Notes from Joshua 12

This chapter is a summary of Israel's conquests.

I. Their conquests under Moses, on the other side Jordan (for we now suppose ourselves in Canaan) eastward, which we had the history of, Num. 21:24, etc. And here the abridgment of that history (v. 1-6).
II. Their conquests under Joshua, on this side Jordan, westward.
1. The country they reduced (v. 7, 8).
2. The kings they subdued, thirty-one in all (v. 9-24). And this comes in here, not only as a conclusion of the history of the wars of Canaan (that we might at one view see what they had got), but as a preface to the history of the dividing of Canaan, that all that might be put together which they were not to make a distribution of.

Notes from Joshua 11

This chapter continues and concludes the history of the conquest of Canaan; of the reduction of the southern parts we had an account in the foregoing chapter, after which we may suppose Joshua allowed his forces some breathing-time; now here we have the story of the war in the north, and the happy success of that war.

I. The confederacy of the northern crowns against Israel (v. 1-5).
II. The encouragement which God gave to Joshua to engage them (v. 6).
III. His victory over them (v. 7-9).
IV. The taking of their cities (v. 10-15).
V. The destruction of the Anakim (v. 21, 22).
VI. The general conclusion of the story of this war (v. 16-20, 23).

Notes from Joshua 10

We have in this chapter an account of the conquest of the kings and kingdoms of the southern part of the land of Canaan, as, in the next chapter, of the reduction of the northern parts, which together completed the glorious successes of the wars of Canaan. In this chapter we have an account,

I. Of the routing of their forces in the field, in which observe,
1. Their confederacy against the Gibeonites (v. 1-5).
2. The Gibeonites' request to Joshua to assist them (v. 6).
3. Joshua's speeds march under divine encouragement for their relief (v. 7-9).
4. The defeat of the armies of these confederate kings (v. 10, 11).
5. The miraculous prolonging of the day by the standing still of the sun in favour of the conquerors (v. 12-14).
II. Of the execution of the kings that escaped out of the battle (v. 15-27).
III. Of the taking of the particular cities, and the total destruction of all that were found in them. Makkedah (v. 28). Libnah (v. 29, 30). Lachish (v. 31, 32) and the king of Gezer that attempted its rescue (v. 33). Eglon (v. 34, 35). Hebron (v. 36, 37). Debir (v. 38, 39). And the bringing of all that country into the hands of Israel (v. 40-42). And, lastly, the return of the army to the head-quarters (v. 43).

Notes from Joshua 9

Here is in this chapter,

I. The impolite confederacy of the kings of Canaan against Israel (v. 1, 2).
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 (v. 3-13).
2. How it was unwarily consented to by Joshua and the Israelites, to the disgust of the congregation when the fraud was discovered (v. 14-18).
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 (v. 19-27).

Notes from Joshua 8

The embarrassment which Achan's sin gave to the affairs of Israel being over, we have them here in a very good posture again, the affairs both of war and religion. Here is,

I. The glorious progress of their arms in the taking of Ai, before which they had lately suffered disgrace.
1. God encourages Joshua to attack it, with the assurance of success, and directs him what method to take (v. 1, 2).
2. Joshua gives orders accordingly to the men of war (v. 3-8).
3. The stratagem is managed as it was projected, and succeeds as it was desired (v. 9-22).
4. Joshua becomes master of this city, puts all the inhabitants to the sword, burns it, hangs the king, but gives the plunder to the soldiers (v. 23-29).
II. The great solemnity of writing and reading the law before a general assembly of all Israel, drawn up for that purpose upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, according to an order which Moses had received from the Lord, and delivered to them (v. 30-35). Thus did they take their work before them, and make the business of their religion to keep pace with their secular business.

Notes from Joshua 7

More than once we have found the affairs of Israel, even when they were in the happiest posture and gave the most hopeful prospects, perplexed and embarrassed by sin, and a stop thereby put to the most promising proceedings. The golden calf, the murmuring at Kadesh, and the iniquity of Peor, had broken their measures and given them great disturbance; and in this chapter we have such another instance of the interruption given to the progress of their arms by sin. But it being only the sin of one person or family, and soon expiated, the consequences were not so mischievous as of those other sins; however it served to let them know that they were still upon their good behaviour. We have here,

I. The sin of Achan in meddling with the accursed thing (v. 1).
II. The defeat of Israel before Ai thereupon (v. 2-5).
III. Joshua's humiliation and prayer on occasion of that sad disaster (v. 6-9).
IV. The directions God gave him for the putting away of the guilt which had provoked God thus to contend with them (v. 10-15).
V. The discovery, trial, conviction, condemnation, and execution, of the criminal, by which the anger of God was turned away (v. 16-26). And by this story it appears that, as the laws, so Canaan itself, "made nothing perfect,' the perfection both of holiness and peace to God's Israel is to be expected in the heavenly Canaan only.

Notes from Joshua 6

Joshua opened the campaign with the siege of Jericho, a city which could not trust so much to the courage of its people as to act offensively, and to send out its forces to oppose Israel's landing and encamping, but trusted so much to the strength of its walls as to stand upon its defence, and not to surrender, or desire conditions of peace. Now here we have the story of the taking of it,

I. The directions and assurances which the captain of the Lord's host gave concerning it (v. 1-5).
II. The trial of the people's patient obedience in walking round the city six days (v. 6-14).
III. The wonderful delivery of it into their hands the seventh day, with a solemn charge to them to use it as a devoted thing (v. 15-21 and 24).
IV. The preservation of Rahab and her relations (v. 22, 23, 25).
V. A curse pronounced upon the man that should dare to rebuild this city (v. 26, 27). An abstract of this story we find among the trophies of faith, Heb. 11:30. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.'