Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
(Note: "As there was so much more difficulty connected with the destruction of so populous and welldisciplined
an army, it was all the more necessary that he should be inspired with fresh confidence. For
this reason God appeared to Joshua, and promised him the same success as He had given him so many
times before." - Calvin. ) as in Josh 8:1, by promising him that on the morrow He would deliver them all
up slain before Israel; only Joshua was to lame their horses (Gen 49:6) and burn their chariots. 'aanokiy
(OT:595) before noteen (OT:5414) gives emphasis to the sentence: "I will provide for this; by my power,
which is immeasurable, as I have shown thee so many times, and by my nod, by which heaven and earth
are shaken, shall these things be done" ( Masius ).
Verse 7-8. With this to inspirit them, the Israelites fell upon the enemy and smote
them, chasing them towards the north-west to Sidon, and westwards as far as
Misrephothmaim, and into the plain of Mizpah on the east. Sidon is called the great
(as in Josh 19:28), because at that time it was the metropolis of Phoenicia; whereas
even by the time of David it had lost its ancient splendour, and was outstripped by its
daughter city Tyre. It is still to be seen in the town of Saida , a town of five or six
thousand inhabitants, with many large and well-built houses (see Rob. Pal. iii. p. 415,
and Movers , Phönizier, ii. 1, pp. 86ff.). Misrephothmaim (mentioned also at Josh
13:6), which the Greek translators have taken as a proper name, though the Rabbins
and some Christian commentators render it in different ways, such as salt-pits,
smelting-huts, or glass-huts (see Ges. Thes. p. 1341), is a collection of springs, called
Ain Mesherfi , at the foot of the promontory to which with its steep pass the name of
Ras el Nakhûra is given, the scala Tyriorum or Passepoulain of the Crusaders (see V.
de Velde , Mem. p. 335, and Ritter , Erdk.
xvi. p. 807). mitsªpeh (OT:4708) biqª`at (OT:1237) ( Eng. Ver. "the valley of
Mizpeh") is probably the basin of the Huleh lake and of Nahr Hasbany , on the
western side of which lay the land of Mizpah (v. 3).
Verse 9. Joshua carried out the command of the Lord with regard to the chariots and
horses.
Verse 10-15. After destroying the foe, and returning from the pursuit, Joshua took
Hazor, smote its king and all the inhabitants with the edge of the sword, and burned
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