Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 24:27
And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
27. this stone shall be a witness ] So in Gen 31:48; Gen 31:52, Laban says to Jacob, “This heap is a witness between me and thee this day;” and in Deu 31:19; Deu 31:21; Deu 31:26, Moses says, “Write ye this song for you that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.”
for it hath heard ] By a poetical prosopopia Joshua describes the stone as hearing the words of God, since it had been set up for the purpose of reminding the people of the promise which they had made unto the Lord, and, in case they should be unfaithful, of bearing witness against them.
lest ye deny your God ] “Ne forte postea negare velitis et mentiri Domino Deo vestro,” Vulgate. “Lest perauenture e wolden denye aftirward, and lye to oure Lord God,” Wyclif. Comp. Jos 7:11 (Heb.); Job 31:28; Pro 30:9; Lev 19:11-12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 27. This stone – hath heard all the words] That is, the stone itself, from its permanency, shall be in all succeeding ages as competent and as substantial a witness as one who had been present at the transaction, and heard all the words which on both sides were spoken on the occasion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
It hath heard; it shall be as sure a witness against you as if it had heard. This is a common figure, called prosopopaie, whereby the sense of hearing is oft ascribed to the heavens and the earth, and other senseless creatures, as Deu 32:1; Isa 1:2; Jer 2:12.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14-28. Now therefore fear the Lord,and serve him in sincerity and in truthAfter having enumeratedso many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them todeclare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithfuland obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his ownunalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere inmaking a similar avowal, “to put away the strange gods that wereamong them”a requirement which seems to imply that some weresuspected of a strong hankering for, or concealed practice of, theidolatry, whether in the form of Zabaism, the fire-worship of theirChaldean ancestors, or the grosser superstitions of the Canaanites.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Joshua said unto all the people,…. The chief of them now gathered together, and who represented the whole body:
behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; of the covenant now made, and the agreement entered into, as the heap of stones were between Jacob and Laban, Ge 31:45;
for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us; this is said by a figure called “prosopopaeia”, frequent in Scripture, by which inanimate creatures are represented as hearing, seeing, and speaking, and may signify, that should the Israelites break this covenant, and disobey the commands of the Lord they had promised to keep, they would be as stupid and senseless as this stone, or more so, which would rise in judgment against them. Nachmanides d a Jewish commentator, interprets this stone of the Messiah, the same as in
Ge 49:24;
it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God; for a memorial and testimony to prevent them from going into atheism, a denying of the true God, or into apostasy from him, and into idolatry and false worship. The Targum of which is,
“behold, this stone shall be to us as the two tables of stone of the covenant, for we made it for a testimony; for the words which are written upon it are the sum of all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us, and it shall be unto you for a memorial, and for a testimony, lest ye lie before the Lord.”
d Apud Masium in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
‘ And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of YHWH which he spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.” ’
A stone for Jacob (Gen 31:45) and a heap of stones for his brothers-in-law (Gen 31:46) stood as a witness between Jacob and Laban, each stone seemingly representing a tribal leader. This stone therefore probably represented Israel. It had ‘heard’ all that was said and stood there as a witness to it and to Israel’s responsibility to keep the covenant. The idea that somehow stones had something to testify about (even though they never did) lies behind the words of Jesus in Luk 19:40.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 27. For it hath heard all the words, &c. “If ever you so far forget yourselves, as to act as if you had not this day chosen the Lord for your God, this stone shall convince you of falsehood, and shall witness as strongly against you, as if it had heard all that I have been saying to you, and all that you have replied in answer; and had assumed a voice to contradict you to your face.” How strongly figurative soever this discourse may appear, it is not too much so for the taste of the orientals, with whom it is common to give sentiments to the most insensible creatures, and, as it were, to animate all nature by their expressions. See for instance, Deu 4:26; Deu 32:1. Psa 19:1. Isa 1:2. Jer 22:29. Luk 19:40.
Note; (1.) If the service of God be not our deliberate choice, from conviction of its blessedness, and experience of its comfort, a constrained profession will last but a short time. (2.) Those who count the denial of their corrupt affections hard, and the restraints of religion burthensome, have already rejected the Lord from being their God. (3.) A good and great example is very influential. (4.) They who resolve to serve God themselves, cannot but labour that all who are under their care may do so too. (5.) They, who are faithful to God, fear not to be singular, though all others are ashamed of his religion, or live a dishonour to it; their houses shall be the temples for daily prayer and praise, and their ways unconformed to the wicked world around them. (6.) We can never hesitate whose service to prefer, God or the world, Christ or Belial, if our minds are freed from the delusions of Satan, and the bias of corrupt affections.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us.” Jos 24:27
This is more than poetry; this indeed is the greatest of realities. We are accustomed to regard nature as a silent and unresponsive quantity, but it is never so regarded in holy Scripture. We cannot tell the relation of nature to our own spiritual life. There is nothing secret that shall not be revealed; there is nothing spoken in whispers that shall not be repeated in thunders. Who cannot recall the places at which certain vows were spoken, or memorable prayers were poured out of the heart? The world is full of trysting-places, altars of promise, mountains of aspiration, sanctuaries of vow and oath. Every place at which we have kneeled will be a witness against us. Every time we have handled the Bible we have marked down a witness either in our favour or against us. A recollection of these circumstances would hallow nature and give all life a new sensitiveness. “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Had not the children praised Christ, the very stones would have cried out against them, and taken up a song of gladness in his honour. There are places which we cannot pass without great memories leaping up from them, and making us live our years over again in sudden agony, now of pain, now of rapture. The footprints we leave behind us may be seen by others, and may be encouragements to them. It is for us to say whether those encouragements shall be found on the upward road, crowned with heaven, or on the downward road, at the end of which there is a burning pit. A very solemn thought it is that we are never really alone. Time and space are God’s witnesses, and the stones we accounted deaf may be alive to hear every oath and blessing uttered by our lives. It is a fearful thing to live! What did you say at the child’s grave? What at the wedding altar? What was the meaning of the gift of a mother’s Bible? Recall the spot on which a great deliverance was wrought, and remember your many tears and vows. How desolate the condition of a man against whom dumb nature exclaims! The very stones cry out. Every harvest rebukes spiritual indolence. Every star puts to shame the life of darkness. Every flower protests against moral hideousness. O my soul, how many have been thy vows, and how few thy fulfilments! Wilt thou always be a liar before God, and always dare the very faces of nature to put thee to shame? I will arise and redeem my vows, and ask him who is merciful evermore to give me courage to own my cowardice, and strength to repair the waste places of my life.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Jos 24:27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
Ver. 27. Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us. ] It shall represent your covenant to your consciences, and convince you of singular perfidy, in case you falsify. We read in Livy that a certain governor of the people called Aequi, bade the Roman ambassadors tell their tale to the oak that stood next them, saying that he had somewhat else to do than to give them audience. To whom they replied, Et haec sacrata quercus audiat faedus a vobis violatum, Then let this holy oak hear and bear witness that ye have broken your covenant.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
it hath heard. Figure of speech Prosopopmia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
A curious coincidence of circumstances is related by Livy, the Roman historian: he writes that “when three ambassadors were sent from Rome to complain of the perfidious conduct of the Aqui, the General informed them, that they might deliver their message to an oak which shaded his tent.” On this one of the ambassadors turning away, said, “This venerable oak, and all the gods, shall know that you have violated the peace; they shall now hear our complaints; and may they also soon be witnesses, when we revenge with our arms the violation of divine and human rights.” It is worthy of remark that Joshua merely set up a pillar under an oak – the one, perhaps, to protect the other; while the General directed the ambassadors to address the oak, perhaps with an idolatrous feeling that they were addressing one of the gods, who would aid his cause; while the Roman ambassadors caught the feeling, and really invoked the aid of the oak and the gods. Jos 22:27, Jos 22:28, Jos 22:34, Gen 31:44-52, Deu 4:26, Deu 30:19, Deu 31:19, Deu 31:21, Deu 31:26, 1Sa 7:12
it hath: Deu 32:1, Isa 1:2, Hab 2:11, Luk 19:40
deny: Job 31:23, Pro 30:9, Mat 10:33, 2Ti 2:12, 2Ti 2:13, Tit 1:16, Rev 3:8
Reciprocal: Gen 21:30 – a witness Gen 28:18 – set it Gen 31:48 – This heap Gen 49:33 – had made Exo 24:4 – twelve pillars Jos 4:3 – twelve stones Jos 22:10 – built Job 31:28 – for Isa 19:20 – for a Jam 5:3 – a witness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 24:27. It hath heard It shall be as sure a witness against you as if it had heard. This is a common figure, whereby the sense of hearing is often ascribed to the heavens and the earth, and other senseless creatures.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
24:27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it {m} hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
(m) So that man’s deception should not go unpunished, the dumb creatures will cry for vengeance.