of any other city, by an earthquake, is, that in one case, the purpose is immediately obvious, and in the other, it is not. We suppose that the walls of Jericho were thrown down by a partial earthquake, such as the surrounding country shows to have been frequent in former times. It was the divine plan formed from eternity. It was also the divine plan, to bring this about, at a particular juncture, so as to favor the peculiar people of God, and show to all the world, that he interests himself in the affairs of men. It was, however, no more his purpose, to do this, than it was to overthrow Herculaneum or Pompeii; and he had a purpose to accomplish in the latter instances, as much as in the former, though it is not so manifest. So far as Deity is concerned, the one is no more a miracle than the other. It is to us only, that one is a miracle, and the other is not. JOS. VI. 6. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. 7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord. 8. And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests, bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns, passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9. And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rear-ward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 10. And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11. So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13. And seven priests, bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets; and the armed men went before them; but the rere-ward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 14. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15. And it came to pass, on the seventh day, that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16. And it came to pass, at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. 17. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18. And ye in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord; they shall come into the treasuryof the Lord. 20. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets, and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. We are not to suppose that the ark had any efficacy in itself neither had the rod of Moses. The rod, in the hand of Moses, showed that the miracles he performed had reference to him, and were designed to establish his authority. It was God that did the works. The ark was a symbol of the divine Being; and the performance of a miracle when the ark was present, showed that it was God that did it. In this way, the minds of the people were turned toward their Creator and Preserver. There were soldiers before the ark, and others in the rear; the latter were called the rear-ward. It does not appear, however, that one position was any more desirable, or honorable than the other. The city was accursed, nor devoted to the Lord. Read devoted instead of accursed, and it will be brought within the specific arrangements of the law. Lev. xxvii. 28. 29. The last of these verses reads as follows: "None devoted (herem) which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death." This covers a broader field than is apparent at first view. Men guilty of capital offences are considered devoted to the Lord-doomed, we might say, not doomed to death, though that was a necessary condition; but doomed to the Lord. And the same was true of cities. Hence, some instances occurred, with the Israelites, while on their way to Canaan. See Ex. xvii. 14, 16; Num. xxi. 1-3. "But the silver and the gold," etc. Some of the treasure could be wrought into suitable vessels for the tabernacle service, should it be needed for this purpose, or it could all be used in defraying the expenses of the national religion, which amounted to a considerable sum. The expense at the great annual festivals, as well as the annual fast, was defrayed by the nation. Besides, it is reasonable to conclude that a temple for worship was foreseen, as sometime becoming a necessity, when the people should be fully established in the land; and it was wise to provide, as they were able, for such a contingency. To be devoted was one thing—to be consecrated was another. The latter term is here used (verse 19,) like sanctify in the passage where the subject is treated of in the law of Moses. See Lev. xxvii. Both the persons and the animals were destroyed. But the animals could not have been numerous, within walls that could be encompssed seven times in one day. Ancient city walls usually held but a small portion of the people, unless they crowded in for safety. It is more than probable that many of the pcople fled, when the city was approached by the Israelites; since, as we learn, they were greatly alarmed, and had no hope of a successful resistance. This will explain what is deemed a difficulty, in the case of Jericho and some other cities, that, after being "utterly destroyed," they are found to be inhabited, and in some instances are destroyed the second time. In respect to Jericho, see Jud. i. 16; iii. 13; 2 Sam. x. 5. Ram's horns. This expression occurs several times in this narration. In neither instance is there anything answering to the first of these words; and in neither, with one exception, is there any thing answering to the last. In all but this one instance the expression should be "Jubilee trumpets;" and in this one, it should be the "Jubilee horns," the term horns being used for trumpets, probably from some resemblance in form, or from a more ancient usage. These trumpets were made of silver, and their use is particularly described. Num. x. 1-10. JOS. VI. 22. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 23. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. 24. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein; only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 26. And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. 27. So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country. Joshua orders the young men, who had been spies at Jericho to go to the house of Rahab, and fulfill their oath to her, by saving her and all her kindred. There was an ancient tradition that Rahab became the wife of Joshua. Surely their obligations to each other were great, but there is no evidence that they were ever married. On the contrary, we learn from the genealogy of our Savior in Matthew, (i. 5,) that Rahab became the wife of Salmon; and that Boaz, the great-grandfather of king David, was the issue of that union. Salmon is thought to be one of the spies. It is a little remarkable that Joshua is never spoken of as having a wife or children. St. Jerome utters the following emphatic declaration touching this subject. "Ostende mihi Jesum Nave, vel uxorem habuisse vel filios; et si potueris monstrare, victum me esse fatebor." "Show me that Joshua, (son of Nave,) had either wife or children; and if you are able to show this, I will confess myself beat." They burnt the city with fire. With what else could they burn it? Such forms of speech are frequent in Scripture. Every language has its peculiarities. This is a peculiarity of the Hebrew language. "Cursed be the man," etc. Joshua utters a solemn malediction upon any man who should undertake to rebuild the city of Jericho. But it was rebuilt, as we learn from the subsequent history. 1 K. xvi. 34. In the meantime it had more or less inhabitants previous to its being rebuilt, as is evident from several passages. The rebuilding has particular reference to the walls. Jehovah was with Joshua. Joshua was only an instrument in doing what had been accomplished. At least, his success is to be attributed mainly to divine assistance. It was this that gave him courage, and the people under him. SECTION IV. - THE CULPRIT. 1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few. 4. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of Ai. 5. And the men of Ai smote of 2. And Joshua sent men from them about thirty and six men; Jericho to Ai, which is beside for they chased them from before Beth-aven, on the east side of the gate even unto Shebarim, and Beth-el, and spake unto them, say-smote them in the going down; ing, Go up and view the country. wherefore the hearts of the people And the men went up and viewed melted, and became as water. Ai. 3. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and 6. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the even-tide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads |