in their bones; rest from their wars in Canaan, and the insults which their enemies there had at first offered them. They now dwelt, not only in habitations of their own, but those, quiet and peaceable ones; though there were Canaanites that remained, yet none that had either strength or spirit to attack them, or so much as to give them an alarm. This rest continued, till they by their own sin and folly put thorns into their own beds, and their own eyes.
3. God had promised to give them victory and success in their wars, and this promise likewise was fulfilled, there stood not a man before them, v. 44. They had the better in every battle, and which way soever they turned their forces, they prospered. It is true, there were Canaanites now remaining in many parts of the land, and such as afterward made head against them, and became very formidable. But, (1.) As to the present remains of the Canaanites, they were no contradiction to the promise, for God had said he would not drive them out all at once, but by little and little, Exod. 23. 30. They had now as much in their full possession as they had occasion for, and as they had hands to manage; so that the Canaanites only kept possession of some of the less cultivated parts of the country against the beasts of the field, till Israel, in process of time, should become numerous enough to replenish them, (2.) As to the after-prevalency of the Canaanites, that was purely the effect of Israel's cowardice and slothfulness, and the punishment of their sinful inclination to the idolatries and other abominations of the heathen, which the Lord would have cast out before them, but they harboured and indulged them.
So that the foundation of God stands sure: Israel's experience of God's fidelity is here upon record, and is an acquittance under their hands to the honour of God, the vindication of his promise which had been so often distrusted, and the encouragement of all believers to the end of the world. There failed not any good thing, no, nor aught of any good thing, (so full is it expressed,) which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel, but in due time all came to pass, v. 45. Such an acknowledgment as this, here subscribed by Joshua, in the name of all Israel, we afterward find made by Solomon, and all Israel did in effect say amen to it, 1 Kings 8. 56. The inviolable truth of God's promise, and the performance of it to the utmost, is what all the saints have been ready to bear their testimony to; and if in any thing it has seemed to come short, they have been as ready to own that they themselves must bear all the blame.
CHAP. XXII.
Many particular things we have read concerning the two tribes and a half, though nothing separated them from the rest of the tribes except the river Jordan, and this chapter is wholly concerning them. I. Joshua's dismission of the militia of those tribes from the camp of Israel, in which they had served as auxiliaries during all the wars of Canaan, and their return thereupon to their own country, v. 1..9. II. The altar they built on the borders of Jordan, in token of their communion with the land of Israel, v. 10. III. The offence which the rest of the tribes took at this altar, and the message they sent thereupon, v. 11..20. IV. The apology which the two tribes and a half made for what they had done, v. 21..29. V. The satisfaction which their apology gave to the rest of the tribes, v. 30..34. And (which is strange) whereas in most differences that happen, there is a fault on both sides, on this there was fault on no side; none (for aught that appears) were to be blamed, but all to be praised.
1.THEN Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2. And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. 4. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan. 5. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 6. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. 7. Now, to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan; but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them; 8. And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. 9. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
The war being ended, and ended gloriously, Joshua, as a prudent general, disbands his army, who never designed to make war their trade, and sends them home to enjoy what they had conquered, and to beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; and, particularly, the forces of these separate tribes, who had received their inheritance on the other side Jordan from Moses, upon this condition, that their men of war should assist the other tribes in the conquest of Canaan, which they promised to do, Numb. 32. 32. and renewed the promise of Joshua at the opening of the campaign, Josh. 1. 16. And now that they had performed their bargain, Joshua publicly and solemnly in Shiloh gives them their discharge. Whether this was done, as it was placed, not till after the land was divided, as some think, or whether after the war was ended, and before the division was made, as others think, (because there was no need of their assistance in dividing the land, but only in conquering it, nor were there any of their tribes employed as commissioners in that affair, but only of the other ten, Numb. 34. 18, &c) this is certain, it was not done till after Shiloh was made
