Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

With the women and the little ones - It was necessary that all should know that they were under the same obligations to obey; even the women are brought forward, not only because of their personal responsibility, but because to them was principally intrusted the education of the children. The children also witness this solemn transaction, that a salutary fear of offending God might be early, diligently, and deeply impressed upon their hearts. Thus every precaution is taken to ensure obedience to the Divine precepts, and consequently to promote the happiness of the people; for this every ordinance of God is remarkable, as he ever causes the interest and duty of his followers to go hand in hand.

1. It may be asked, Seeing God promised to deliver Ai into the hands of the Israelites, why needed they to employ so many men and so many stratagems in order to its reduction? To this it may be answered, that God will have man to put forth the wisdom and power with which he has endued him, in every important purpose of life; that he endued him with those powers for this very end; and that it would be inconsistent with his gracious design so to help man at any time as to render the powers he had given him useless.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not,.... So punctually, precisely, and exactly did he observe the instructions and commands that were given him by Moses; and this he did in the most public manner:

before all the congregation of Israel; who were on this occasion called together, and not before the men only, but

with the women, and little ones: who all had a concern in the things that were read to them: yea, even

and the strangers that were conversant among them; not the proselytes of righteousness only, but the proselytes of the gate, that dwelt, walked, and conversed with them.

Geneva Study Bible

(o) So neither young nor old, man nor woman, were exempted from hearing the word of the Lord.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not — It appears that a much larger portion of the law was read on this occasion than the brief summary inscribed on the stones; and this must have been the essence of the law as contained in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 4:44; Deuteronomy 6:9; Deuteronomy 27:8). It was not written on the stones, but on the plaster. The immediate design of this rehearsal was attained by the performance of the act itself. It only related to posterity, in so far as the record of the event would be handed down in the Book of Joshua, or the documents which form the groundwork of it [Hengstenberg]. Thus faithfully did Joshua execute the instructions given by Moses. How awfully solemn must have been the assemblage and the occasion! The eye and the ear of the people being both addressed, it was calculated to leave an indelible impression; and with spirits elevated by their brilliant victories in the land of promise, memory would often revert to the striking scene on mounts Ebal and Gerizim, and in the vale of Sychar.

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

REFLECTIONS

BLESSED Jesus! while I behold Ai and her king, and everything appertaining to her subdued, brought down, and destroyed, under thy servant Joshua, as thy type and representative, oh! give me to see, and as firmly to believe, that all the Ai's of the present moment, shall bow down and be vanquished, which oppose the salvation of thy people. Lead me on, blessed Captain, conquering and to conquer: from grace to grace, and from strength to strength. And like thine army, which I here behold, teach me by thy Holy Spirit, to pause over the several victories and the redemptions which thou workest for me, to offer my sacrifice and to bless my God, as I go on, even in the presence of my foes. Do thou, blessed Jesus, who hast with thine own arm, gotten thyself the victory; do thou only hold me up, and bear me on, and carry me through, until thou shalt bring me in to the full possession of the Canaan which is above; be thou my sun and my shield, my hiding place and my covert, and then shall I assuredly know, that my God which giveth grace, will assuredly give glory.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

Read not — Therefore he read not the blessings and curses only, as some think, but the whole law, as the manner was when all Israel, men and women, were assembled together, or the ten commandments.

Among them — Who were proselytes, for no others can be supposed to be with them at this time.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

Ver. 35. And the strangers.] The proselyted strangers that professed the true religion.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

There was not a word which Joshua read not; therefore he read not the blessings and curses only, as some think, but the whole law, as the manner was when all Israel, men and women, were assembled together, as we read, Deuteronomy 31:10-12. That were conversant among them, i.e. who were proselytes, for no others can be supposed to be with them at this time.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Repeated. Coverdale's Bible has "Josua caused it to be proclaimed." "It is very common in Scripture to represent a person as doing that which is done by another, in his name and by his authority." (Kennicott) --- Josue might be in the midst to preside, (Calmet) or rather he would be along with the princes of the six tribes on Mount Garizim, ver. 30. (Haydock) --- Thus the covenant entered into between God and the Israelites, was solemnly ratified when the latter first entered the promised land. The greatest part of those who had been present at Horeb had perished in the wilderness. (Calmet)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

the congregation = assembly (as mustered).

were conversant. Hebrew walked.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

There was not a word ... which Joshua read not. It appears that a much larger portion of the law was read on this occasion than the brief summary inscribed on the stones; and this most have been the essence of the law as contained in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 4:44; Deuteronomy 6:9; Deuteronomy 27:8). It was not written on the stones, but on the plaster. The immediate design of this rehearsal was attained by the performance of the act itself: it only related to posterity in so far as the record of the event would Be handed down in the Book of Joshua, or the documents which form the groundwork of it (Hengstenberg, 'Pentateuch,' 1:, p. 431, English translation; also Keil, in loco).

Thus, Joshua faithfully executed the instructions given by Moses. How awfully solemn must have been the assemblage of the dense multitude and the sublime ceremony of the occasion! The eye and the ear of the pencils being both addressed, it was calculated to leave an indelible impression; and with spirits elevated by their brilliant victories in the land of promise, memory would often revert to the striking scene on mounts Ebal and Gerizim, and in the vale of Shechem. The Septuagint inserts this paragraph between verses 2 and 3 of Joshua 9:1-27; whence several continental critics have maintained that it had no certain place in the sacred history, and, not conducing to the progress of the narrative, must be regarded as an interpolation. But the word [ 'aaz (Hebrew #227)] then, by which it is introduced, is shown by Keil to be used in the relation of incidents that took place contemporaneously with the course of the narrative; and he adduces other arguments which convincingly establish the integrity of the text. Colenso alleges that this ceremony must have been 'a mere dumb show.' But this is an entirely mistaken conception of the scene. For, without insisting on the fact already adverted to, that in the clear elastic air of Palestine voices are heard at a great distance, even allowing that some in the mighty congregation might not have distinctly heard the words, the people were all well aware of the service in which they were engaged. They knew the blessings and cursings (Deuteronomy 27:1-26), and therefore could at the proper time say an intelligent 'Amen.' Besides, while Joshua in the valley read the declarations, the Levites might be distributed at convenient stations among the multitude, to repeat the words to the groups around them. And further still, supposing the tribes to have been assembled near the eastern end of the valley, where it is only about 60 rods wide ('The Land and the Book,' p. 470), the cavilling objection of Colenso falls to the ground.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

was not

Deuteronomy 4:2; Jeremiah 26:2; Acts 20:27

women

Deuteronomy 29:11; 31:12; Ezra 10:1; Nehemiah 8:2; Joel 2:16; Mark 10:14; Acts 21:5

strangers

were

Heb. walked. conversant. The word conversant, from the Latin conversor, is here used in the classical sense of having intercourse with. Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:11 - shalt read;  Joshua 8:31 - as it is

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Bibliographical Information
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on Joshua 8:35". "The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tsk/joshua-8.html.

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