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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Application of the Gibeonites. (b. c. 1450.)
THE APPLICATION OF THE GIBEONITES. (B. C. 1450.) Hitherto the Canaanites had acted defensively; the Israelites were the aggressors upon Jericho and Ai. But here the kings of Canaan are in consultation to attack Israel,…
The Artifice of the Gibeonites. (b. c. 1450.)
THE ARTIFICE OF THE GIBEONITES. (B. C. 1450.) Here, I. The Gibeonites desire to make peace with Israel, being alarmed by the tidings they heard of the destruction of Jericho, Joshua 9:3. Other people heard those tidings…
The League with the Gibeonites. (b. c. 1450.)
THE LEAGUE WITH THE GIBEONITES. (B. C. 1450.) Here is, I. The treaty soon concluded with the Gibeonites, Joshua 9:15. The thing was not done with much formality, but in short, 1. They agreed to let them live, and more t…
The Gibeonites Made Bondmen. (b. c. 1450.)
THE GIBEONITES MADE BONDMEN. (B. C. 1450.) The matter is here settled between Joshua and the Gibeonites, and an explanation of the league agreed upon. We may suppose that now, not the messengers who were first sent, but…
The Combination Against Gibeon. (b. c. 1450.)
THE COMBINATION AGAINST GIBEON. (B. C. 1450.) Joshua and the hosts of Israel had now been a good while in the land of Canaan, and no great matters were effected; they were made masters of Jericho by a miracle, of Ai by…
The Sun and Moon Stand Still. (b. c. 1450.)
THE SUN AND MOON STAND STILL. (B. C. 1450.) Here, I. Joshua resolves to assist the Gibeonites, and God encourages him in this resolve. 1. He ascended from Gilgal (Joshua 10:7), that is, he designed, determined, and prep…
The Five Kings Slain. (b. c. 1450.)
THE FIVE KINGS SLAIN. (B. C. 1450.) It was a brave appearance, no doubt, which the five kings made when they took the field for the reducing of Gibeon, and a brave army they had following them; but they were all routed,…
Seven Kings Defeated and Slain. (b. c. 1450.)
SEVEN KINGS DEFEATED AND SLAIN. (B. C. 1450.) We are here informed how Joshua improved the late glorious victory he had obtained and the advantages he had gained by it, and to do this well is a general's praise. I. Here…
Confederacy Against Israel. (b. c. 1450.)
CONFEDERACY AGAINST ISRAEL. (B. C. 1450.) We are here entering upon the story of another campaign that Joshua made, and it was a glorious one, no less illustrious than the former in the success of it, though in respect…
Joshua's Victories. (b. c. 1450.)
JOSHUA'S VICTORIES. (B. C. 1450.) We have here the same improvement made of this victory as was made of that in the foregoing chapter. 1. The destruction of Hazor is particularly recorded, because in it, and by the king…
Matthew Henry on Joshua 11:15-23
We have here the conclusion of this whole matter. I. A short account is here given of what was done in four things:—1. The obstinacy of the Canaanites in their opposition to the Israelites. It was strange that though it…
Summary of Israel's Conquests. (b. c. 1450.)
SUMMARY OF ISRAEL'S CONQUESTS. (B. C. 1450.) Joshua, or whoever else is the historian before he comes to sum up the new conquests Israel had made, in these verses receives their former conquests in Moses's time, under w…
Matthew Henry on Joshua 12:7-24
We have here a breviate of Joshua's conquests. I. The limits of the country he conquered. It lay between Jordan on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and extended from Baal-gad near Lebanon in the north to…
The Distribution of Canaan. (b. c. 1445.)
THE DISTRIBUTION OF CANAAN. (B. C. 1445.) Here, I. God puts Joshua in mind of his old age, Joshua 13:1. 1. It is said that Joshua was old and stricken in years, and he and Caleb were at this time the only old men among…
Matthew Henry on Joshua 13:7-33
Here we have, I. Orders given to Joshua to assign to each tribe its portion of this land, including that which was yet unsubdued, which must be brought into the lot, in a believing confidence that it should be conquered…
The Distribution of Canaan. (b. c. 1444.)
THE DISTRIBUTION OF CANAAN. (B. C. 1444.) The historian, having in the foregoing chapter given an account of the disposal of the countries on the other side Jordan, now comes to tell us what they did with the countries…
Caleb's Request. (b. c. 1444.)
CALEB'S REQUEST. (B. C. 1444.) Before the lot was cast into the lap for the determining of the portions of the respective tribes, the particular portion of Caleb was assigned to him. He was now, except Joshua, not only…
The Lot of Judah. (b. c. 1444.)
THE LOT OF JUDAH. (B. C. 1444.) Judah and Joseph were the two sons of Jacob on whom Reuben's forfeited birth-right devolved. Judah had the dominion entailed on him, and Joseph the double portion, and therefore these two…
Caleb's Inheritance. (b. c. 1444.)
CALEB'S INHERITANCE. (B. C. 1444.) The historian seems pleased with every occasion to make mention of Caleb and to do him honour, because he had honoured God in following him fully. Observe, I. The grant Joshua made him…
The Lot of Judah. (b. c. 1444.)
THE LOT OF JUDAH. (B. C. 1444.) We have here a list of the several cities that fell within the lot of the tribe of Judah, which are mentioned by name, that they might know their own, and both keep it and keep to it, and…
The Lot of Joseph. (b. c. 1444.)
THE LOT OF JOSEPH. (B. C. 1444.) Though Joseph was one of the younger sons of Jacob, yet he was his eldest by his most just and best beloved wife Rachel, was himself his best beloved son, and had been the greatest ornam…
The Inheritance of Joseph's Children. (b. c. 1444.)
THE INHERITANCE OF JOSEPH'S CHILDREN. (B. C. 1444.) Here, 1. The border of the lot of Ephraim is set down, by which it was divided on the south from Benjamin and Dan, who lay between it and Judah, and on the north from…
The Inheritance of Joseph's Children. (b. c. 1444.)
THE INHERITANCE OF JOSEPH'S CHILDREN. (B. C. 1444.) Manasseh was itself but one half of the tribe of Joseph, and yet was divided and subdivided. 1. It was divided into two parts, one already settled on the other side Jo…
Matthew Henry on Joshua 17:7-13
We have here a short account of the lot of this half tribe. It reached from Jordan on the east to the great sea on the west; on the south it lay all along contiguous to Ephraim, but on the north it abutted upon Asher an…