Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 23:13
Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
13. snares ] The word thus rendered denotes (i) a net, trap-net, especially of a fowler; (ii) a snare such as seizes and holds beasts or men by the feet. Comp. Job 18:9, “the gin shall take him by the heel;” Jer 18:22, “they have hid snares for my feet.” The form of this trap-net appears from the passages Amo 3:5, and Psa 69:22. It was in two parts, which, when set, were spread out upon the ground and slightly fastened with a stick, so that as soon as a bird or beast touched the stick, the parts flew up and enclosed the bird in the net, or caught the foot of the animal.
thorns in your eyes ] The warnings of Joshua are severer even than those of Moses (Num 33:55), “nowe thanne wite e that the Lord oure God do hem not awey before oure face, but to ow thei shulen be into a diche, and greene, and hurtynge of oure side and a staak in oure eyen, to the tyme that he doo ou a wey,” Wyclif.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 13. They shall be snares] lephach, a net or gin, set by the artful fowler to catch heedless birds.
And traps] mokesh, any snare, toil, or trap, placed on the ground to catch the unwary traveller or wild beast by the foot.
Scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes] Nothing can be conceived more vexatious and distressing than a continual goad in the side, or thorn in the eye. They will drive you into obedience to their false gods, and put out the eyes of your understandings by their idolatries. And God will preserve them merely to distress and punish you.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They shall be snares and traps unto you: by your indulgence to them, and converse with them, you will be enticed and drawn by degrees into their errors, and impieties, and brutish lusts.
Scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes: when they have inveigled, and seduced, and thereby weakened you, then they will molest and vex you, no less than a severe scourge doth a mans sides which are lashed by it, or than a small thorn doth the eye when it is got within it.
Until ye perish from off this good land: they shall so persecute you, and fight against you with such success, that you shall be forced to quit your own land, and wander you know not whither; which must needs be very terrible to them to think of, when they compared this present case, and plenty, and safety, with the pains, and weariness, and hazards, and wants of their former wanderings.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out [any] of these nations from before you,…. Or, “knowing ye shall know” r; or “know ye”; this may be taken for granted, or the fullest proof, and clearest demonstration, and strongest assurance will be given of it, that in case of such bad conduct, and disobedience to the will of God, no more of the nations of the Canaanites will be driven out of the cities in which they are:
but they shall be snares and traps unto you; who by their bad examples would draw them both to idolatry and superstitious worship, and into all irreligion, profaneness, and immorality, as they did,
Ps 106:35;
and scourges in your sides; who either, by ensnaring them, would get an advantage over them, and distress them in their persons, families, and estates; or would be the means of the Lord’s correcting and chastising them with the rod and stripes of men, for the iniquities these would draw them into; the allusion is to scourges and lashes laid on the sides of men, or to goads with which beasts are pushed on their sides and driven:
and thorns in your eyes; very troublesome and distressing; for even a mote in the eye is very afflicting: and much more a thorn;
[See comments on Nu 33:55]. Jarchi interprets this word by camps surrounding them, as shields do the bodies of men, and which is approved of by Gussetius s:
until ye perish from off this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you; by sword, famine, pestilence, or captivity, which has been their case.
r “sciendo scietis”, Montanus; “sciendo scitote”, Pagninus, Vatablus. s Comment. Ebr. p. 717.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. Snares, traps, scourges, thorns This mixing of metaphors vividly portrays the trouble, sudden disaster, wasting captivity, and destruction which idolatry would bring upon their nation.
Until ye perish from off this good land The Jews are strangers to that land to-day, so wonderfully has God scattered them, and so marvelously has he preserved their nationality in order that they may be a monument of his truthfulness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jos 23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
Ver. 13. But they shall be snares and traps unto you. ] As the fowler catcheth birds, and the hunter wild beasts in their snares and traps; so shall these Canaanites catch you by their familiarity and commerce, and draw you to participate in their sins and plagues.
And scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
any of these. Some codices, with four early printed editions, read “all these”.
they shall be. Compare Exo 23:33, Num 33:55. Deu 7:16.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
will no: Exo 23:33, Num 33:55, Deu 7:16, Jdg 2:2, Jdg 2:3, Psa 106:35-39
snares: Deu 7:16, Jdg 2:3, 1Ki 11:4, Psa 69:22, 2Ti 2:26
until ye perish: Lev 26:31-35, Deu 4:26, Deu 28:63-68, Deu 29:28, Deu 30:18, 2Ki 17:22, 2Ki 17:23, 2Ki 25:21, 2Ki 25:26, Luk 21:24
Reciprocal: Gen 3:18 – Thorns Gen 6:2 – and they Exo 10:7 – snare Exo 34:12 – lest Deu 7:3 – General Deu 8:19 – I testify against Deu 11:17 – ye perish Deu 20:18 – General Jos 13:6 – them Jos 13:13 – expelled Jos 23:5 – he shall Jos 23:16 – perish Jdg 2:21 – General 1Ki 11:2 – Ye shall not go in 1Ki 16:31 – took to wife 2Ki 17:18 – removed 2Ki 22:16 – all the words Ezr 9:12 – give not Ezr 10:3 – at the commandment Psa 80:9 – preparedst Psa 81:14 – I should Psa 106:34 – did not Psa 106:36 – which Pro 22:5 – Thorns Jer 11:8 – therefore Eze 28:24 – a pricking Mal 2:12 – cut Rom 6:12 – Let not
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your {e} eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
(e) Meaning, they will be a continual grief to you, and so the cause of your destruction.