify the discontented
congregation, and to accommodate the matter; herein all the princes
concurred and were unanimous, which doubtless disposed the people to
acquiesce.
1. They resolved to spare the lives of the Gibeonites, for so they had
expressly sworn to do
(v. 15),
to let them live.
(1.) The oath was lawful, else it had not bound them any more than
Herod’s oath bound him to cut off John Baptist’s head; it is true God
had appointed them to destroy all the Canaanites, but the law must be
construed, in favorem vitæ–with some tender allowance, to mean
those only that stood it out and would not surrender their country to
them, and not to bind them so far to put off the sense of honour and
humanity as to slay those who had never lifted up a hand against them
nor ever would, but before they were reduced to any extremity, or ever
attempted any act of hostility, with one consent humbled themselves;
the kings of Israel were certainly more merciful kings than to do
so
and the God of Israel a more merciful God than to order it so. Satis
est prostrasse leoni–It is enough to have laid the lion prostrate.
And besides, the reason of the law is the law; the mischief designed to
be prevented by that law was the infecting of the Israelites with their
idolatry,
But if the Gibeonites renounce their idolatry, and become friends and
servants to the house of God, the danger is effectually prevented, the
reason of the law ceases, and consequently the obligation of it,
especially to a thing of this nature. The conversion of sinners shall
prevent their ruin.
(2.) The oath being lawful, both the princes and the people for whom
they transacted were bound by it, bound in conscience, bound in honour
to the God of Israel, by whom they had sworn, and whose name would have
been blasphemed by the Canaanites if they had violated this oath. They
speak as those that feared an oath
(Eccl. ix. 2),
when they argued thus: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us,
because of the oath which we swore,
v. 20.
He that ratifies a promise with an oath imprecates the divine vengeance
if he wilfully break his promise, and has reason to expect that divine
justice will take him at his word. God is not mocked, and therefore
oaths are not to be jested with. The princes would keep their word,
[1.] Though they lost by it. A citizen of Zion swears to his own
hurt and changes not,
Ps. xv. 4.
Joshua and the princes, when they found it was to their prejudice that
they had thus bound themselves, did not apply to Eleazar for a
dispensation, much less did they pretend that no faith is to be kept
with heretics, with Canaanites; no, they were strangers to the modern
artifices of the Romish church to elude the most sacred bonds, and even
to sanctify perjuries
[2.] Though the people were uneasy at it, and their discontent might
have ended in a mutiny, yet the princes would not violate their
engagement to the Gibeonites; we must never be over-awed, either by
majesty or multitude, to do a sinful thing, and go against our
consciences.
[3.] Though they were drawn into this league by a wile, and might have
had a very plausible pretence to declare it null and void, yet they
adhered to it. They might have pleaded that though those were the men
with whom they exchanged the ratifications, yet these were not the
cities intended in the league; they had promised to spare certain
cities, without names, that were very far off, and upon the express
consideration of their being so; but these were very near, and
therefore not the cities that they covenanted with. And many learned
men have thought that they were so grossly imposed upon by the
Gibeonites that it would have been lawful for them to have recalled
their promise, but to preserve their reputation, and to keep up in
Israel a veneration of an oath, they would stand to it; but it is plain
that they thought themselves indispensably obliged by it, and were
apprehensive that the wrath of God would fall upon them if they broke
it. And, however their adherence to it might be displeasing to the
congregation, it is plain that it was acceptable to God; for when, in
pursuance of this league, they undertook the protection of the
Gibeonites, God gave them the most glorious victory that ever they had
in all their wars
(ch. x.),
and long afterwards severely avenged the wrong Saul did to the
Gibeonites in violation of this league,
Let this convince us all how religiously we ought to perform our
promises, and make good our bargains; and what conscience we ought to
make of our words when they are once given. If a covenant obtained by
so many lies and deceits might not be broken, shall we think to evade
the obligation of those that have been made with all possible honesty
and fairness? If the fraud of others will not justify or excuse our
falsehood, certainly the honesty of others in dealing with us will
aggravate and condemn our dishonesty in dealing with them.
2. Though they spared their lives, yet they seized their liberties, and
sentenced them to be hewers of wood and drawers of water to the
congregation,
v. 21.
By this proposal the discontented congregation was pacified; for,
(1.) Those who were angry that the Gibeonites lived might be content
when they saw them condemned to that which, in the general
apprehension, is worse than death, perpetual servitude.
(2.) Those who were angry that they were not spoiled might be content
when their serving the congregation would be more to the public
advantage than their best effects could be; and, in short, the
Israelites would be not losers either in honour or profit by this peace
with the Gibeonites; convince them of this, and they will be
satisfied.
| The Gibeonites Made Bondmen. | B. C. 1450. |
|
|
|
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying,
Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from
you; when ye dwell among us?
23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you
be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of
water for the house of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly
told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his
servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the
inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore
afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good
and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand
of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of
water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even
unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
The matter is here settled between Joshua and the Gibeonites, and an
explanation of the league agreed upon. We may suppose that now, not the
messengers who were first sent, but the elders of Gibeon, and of the
cities that were dependent upon it, were themselves present and treated
with, that the matter might be fully compromised.
I. Joshua reproves them for their fraud,
And they excuse it as well as they can,
1. Joshua gives the reproof very mildly: Wherefore have you beguiled
us? He does not load them with any ill names, does not give them
any harsh provoking language, does not call them, as they deserved to
be called, base liars, but only asks them, Why have you
beguiled us? Under the greatest provocations, it is our wisdom and
duty to keep our temper, and to bridle our passion; a just cause needs
not anger to defend it, and a bad one is made never the better by it.
2. They make the best excuse for themselves, that the thing would bear,
They found by the word of God that sentence of death was passed upon
them (the command was to destroy all the inhabitants of the
land, without exception), and they found by the works of God
already wrought that there was no opposing the execution of this
sentence; they considered that God’s sovereignty is incontestable, his
justice inflexible, his power irresistible, and therefore resolved to
try what his mercy was, and found it was not in vain to cast themselves
upon it. They do not go about to justify their lie, but in effect beg
pardon for it, pleading it was purely to save their lives that they did
it, which every man that finds in himself the force of the law of
self-preservation will therefore make great allowances for, especially
in such a case as this, where the fear was not merely of the power of
man (if that were all, one might flee from that to the divine
protection), but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged
against them.
II. Joshua condemns them to servitude, as a punishment of their fraud
(v. 23),
and they submit to the sentence
(v. 25),
and for aught that appears both sides are pleased.
1. Joshua pronounces them perpetual bondmen. They had purchased their
lives with a lie, but, that being no good consideration, he obliges
them to hold their lives under the rent and reservation of their
continual labours, in hewing wood and drawing water, the meanest and
most toilsome employments. Thus their lie was punished; had they dealt
fairly and plainly with Israel, perhaps they would have had more
honourable conditions granted them, but now, since they gain their
lives with ragged clothes and clouted shoes, the badges of servitude,
they are condemned for ever to wear such, so must their doom be. And
thus the ransom of their lives is paid; dominion is acquired by the
preservation of a life that lies at mercy (servus dicitur a
servando–a servant is so called from the act of saving); they owe
their service to those to whom they owe their lives. Observe how the
judgment is given against them.
(1.) Their servitude is made a curse to them. “Now you are cursed with
the ancient curse of Canaan,” from whom these Hivites descended, a
servant of servants shalt thou be,
Gen. ix. 25.
What shall be done to the false tongue but this? Cursed shall it be.
(2.) Yet this curse is turned into a blessing; they must be servants,
but it shall be for the house of my God. The princes would have
them slaves unto all the congregation
(v. 21),
at least they chose to express themselves so, for the pacifying of the
people that were discontented; but Joshua mitigates the sentence, both
in honour to God and in favour to the Gibeonites: it would be too hard
upon them to make them every man’s drudge; if they must be hewers of
wood and drawers of water, than which there cannot be a greater
disparagement, especially to those who are citizens of a royal city,
and all mighty men
(ch. x. 2),
yet they shall be so to the house of my God, than which there
cannot be a greater preferment: David himself could have wished to be a
door-keeper there. Even servile work becomes honourable when it is
done for the house of our God and the offices thereof.
[1.] They were hereby excluded from the liberties and privileges of
true-born Israelites, and a remaining mark of distinction was put upon
their posterity throughout all their generations.
[2.] They were hereby employed in such services as required their
personal attendance upon the altar of God in the place which he
should choose
(v. 27),
which would bring them to the knowledge of the law of God, keep them
strictly to that holy religion to which they were proselyted, and
prevent their revolt to the idolatries of their fathers.
[3.] This would be a great advantage to the priests and Levites to have
so many, and those mighty men, constant attendants upon them, and
engaged by office to do all the drudgery of the tabernacle. A great
deal of wood must be hewed for fuel for God’s house, not only to keep
the fire burning continually upon the altar, but to boil the flesh of
the peace-offerings, &c. And a great deal of water must be drawn for
the divers washings which the law prescribed. These and other such
servile works, such as washing the vessels, carrying out ashes,
sweeping the courts, &c., which otherwise the Levites must have done
themselves, these Gibeonites were appointed to do.
[4.] They were herein servants to the congregation too; for whatever
promotes and helps forward the worship of God is real service to the
commonwealth. It is the interest of every Israelite that the altar of
God be well attended. Hereby also the congregation was excused from
much of that servile work which perhaps would otherwise have been
expected from some of them. God had made a law that the Israelites
should never make any of their brethren bondmen; if they had slaves,
they must be of the heathen that were round about them,
Now in honour of this law, and of Israel that was honoured by it, God
would not have the drudgery, no, not of the tabernacle itself, to be
done by Israelites, but by Gibeonites, who were afterwards called
Nethinim, men given to the Levites, as the Levites were to the
priests
(Num. iii. 9),
to minister to them in the service of God.
[5.] This may be looked upon as typifying the admission of the Gentiles
into the gospel church. Now they were taken in upon their submission to
be under-officers, but afterwards God promises that he will take of
them for priests and Levites,
Isa. lxvi. 21.
2. They submit to this condition,
Conscious of a fault in framing a lie whereby to deceive the
Israelites, and sensible also how narrowly they escaped with their
lives and what a kindness it was to have them spared, they acquiesce in
the proposal: Do as it seemeth right unto thee. Better live in
servitude, especially such servitude, than not live at all. Those of
the very meanest and most despicable condition are described to be
hewers of wood and drawers of water,
Deut. xxix. 11.
But skin for skin, liberty, and labour, and all that a man has, will
he give for his life, and no ill bargain. Accordingly the matter
was determined.
(1.) Joshua delivered them out of the hands of the Israelites that they
should not be slain,
It seems there were those who would have fallen upon them with the
sword if Joshua had not interposed with his authority; but wise
generals know when to sheathe the sword, as well as when to draw it.
(2.) He then delivered them again into the hands of the Israelites to
be enslaved,
They were not to keep possession of their cities, for we find
afterwards that three of them fell to the lot of Benjamin and one to
that of Judah; nor were they themselves to be at their own disposal,
but, as bishop Patrick thinks, were dispersed into the cities of the
priests and Levites, and came up with them in their courses to serve at
the altar, out of the profits of which, it is probable, they were
maintained. And thus Israel’s bondmen became the Lord’s freemen, for
his service in the meanest office is liberty, and his work is its own
wages. And this they got by their early submission. Let us, in like
manner, submit to our Lord Jesus, and refer our lives to him, saying,
“We are in thy hand, do unto us as seemeth good and right unto
thee; only save our souls, and we shall not repent it:” if he
appoint us to bear his cross, and draw in his yoke, and serve at his
altar, this shall be afterwards neither shame nor grief to us, while
the meanest office in God’s service will entitle us to a dwelling in
the house of the Lord all the days of our life.
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
|
Back to Bibles Net . Com – Online Christian Library Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary – Free Download |
Copyright 2008. Bibles Net. Com. All Rights Reserved.