Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 1:14

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them;

14. ye shall pass over ] According to the promise solemnly given, Num 32:17; Num 32:27; Num 32:32.

all the mighty men of valour ] Not the whole of the adults who were fit for war, and who numbered, according to Num 26:7; Num 26:18; Num 26:34, upwards of 136,930 men, but 40,000 “prepared for” war, Jos 4:13.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Armed – Rather, arrayed (see Exo 13:18 note).

On this side Jordan – Compare Deu 1:1, note.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Your wives, your little ones] And with these it appears, from Nu 32:17, were left behind 70,580 effective men to guard them and their property; only 40,000 having passed over Jordan to assist the nine tribes and half to conquer the land. See Jos 4:13.

Armed] chamushim, by fives; in several lines, five in front, probably the usual method of marching; but it seems to signify arrayed, equipped, accoutred, well-armed, and ready for battle. See Clarke on Ex 13:18.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Ye shall pass, to wit, over Jordan.

Before your brethren; either,

1. In their presence. Or,

2. In the front of all of them; which was but reasonable; partly, because they had the advantage of their brethren, having actually received their portion, which their brethren had only in hope, and therefore were obliged to more service, the rather to prevent the envy of the other tribes; partly, because they were freed from those impediments which the rest were exposed to, their wives, and children, and estates being safely lodged; and partly, to prevent their retreat and withdrawing themselves from the present service, which they otherwise should have had opportunity and temptation to do, because of the nearness of their habitations.

Armed; for by this time they were well furnished with arms, which they had either from the Egyptians, or Amalekites, or Amorites, from whom they had taken them; or by purchase from those people by whose borders they passed. Or, in military order. See Poole “Exo 13:18“. The mighty men of valour; all such were obliged to go over if occasion required it, but Joshua took only some of them, partly because they were sufficient for his purpose, and partly because some were fit to be left, both to secure their own wives, children, and possessions, and to prevent their enemies on that side from giving them disturbance or hinderance in their enterprise upon Canaan.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. ye shall pass . . . armedthatis, officered or marshalled under five leaders in the old andapproved caravan order (see on Ex 13:18).

all the mighty men ofvalourThe words are not to be interpreted strictly as meaningthe whole, but only the flower or choice of the fighting men (see onJos 4:12).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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,

Nu 32:16;

but ye 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” o, 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, Jos 4:13.

o “ordine militari”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “quintati”, Montanus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

14. [

This side Jordan An incorrect translation of , which can only mean beyond the Jordan. Our translators were governed, in their rendering, by the position of Joshua at the time of this address; but the Book of Joshua was written after the conquest and settlement of Palestine when beyond the Jordan was the common term for the country east of the Jordan, and so the writer simply follows the usus loquendi of his time. This eastern section, which in our Saviour’s time was called Perea, and was the region of much of his ministry, (see notes on Mat 4:25; Luk 9:51,) is designated in Jos 1:15 as (Hebrews) beyond Jordan towards the sunrising; and in Jos 5:1. Western Palestine is called beyond Jordan towards the sea. ]

Mighty men of valour The more valiant of the two and a half tribes, not their entire military strength. From Jos 4:13 we learn that only forty thousand of them were required to cross to the western side; the remainder probably about seventy thousand, (see Numbers 31,) remaining on the eastern side of the river to protect the families and substance of the two and a half tribes from the incursions of their still numerous though defeated enemies dwelling in the wide eastern plains.

Armed Scholars differ as to the meaning of this word. Some assert that it signifies “girt about the loins;” hence “ready, equipped, drawn up for battle.” Others, on very good grounds, believe that it means “in five divisions, namely, the centre, two wings, vanguard, and rearguard,” according to the usual form in which an army marches into battle. In Exo 13:18 (see note) it is rendered harnessed.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments