Charles Ellicott Commentary Joshua 1

JOSHUA’S COMMISSION (Joshua 1:1–9).

After the death of Moses ... the Lord spoke to Joshua ... Moses’ minister. —Joshua’s commission was the first of its kind, but not the last. No one before Joshua had received orders to regulate his conduct by the words of a written book. Abraham and his household had kept God’s laws; Moses had acted by Divine commission. But Abraham and Moses received their orders from the mouth of Jehovah. Joshua and all his successors must fulfill the orders of “this book of the law.” Thus Joshua was Moses’ minister in more than one sense. He was Moses’ confidential agent and personal attendant while he lived, and afterwards the executor of that which Moses had written.

But the position of Joshua, though at first unique and without precedent, was the position designed for all his successors, especially for that great Personage whose name Joshua was the first to bear. Joshua and the Book of the Law come before us together, without introduction, in the same passage of the law (Exodus 17:9), “Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek;” and in Joshua 1:14, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua.” The book was prepared for Joshua; Joshua came to fulfill the words of the book.

Compare Psalms 40:7, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God.” “Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers” (Romans 15:8).

For the use of the word “minister” (Hebrew, m’shârêth) compare 2 Kings 4:43; 2 Kings 6:15; 2 Chronicles 9:4; Ezra 8:17; Psalms 103:21; Psalms 104:4; Proverbs 29:12; Ezekiel 44:11. From these references it will be seen that the word may signify a personal attendant, a minister of state, or a minister of religion.

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you. —The conquest of Canaan was the special duty assigned to Joshua by the word of Moses. (Therefore the order for the extermination of Amalek was written for Joshua [Exodus 17:14] as the representative conqueror, though he did not actually carry it out.) But the conquest of Canaan, as accomplished by Joshua, must be carefully defined. It was a limited conquest. He took a certain number of strongholds throughout the country, and utterly crushed the armies that were opposed to him in the field.

He established the people of Israel in the position that he had won. (See Joshua 12:9-24 for an outline of the position.) He then divided to the tribes of Israel the whole territory, conquered and unconquered alike . The Philistines and Sidonians (or Phoenicians) are examples of two great nations not conquered by Joshua, but assigned to Israel for an inheritance. Thus it appears that what Israel would conquer, the sole of his foot must tread. The conquest which Joshua began for the people, must be carried out in detail by the several tribes themselves. For a further discussion of the relation of Joshua’s conquest to the whole history of Israel, see Note on Joshua 13:2.

All the land of the Hittites. —The name Hittites may be used here to represent all the Canaanites; but it seems better to understand the land of the Hittites of the northern districts in which Hamath and Carchemish were situated—between Palestine proper and the Euphrates; but compare Note on Judges 1:26.

I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. —Compare Genesis 28:15. And consider Hebrews 13:5 as a combination of the two Old Testament passages.

Be strong and of a good courage ... that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law. —This command to “be strong,” repeated again and again to Joshua, may perhaps be taken as reflecting light upon his natural character, which might not have led him to desire so prominent a position. But it may also be observed that courage was especially needed to carry out the conquest of Canaan in the way that was ordered by the law. For a discussion of this question and its difficulties, see Joshua 13:0.

Thou shalt meditate therein day and night ... then thou shalt make thy way prosperous. —These words are taken up again in Psalm 1:2-3, and a blessing is pronounced on every man who takes Joshua’s position in relation to the written law of God (see the note on Joshua 1:1). Thus the true significance of Joshua’s position appears, and also the difference between Moses and all who followed him. Moses was the prophet “whom the Lord knew face to face.”

Joshua and all his successors, from the least to the greatest, find their blessing and their portion in the careful study and fulfilment of the written word of God. It is also worthy of notice that God’s Word, from its very first appearance as a collective book (namely, the law), occupies the same position.

It is supreme. It is set above Joshua. It is never superseded. And its authority is independent of its quantity. “The law of Moses,” “Moses and the prophets,” “The law, the prophets, and the Psalms,” are descriptions of the Bible differing in the quantity of the matter, but not differing in the authority they exercise or in their relation to the living church. “Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of the prophecy of this book, and keep those things that are written therein,” are words that apply to Holy Scripture equally, in every stage, from the completion of the law of Moses to the completion of the entire book.