Joshua 1:14

Jos 1:14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

Ver. 14. All the mighty men of valour.] All beside a necessary guard for your country and families. See Num 32:2.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:14 The warriors of the 2½ tribes had promised to cross the Jordan with the rest of Israel to help them conquer their land (Num 32:16-19). Joshua reminded them of their obligation.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, beyond Jordan from Jericho.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

ye shall pass . . . armed--that is, officered or marshalled under five leaders in the old and approved caravan order (see on Exo 13:18).

all the mighty men of valour--The words are not to be interpreted strictly as meaning the whole, but only the flower or choice of the fighting men (see on Jos 4:12).

Next: Joshua Chapter 2

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 14. Your wives, your little ones] And with these it appears, from Nu 32:17, were left behind 70,580 effective men to guard them and their property; only 40,000 having passed over Jordan to assist the nine tribes and half to conquer the land. See Jos 4:13.

Armed] חמשים chamushim, by fives; in several lines, five in front, probably the usual method of marching; but it seems to signify arrayed, equipped, accoutred, well-armed, and ready for battle. See Clarke on Ex 13:18.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. ye shall pass over] According to the promise solemnly given, Num_32:17; Num_32:27; Num_32:32.

all the mighty men of valour] Not the whole of the adults who were fit for war, and who numbered, according to Num_26:7; Num_26:18; Num_26:34, upwards of 136,930 men, but 40,000 “prepared for” war, Jos_4:13.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan,.... This was what they themselves proposed, agreed unto, and confirmed, Num 32:16,

but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed; bearing arms, to fight for them; for none but such that were fit to bear arms were obliged to go; and these were to go "harnessed" (o), as some render the word, or in a military order, in rank and file, by fives, five in a row; not at the front of the army, for the standard of Judah went first, but along with them; for "before them" signifies no other than in the presence of them, and in company with them:

all the mighty men of valour, and help them; to obtain a conquest over the Canaanites; all, according to the order of Moses, and by their agreement, were to go, all that were able to bear arms; but Joshua did not take them all, only a select company of strong and valiant for, out of an hundred thirty thousand, but forty thousand went with him, Jos 4:13.

(o) "ordine militari", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "quintati", Montanus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Armed - Rather, “arrayed” (see Exo 13:18 note).

On this side Jordan - Compare Deu 1:1, note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Armed before, in order of battle, at the head of the army, and not according to the disposition of the tribes, which were observed in the desert. Only 40,000 men were selected out of 110,580, the rest were very prudently left to guard the new conquered country. See Numbers xxxii. 17. --- For them. Hebrew, "help them."

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Ye shall pass, to wit, over Jordan.

Before your brethren; either,

1. In their presence. Or,

2. In the front of all of them; which was but reasonable; partly, because they had the advantage of their brethren, having actually received their portion, which their brethren had only in hope, and therefore were obliged to more service, the rather to prevent the envy of the other tribes; partly, because they were freed from those impediments which the rest were exposed to, their wives, and children, and estates being safely lodged; and partly, to prevent their retreat and withdrawing themselves from the present service, which they otherwise should have had opportunity and temptation to do, because of the nearness of their habitations.

Armed; for by this time they were well furnished with arms, which they had either from the Egyptians, or Amalekites, or Amorites, from whom they had taken them; or by purchase from those people by whose borders they passed. Or, in military order. See Poole "Exo 13:18". The mighty men of valour; all such were obliged to go over if occasion required it, but Joshua took only some of them, partly because they were sufficient for his purpose, and partly because some were fit to be left, both to secure their own wives, children, and possessions, and to prevent their enemies on that side from giving them disturbance or hinderance in their enterprise upon Canaan.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. [

This side Jordan — An incorrect translation of בעבר הירדן, which can only mean beyond the Jordan. Our translators were governed, in their rendering, by the position of Joshua at the time of this address; but the Book of Joshua was written after the conquest and settlement of Palestine when beyond the Jordan was the common term for the country east of the Jordan, and so the writer simply follows the usus loquendi of his time. This eastern section, which in our Saviour’s time was called Perea, and was the region of much of his ministry, (see notes on Mat_4:25; Luk_9:51,) is designated in Jos_1:15 as (Hebrews) beyond Jordan towards the sunrising; and in Jos_5:1. Western Palestine is called beyond Jordan towards the sea.]

Mighty men of valour — The more valiant of the two and a half tribes, not their entire military strength. From Jos_4:13 we learn that only forty thousand of them were required to cross to the western side; the remainder — probably about seventy thousand, (see Numbers 31,) — remaining on the eastern side of the river to protect the families and substance of the two and a half tribes from the incursions of their still numerous though defeated enemies dwelling in the wide eastern plains.

Armed — Scholars differ as to the meaning of this word. Some assert that it signifies “girt about the loins;” hence “ready, equipped, drawn up for battle.” Others, on very good grounds, believe that it means “in five divisions, namely, the centre, two wings, vanguard, and rearguard,” according to the usual form in which an army marches into battle. In Exo_13:18 (see note) it is rendered harnessed.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Armed. This word, translated harnessed in Exo_13:18, only occurs besides here in Jos_4:12, and in Jud_1:7:11. In the first cited of these passages it has given rise to much discussion among those whose studies have been confined to the text of the English Bible, excluding even the margin. But its meaning is much debated among scholars. There seems no authority whatever for the translation armed or harnessed. We must either take it

(1) to mean in five divisions, the usual manner of marching under Moses, (see Nu 2) "divided into centre, right and left wings, van and rear guard" (Ewald); or

(2) fierce, eager, brave, from a Semitic root found also in the Arabic. So Rosenmuller and Gesenius who does not, however, as Keil asserts, derive the word from vmj to be fat, but from a root akin to smj violence, and xmej to be pungent. The former refers to the parallel passage in Num_32:17, where for syvmuj we find syvju quick. The first interpretation is rendered probable by Nu 2, where the order of march is described as a fivefold order, and by the similarity of the word to vmeh five, and is not excluded by Jud_1:7:11, where the army, though disorganised, may have still been arranged in its fivefold divisions. The fact that there is an Arabic word, almost precisely similar, which is applied to the fivefold division of an army, makes it almost certain that this is the true meaning. But some scholars prefer to render it "brave," or "eager for war". (cf. yxeWlj Jos_4:13) This last word is also found in the parallel passages in Numbers 32 and Deu_3:18-20. Its original meaning is expeditus unencumbered. See note on the last-mentioned passage. All the mighty men of valour. The number of fighting men in these tribes would be, from a comparison of Num_26:7, Num_26:18, Num_26:34, remembering that half only of the tribe of Manasseh must be counted, between 110, 000 and 111, 000. But we read in Jos_4:13 that 40, 000 only of them went over. Above 70, 000 must have remained behind to guard their women, children, and flocks, a precaution both reasonable and necessary. So indispensable, in fact, was it, that in this apparent discrepancy we may find one of the strongest proofs of the genuineness of our narrative. For, as Calvin remarks, in a country not yet pacified, all the women and children would infallibly have been massacred had they been left unprotected.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Before their brethren -- in the front of all of them; which was but reasonable; because they had the advantage of their brethren, having actually received their portion, which their brethren had only in hope, because they were freed from those impediments which the rest were exposed to, their wives, and children, and estates being safely lodged; and to prevent their withdrawing themselves from the present service, which they otherwise would have had temptation to do, because of the nearness of their habitations. Armed - For by this time they were well furnished with arms, which they had either from the Egyptians, Amalekites, or Amorites, from whom they had taken them; or by purchase from those people by whose borders they passed. Men of valour - All such were obliged to go over if occasion required it, but Joshua took only some of them, because they were sufficient for his purpose, and because some were fit to be left, both to secure their own wives, children, and possessions, and to prevent their enemies on that side from giving them disturbance in their enterprise upon Canaan.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Joshua continues speaking to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

your little ones

"your little children"

beyond the Jordan

This refers to the east side of the Jordan River. Later most of the Israelites would live west of the Jordan, so they called the east side "beyond the Jordan." But at this time they were all still on the east side. AT: "east of the Jordan River" (See: Idiom)

given your brothers rest

This refers to Israel defeating all their enemies residing in Canaan that they were to conquer. (See: Idiom)

you will ... possess it

This refers to living out their life on the land in peace.

beyond the Jordan, where the sun rises

This refers to the east side of the Jordan river. (See: Idiom)

translationWords

livestock

Moses

brother

Yahweh

possess

servant

Jordan River

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

All who are mighty warriors among you shall cross over armed [for battle].

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.