Jos 1:2, 4 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 2. Moses my servant ] The word, servant, as applied both to Moses and Joshua, is to be understood in a very peculiar sense. It signifies God's prime minister , the person by whom he issued his orders, and by whom he accomplished all his purposes and designs. No person ever bore this title in the like sense but the Redeemer of mankind, of whom Moses and Joshua were types. Go over this Jordan ] The account given by Josephus of this river may not be unacceptable here. " Panium is thought to be the mountain of Jordan, but in reality it is carried thither in an occult manner from the place called Phiala . This place lies on the road to Trachonitis, and is one hundred and twenty furlongs from Caesarea, not far out of the road, on the right hand. It has its name Phiala , (a bowl or basin,) very justly, from the roundness of its circumference, being round like a wheel. It is always full, without ever sinking or running over. This origin of the Jordan was not known till the time of Philip, tetrarch of Trachonitis, who having ordered some chaff to be thrown in at Phiala , it was found at Panium . Jordan's visible stream arises from this cavern, ( Panium ,) and divides the marshes and fens of the lake Semechon ; and when it has run another hundred and twenty furlongs, it first passes by the city Julias , and then passes through the middle of the lake Gennesareth , after which, running a long way over the desert, it empties itself into the lake Asphaltites ."-WAR, book iii. chap. x., sect. 7. .

‏ Joshua 1:2

Verse 2. Moses my servant] The word, servant, as applied both to Moses and Joshua, is to be understood in a very peculiar sense. It signifies God's prime minister, the person by whom he issued his orders, and by whom he accomplished all his purposes and designs. No person ever bore this title in the like sense but the Redeemer of mankind, of whom Moses and Joshua were types.

Go over this Jordan] The account given by Josephus of this river may not be unacceptable here. "Panium is thought to be the mountain of Jordan, but in reality it is carried thither in an occult manner from the place called Phiala. This place lies on the road to Trachonitis, and is one hundred and twenty furlongs from Caesarea, not far out of the road, on the right hand. It has its name Phiala, (a bowl or basin,) very justly, from the roundness of its circumference, being round like a wheel. It is always full, without ever sinking or running over. This origin of the Jordan was not known till the time of Philip, tetrarch of Trachonitis, who having ordered some chaff to be thrown in at Phiala, it was found at Panium. Jordan's visible stream arises from this cavern, (Panium,) and divides the marshes and fens of the lake Semechon; and when it has run another hundred and twenty furlongs, it first passes by the city Julias, and then passes through the middle of the lake Gennesareth, after which, running a long way over the desert, it empties itself into the lake Asphaltites."-WAR, book iii. chap. x., sect. 7. See Clarke on Nu 34:12.

‏ Joshua 1:4

Verse 4. From the wilderness and this Lebanon] Joshua appears to be standing with his face towards the promised land, and pointing out the different places, or their situation, with his hand, THIS Lebanon, &c. The utmost of their limits should be from the desert of Arabia Petraea on the SOUTH to Lebanon on the NORTH: and from the Euphrates on the EAST to the Mediterranean Sea on the WEST. The Israelites did not possess the full extent of this grant till the days of David. See 2Sa 8:3, &c., and 2Ch 9:26.

Land of the Hittites] These are generally reputed to have been the most hardy and warlike of all the Canaanitish nations; and as they occupied the mountainous countries on the south of the land of Canaan, it is natural to suppose that they would be the most difficult to subdue, and on this account, it is supposed, God particularly specifies these: "Ye shall subdue and possess even all the land of the Hittites," but it is probable that under this one term all the other nations are included, as it is certain they are in other places under the term Amorites.

Great sea: The Mediterranean, called great in respect of the lakes in the land of Judea, such as the sea of Gennesareth, or the sea of Tiberias, and the Dead Sea, which were comparatively small lakes; but the Hebrews gave the name of sea, yam, to every large collection of waters.