John Gill Commentary Joshua 1:14

"Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;" — Joshua 1:14 (ASV)

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, (Numbers 32:16Numbers 32:17Numbers 32:26Numbers 32:27);

but you 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" ^F15 , 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, (Joshua 4:13) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F15: (Myvmx) "ordine militari", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "quintati", Montanus.