Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 22:22
The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if [it be] in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)
22. The Lord God of gods ] Rather, The Lord, the God of gods; or, the three names may be taken separately, cf. Psa 50:1. They commence in the most solemn manner by invoking God Himself to witness as to the innocence of their intentions. The form in which they do this is the most emphatic that language can express. There are three principal names of God in Hebrew, El, Elohim, Jehovah. Here all the three are used together and repeated twice to mark the earnestness of their protestation. “El, Elohim, Jehovah El, Elohim, Jehovah.” “The moost strong Lord God of Israel,” Wyclif. He knoweth. The verse is “invested with a mournful interest, for it is that on which Welsh, the minister of the army of the Covenanters, preached before the battle of Bothwell Bridge.” Stanley’s Lectures, i. 221.
if it be ] The particle rendered “if” is here used as the formula of an oath. The apodosis follows at the close of Jos 22:23, “ let the Lord Himself require it.”
save us not this day ] “If bi inwit of trespassynge this auter we han maad vp, keep he vs not, but punyshe now,” Wyclif. This is an imprecation addressed immediately to God. “A parenthetic clause in which the excited feeling passionately invoking evil upon itself passes into the appeal to the Most High.” Comp. Deu 10:17; Job 10:7; Job 23:10. The words are almost equivalent to our form “So help me God.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The repeated invocation of God, and that by His three names – ‘el, ‘elohym, yehovah: compare Psa 50:1 – marks the earnestness of the protestation. The conduct of the two tribes and a half has often been noted as exemplary. They had had a grave and capital crime most unexpectedly laid to their charge, of which they were entirely innocent. Yet there is no word of reproach or recrimination in their vindication of themselves. They are contented simply to repudiate the false accusation and to explain the real motives of conduct perhaps suggested to them by a precedent set by Moses Exo 17:15.
Save us not this day – The words are a direct appeal to God, exactly equivalent in effect to our form So help me God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jos 22:22
The Lord God of gods, He knoweth.
God knows
It is a great satisfaction when we feel that there is one Being who knows everything. After some great perplexity, some dark hour, or some mysterious visitation, when there seemed to be no clue to an event, no interpretation arching it, and not a spark of illumination about it, it is a blessed relief, both to mind and soul, when we feel that somebody can understand it, can thoroughly sift it, and will in good time bring out its illuminated side, and reveal the spiritual diamonds so long concealed in darkness, sorrow, and grief. God knows–what? The uses of things–why the world was made, why we were made, the meaning of the events that greet us, what lessons they convey, what benedictions they unfold, what promises they hold out, and how much culture we shall gain by them. Can anything be more cheering than this fact, and is there anything strange about it? Strange that the Maker should be familiar with what He has made, wonderful that the Architect should understand all about His building, peculiar that the Creator of the world should comprehend what He has produced? How is it in everyday affairs? Would it not be wonderful if Mozart and Beethoven did not understand their own music, stood apart from it as strangers, and were unable to comprehend the science of its melody? or if Powers stood before one of his statues dumb as an idiot, and unable to give an account of how it was shaped into its wondrous beauty? or if Rubens stared at one of his own pictures with a vacant gaze, and with a total inability to trace out the preparatory steps that led to its execution? Then is it not very natural that the Great Musician of earth and heaven should be able to explain all the grand chorus of the ages, that the Holy Sculptor of all time should be able to describe every particular of His work, or that the Great Painter of both worlds should, with a keen wisdom, delight in His own magnificent paintings? I come now to my second proposition, that grows out of the first–we do not know. Here we find two parties in the Church. One says, We do not know anything, and never can know anything, and the other says, We do know something, but that something will not amount to much until God reveals more knowledge. I confess, I do not think that, in order to exalt God, we must utterly extinguish ourselves. If I say that a human being is utterly incapable of ever being enlightened, has no power, and is bound irrevocably to sin, with no chance to escape, you may very properly ask me, Who could have made such a being as that? But, because we can do something–aye, many things–and because we are something–aye, much–it does not follow that we can do everything or that we are Self-sufficient. No, never. God made us, and therefore we are not failures; and let us not for a moment suppose that God has made a mistake in our creation, but, because we are made, we are dependent, frail, and we must often and always look to our Creator for aid and blessing. We are engirdled by mysteries. Yet is it not something that we can, by the grace of God, think, talk, write, walk, live? and can we speak meanly of one who can do all these things? Forbid it, Father! Make us humble, but do not let us be ungrateful. As we look at history and at historical results, it becomes very evident that all through the past ages there has been a providential plan. If we made ourselves Romans, Grecians, or Hebrews, and if we threw ourselves back thousands of years, we should hardly understand that some of our greatest trials were to prove such a vast benediction to after-ages. We could hardly believe that our decay would prove to others life, and that every pang we suffered, both as nations and as individuals, was in accordance with the great, glorious, and holy scheme of Providence. What would be called in ancient days subjugation, invasion, and a despotism, has since proved emancipation, while the baptism of blood then offered has resulted in the salvation of the future. Time explains a great many things that we do not understand to-day; and events always prove that He who rules the heavens and the earth is never bewildered, nor mistaken, nor vanquished. Let each one of us take our own personal experience and trace it back, and see what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go when God would not let us do it, and when God held us back, and when God seemed to be working against us, and how does the retrospect look with our present experience? Did not God know best? and has not everything come out right, and was it not well for us that years ago a restraining hand was placed upon our pleasures, appetites, and desires? And is it not better that we were turned aside from the road that we desired to travel? I think one of the bewitching attractions of biography rests in the fact that we often detect what appear to be very slight and trivial matters, changing the whole course of a persons life. Washington gave up going into the navy in order to please his mother; and thus a hero was secured for America and a splendid monument of goodness and greatness for all the world. Franklin started on a journey to Philadelphia as a mere pauper, and went under false promises to London; and thus a philosopher was educated for all time. The eyesight of a Prescott was suddenly eclipsed, but out of that darkness an historian was born, whose sweet rhetoric will always prove a fascination and a culture. Yes, the slightest incidents that we call disappointments are often the turning-points in our experience, and prove the very moment when Heaven interposes, and shapes us for ends more consistent with the will of God. (Caleb D. Bradlee.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 22. The Lord God of gods] The original words are exceedingly emphatic, and cannot be easily translated. El Elohim Yehovah, are the three principal names by which the supreme God was known among the Hebrews, and may be thus translated, the strong God, Elohim, Jehovah, which is nearly the version of Luther, der starcte Gott der Herr, “The strong God the LORD.” And the Reubenites, by using these in their very solemn appeal, expressed at once their strong unshaken faith in the God of Israel; and by this they fully showed the deputation from the ten tribes, that their religious creed had not been changed; and, in the succeeding part of their defense they show that their practice corresponded with their creed. The repetition of these solemn names by the Reubenites, c., shows their deep concern for the honour of God, and their anxiety to wipe off the reproach which they consider cast on them by the supposition that they had been capable of defection from the pure worship of God, or of disaffection to their brethren.
Save us not this day] This was putting the affair to the most solemn issue and nothing but the utmost consciousness of their own integrity could have induced them to make such an appeal, and call for such a decision. “Let God the Judge cause us to perish this day, if in principle or practice we have knowingly departed from him.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord God of gods; that Jehovah whom we, no less than you, acknowledge and adore as the God of gods, infinitely superior to all that are called gods. The multiplying of his titles, and the repetition of these words, show their zeal and earnestness in this matter, and their abhorrency of the very thoughts of it. He knoweth; to him we appeal who knoweth all things, and the truth of what we are now saying. Israel he shall know; not only our present words, but our future and constant course shall satisfy all Israel of our perseverance in the true religion.
If it be; if this have been done by us with such design, or in such a manner.
Save us not this day; thou, O Lord, to whom we have appealed, and without whom we cannot be saved or preserved, save us not from any of our enemies, nor from the sword of our brethren. It is a sudden apostrophe to God, usual in such vehement speeches.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11-29. and the children of Israelheard sayFame speedily spread intelligence of what thetrans-jordanic tribes had done. The act being suspected of someidolatrous design, the tribes rose in a mass, and repairing to thetabernacle at Shiloh, resolved to declare war against the two tribesand a half as apostates from God. On calmer and more matureconsideration, however, they determined, in the first instance, tosend a deputation consisting of the son of the high priest, and teneminent persons from each tribe, to make inquiry into this rumoredrebellion against God (De13:13-15). The quality of the deputies evinced the deepsolicitude that was felt on the occasion to maintain the purity ofthe divine worship throughout Israel. In the presumptive belief thatthe two tribes and a half had really built an altar, the deputiesexpressed astonishment at their so soon falling into such a heinouscrime as that of violating the unity of divine worship (Exo 20:24;Lev 17:8; Lev 17:9;Deu 12:5-13). They remindedtheir eastern brethren of the disastrous consequences that wereentailed on the nation at large by the apostasy at Peor and by thesin of Achan, and finally exhorted them, if they felt the want of thetabernacle and altar and repented of their rash choice in preferringworldly advantages to religious privileges, to remove to the westernside of the Jordan, where all the tribes would form a united andobedient community of worshippers.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods,…. They first set out in their answer with asserting their firm belief of Jehovah, the God of Israel, being the supreme God, God over all; over all that are called gods, whether angels, of whom Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it; or civil magistrates and judges of the earth, who bare the same name; nor are the gods of the Gentiles to be spoken of with Jehovah, the God of Israel, who is the supreme Being, self-existent, the Being of beings, eternal and immutable, all which is contained in his name Jehovah; now this is repeated by them for the confirmation of their faith in this great article of it, and shows the steadiness of it, and to express their earnest and vehement affection for this truth, and to clear themselves from any imputation of idolatry, or thought of it, or doing anything that might have a tendency to it:
he knoweth; he is the omniscient God, the searcher of the hearts and the trier of the reins of the children of men; he knows our cordial belief of this truth, the integrity of our hearts, the intention of our minds, that we never had a thought in us of departing from his worship, and of setting up an altar beside his in opposition to it:
and Israel he shall know; our brethren the Israelites that dwell in the land of Canaan, whose representatives you are, shall know, not only by our present declaration, but by our future conduct, and strict adherence to the pure worship of God in time to come, that it was never our view by what we have done to depart from it:
if [it be] in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord; with a design to rebel against his word, and transgress his command:
save us not this day; this is said with respect to God, and as an apostrophe to him, as Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel observe; as expressing their desire to have no mercy shown them by him, but that vengeance might be taken on them by him, to whom all things were naked and open, and who full well knew whether they were guilty or not; or else the address is to Phinehas, and the princes, that they would rise up and put them to death by sword, if this appeared to be the case; or that all the other tribes would rise up, and make war against them, and cut them off with the edge of the sword, and not spare them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
22. The Lord God of gods El Elohim Jehovah This is a most solemn oath. They who twice utter the three names of God declare that they revere him as the mighty, living Being, and are not in rebellion against him.
Save us not this day Or, help us not. This implies that they should be left to miserably perish.
Let the Lord himself require it That is, Let him punish it. Another strong adjuration is here uttered.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jos 22:22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if [it be] in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)
Ver. 22. The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods. ] This repetition is very emphatical and pathetical, expressing “their carefulness, their apology, their indignation, their fear, their vehement desire, their zeal,” 2Co 7:11 their utter detestation of such an abomination.
Save us not this day.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The LORD GOD of gods. Hebrew. El Elohim Jehovah. Figure of speech Epizeuxis (App-6).
transgression. Hebrew. maal. App-44.
save us not this day. Note the Figure of speech Parentheaia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Lord God: [Strong’s H3068] [Strong’s H430] [Strong’s H410], El Elohim Yehowah, literally “The strong God, Elohim Jehovah,” which is nearly the version of Luther, der starke Gott, der Herr, “The strong God, the Lord.” Exo 18:11, Deu 10:17, Psa 82:1, Psa 95:3, Psa 97:7, Psa 136:2, Dan 2:47, Dan 11:36, 1Ti 6:16, Rev 19:16
he knoweth: 1Ki 8:39, Job 10:7, Job 23:10, Psa 7:3, Psa 44:21, Psa 139:1-12, Jer 12:3, Jer 17:10, Joh 2:24, Joh 2:25, Joh 21:17, Act 1:24, 2Co 11:11, 2Co 11:31, Heb 4:13, Rev 2:23
Israel: Psa 37:6, Mic 7:9, Mal 3:18, Act 11:2-18, 2Co 5:11
if it be: 1Sa 15:23, Job 31:5-8, Job 31:38-40, Psa 7:3-5, Act 25:11
Reciprocal: Gen 18:21 – I will know Gen 20:5 – in the integrity Gen 44:7 – General 1Sa 20:8 – if there be 1Sa 20:12 – O Lord Job 31:6 – know Job 31:22 – let Psa 50:1 – mighty Psa 89:8 – O Lord Amo 3:13 – the Lord 1Co 13:6 – rejoiceth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 22:22. The Lord God of gods In the Hebrew it is, The God of gods, Jehovah; the God of gods, Jehovah; or, rather, there are three names of God, El, Elohim, and Jehovah, signifying that they owned no other God but him whom their forefathers worshipped, by what name soever he was called, as if he had said, That Jehovah, who is infinitely above all creatures, and the fountain of all other beings, whom we no less than you acknowledge as the God of gods. The multiplying of his titles, and the repetition of these words, show their zeal and earnestness in this matter.
He knoweth To him we appeal who knoweth all things, and the truth of what we are now saying. Not only our present words, but our future and constant course shall satisfy all Israel of our perseverance in the true religion. If it be in rebellion If this have been done by us with such design, or in such a manner. Save us not Thou, O Lord, to whom we have appealed, and without whom we cannot be saved and preserved, save us not from any of our enemies, nor from the sword of our brethren. It is a sudden apostrophe to God, usual in such vehement speeches.