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The conquests of Israel, under Moses, ver. 1 - 6.
Under Joshua, ver. 7 - 24.
1: Plain on the east - On the east of Jordan, called
the plain, (De 1:1).
2: Middle of the river - It is not unusual even among us, for a river
to be divided between two lords, and for their territories or jurisdictions
to meet in the middle of the river: and besides, here is a very particular
reason for this expression, because the city Ar, which was no part of
Sihon's dominions, but belonged to the Moabites, (De 2:9,18),
was in the middle of the river Arnon, (De 2:36,3:16), and
therefore the middle of the river is properly here mentioned, as the bound
of Sihon's dominion on that side. Half Gilead - Heb. and the half
Gilead, that is, half of the country of Gilead; this doth not denote
the bound from which his dominion began, but the country, over which his
dominion was, which began at Arnon, and took in half Gilead, and
ended at Jabbok, beyond which was the other half of Gilead which
belonged to Og.
3: On the east - Which words describe the situation not of the sea of
Cinneroth, which was part of the western border of Sihon's dominion,
but of the plain, which is here said to lie eastward from the sea of
Cinneroth, and also eastward from the salt sea. And this was indeed the
situation of the plains of Moab, which are here spoken of; they lay
between the two seas, that of Cinneroth and the salt sea, and eastward
to them both. Sea of the plain - The salt sea was a famous plain,
pleasant and fruitful, before it was turned into a sea.
4: Ashtaroth and Edrei - Sometimes at the one, sometimes at the other
city; both being his royal mansions. But Israel made one grave serve
him, who could not be contented with one palace.
6: Smile - Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former
mercies: nor must the glory of the present instruments of good to the
church, diminish the just honour of those that went before them.
Joshua's services were confessedly great. But let not those under
Moses be forgotten. Both together proclaim God to be the Alpha and
Omega of his peoples salvation.
8: The wilderness - This word here and elsewhere in scripture notes
not a land wholly desert and uninhabited, but one thin of inhabitants, as(1Ki 2:34,9:18,Mt 3:1,3).
The Gargashites either were now incorporated with some other of these
nations, or as the tradition of the Jews is, upon the approach of
Israel under Joshua, they all withdrew and went unto Africk,
leaving their land to be possessed by the Israelites, with whom they
saw, it was fruitless to contend.
23: King of Gilgal - Not of that Gilgal where Joshua first
lodged after his passage over Jordan; where it doth not appear, that
there was either king or city; but of a city of the same name, probably in
Galilee towards the sea, where divers people might possibly resort for
trade and merchandise, over whom this was a king, as formerly Tidal
seems to have been, (Ge 14:1).
24: Thirty one - Each being king only of one city or small province
belonging to it, which was by the wise and singular providence of God, that
they might be more easily conquered. But what a fruitful land must
Canaan then be, which could subsist so many kingdoms! And yet at this
day it is one of the most barren and despicable countries in the world.
Such is the effect of the curse it lies under, since its inhabitants
rejected the Lord of glory!
