Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
the successor of Moses in the task of leading the people into Canaan (Num 27:15ff.),
and had not only been presented to the people in this capacity, but had been instituted
in this office by the Lord, with the promise of His help (Deut 31:3-7 and 23), the
word of the Lord came to him a second time after the death of Moses, with the
command to enter upon the office to which he had been called, and with the promise
that He would help him to fulfil its duties, as he had already helped His servant
Moses. "Because even some of the bravest men, although fully prepared beforehand,
either stand still or hesitate when the thing has to be done: this exhortation to Joshua,
to gird himself at once for the expedition, was by no means superfluous; though his
call was ratified again not only for his own sake, but in order that the people might
not hesitate to follow him with their minds collected and calm, when they saw that he
took no step without the guidance of God" ( Calvin ). - Joshua received this word of
the Lord by a direct address from God, and not through the intervention of the Urim
and Thummim of the high priest; for this appointed medium for the revelation of the
will of God, to which he had been referred on the occasion of his first call (Num
27:21), whenever difficulties should arise in connection with his office, was not
sufficient for the renewal and confirmation of his divine calling, since the thing
required here was not merely that the will of God should be made known to him, but
that he should be inspired with courage and strength for the fulfilment of it, i.e., for
discharging the duties of his office, just as he afterwards was then in front of the
fortified town of Jericho which he was directed to take, where the angel of the Lord
appeared to him and assured him of its fall (Josh 5:13). Moreover, the conquest of
Canaan formed part of the work which the Lord entrusted to His servant Moses, and
in which therefore Joshua was now Moses' successor. Consequently the Lord would
be with him as He had been with Moses (v. 5); and for this reason He revealed His
will directly to him, as He had done to Moses, though without talking with him
mouth
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