Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
Book of Joshua
THE PREAMBLE
Ch. 1:1-9.
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After the death of Moses the Lord summoned Joshua, the servant of Moses, whom
He had appointed as the leader of Israel into Canaan, to go with all the people across
the Jordan, and take the land which had been promised to the fathers on oath,
assuring him at the same time of His powerful aid, on condition that he observed the
law of Moses faithfully. This summons and promise of God form the preamble to the
whole book, which is linked on to the conclusion of the Pentateuch by the
introductory words, "And it came to pass after the death of Moses, the servant of the
Lord," though it is not so closely connected as to warrant the conclusion that the two
works have been written by the same author.
Joshua 1:1
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the
LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
Verse 1. The imperfect with vav consec. , the standing mode of expressing a
continued action or train of thought, "simply attaches itself by the conjunction 'and' to
a completed action, which has either been mentioned before, or is supposed to be well
known" ( Ewald , §231, b. ). "After the death of Moses," i.e., after the expiration of
the thirty days of general mourning for him (vid., Deut 34:8). "Servant of Jehovah" is
a standing epithet applied to Moses as an honourable title, and founded upon Num
12:7-8 (vid., Deut 34:5; 1 Kings 8:56; 2 Kings 18:12; Ps 105:26, etc.). On "Joshua,
Moses' minister," see at Ex 17:9 and Num 13:16. Minister ( meshareth ), as in Ex
24:13, etc. Although Joshua had already been called by the mouth of the Lord to be
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