Joshua 21:44

Jos 21:44. The Lord gave them rest round about — Namely, all the remaining days of Joshua; for afterward it was otherwise with them. The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands — This is not to be understood as if all the people of Canaan were absolutely in subjection to them, but that as long as Joshua lived, all those who attempted to oppose or rise up against them were delivered into their power and subdued.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

44. And the Lord gave them rest] Moreover He gave them rest round about, in accordance with His promise to their forefathers. Comp. (a) Exo_33:14, “And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (b) Deu_3:20, “Until the Lord have given rest unto your brethren.” (c) Deu_25:19, “When the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

there stood not a man] “Noone of the Enemyes is hardi to withstoond hem,” Wyclif. For even though the Canaanites were not all exterminated, yet those who remained did not venture upon an attack on the Israelites so long as they remained loyal and steadfast to their invisible King, and as long as Joshua and his contemporaries lived. “It was no part of the Divine purpose that the native population should be annihilated suddenly (Exo_23:29; Deu_7:22); but they were delivered into the hand of Israel, and their complete dispossession could have been effected at any time by the Divine aid which was never wanting when sought.”

the Lord delivered all their enemies] See above ch. Jos_2:24. Hence, though Israel after the death of Joshua became slothful in the work, and never obtained complete possession of the land, never, e.g. conquered Tyre and Sidon, still this was no breach of the Divine promise, for its complete fulfilment depended upon Israel’s fidelity.

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.

And the Lord gave them rest round about,.... Not only from their travels, with which they had been fatigued forty years in the wilderness, but from wars with the Canaanites they had been engaged in for some years past:

according to all that he sware unto their fathers; not only to give them the land, but peace, rest, and safety in it:

and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; for whenever any rose up to oppose them, they were immediately cut off: this is to be understood while Joshua was living; for afterwards, sinning against God, they were again and again delivered up into the hands of their enemies:

the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands; that is, that made war with them.

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

To wit, all the days of Joshua, by comparing Jos 1:5, for afterwards it was otherwise with them.

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

44. There stood not a man — The many were humbled and rendered tributary, and all their enemies would have been expelled if the Hebrews had had faith in Jehovah, their unfailing ally. [Some rationalistic critics affirm that this passage is contradicted by other statements of the ancient history which affirm that Israel’s enemies were not all subdued, and considerable portions of the land were never in possession of the Israelites. But they forget that the promise to the fathers was accompanied also with the express statement that the Canaanites should be gradually exterminated. See note on next verse. This passage affirms a thorough subjugation of all Canaan, and a division of it for a possession among the Israelites, but not, as some would assume, an extermination of all its original inhabitants. Even Ewald admits, as unquestionable, “that this first irruption into Canaan under Joshua was decisive for all future time, and that the Canaanites were never able in succeeding ages to rally permanently from the losses and disasters which they then underwent.” In another place the same rationalistic critic affirms: “There can be no doubt that Joshua, during the first years of the entrance into Canaan, subdued the country on every side, and received the submission of all the Canaanites whose lives were spared. It is very possible that in the first terror of surprise the Philistines, and even the men of Zidon and the rest of the Phenicians, may have paid homage, although these last could never again be subdued.”]

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

Gave them rest - Namely, all the days of Joshua; for afterwards it was otherwise with them.

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