Commentaria in Josue
Prologue and Argument
Jesus Nave, says St. Jerome in his Epistle to Paulinus, bears the type of the Lord not only in his deeds but also in his name: he crosses the Jordan, overthrows the kingdoms of his enemies, divides the land among the conquering people, and through every city, village, mountain, river, torrent and boundary describes (allegorically) the spiritual kingdoms of the Church, and (anagogically) those of the heavenly Jerusalem.
From the Gospels (with which I set the crown upon the whole New Testament) I return, under God’s guidance, to the Old Testament, from the antitype to the type, from Jesus, I mean, to Josue, who succeeded Moses and his Deuteronomy (where I ended the Pentateuch). Where, then, I took my hand from the page, there I put it to it again, and from Josue as far as the Psalms I weave out the ancient history and the psalms, so that in two volumes (if God grant life and strength) I may likewise crown the whole Old Testament. Forty years ago at Louvain I dictated and taught these very things in public lectures. In my usual manner I shall be brief, indeed briefer than usual, lest the volumes on Holy Scripture swell too much, and because these books are historical, narrating the plain, easy and pleasant history of ancient times from Josue to David, and therefore need not so great a commentary as the Prophets, Gospels and Epistles. To the literal sense I shall add the moral, whenever I find it in St. Jerome, Augustine, Origen, Theodoret, Rabanus, Rupert and the other Fathers, adhering to the literal sense and suited to it.
It is asked, first, why this book is entitled Josue? I answer: because it describes the deeds of Josue, by which he subdued Chanaan in war, divided it among the twelve tribes, established the commonwealth of Israel in it, and governed it most prudently both in peace and in war. For God willed to give in Josue the pattern of the best Commander, Leader and Prince, far more excellent than Xenophon described in Cyrus, Plato in the Republic, Aristotle in the Politics; which therefore all Christian Princes may rightly set before their eyes, and constantly look upon and imitate. Add that Josue seems to be the author of this book, of whom more presently.
Moses on account of his zeal and his singular fidelity. He was the son of Nun, and of the tribe of Ephraim. Most ardently devoted to Moses, he was chosen by God to govern the people of Israel after the death of that lawgiver.
It is asked, secondly, whether this book is canonical Scripture? I answer: it is not only canonical but protocanonical (first-canonical), and so is counted among the first books of Holy Scripture, of whose authority no orthodox person has ever doubted. Moreover, the Hebrews place this book in their canon first among the Prophets. For the Hebrews, as St. Jerome testifies in the Helmeted Prologue (which is prefixed like a helmet to Holy Scripture), divide Holy Scripture threefold: into the Thora, that is, the law or Pentateuch of Moses; into the Nebim, that is, the Prophets; and the Ketubim, that is, the Hagiographa. Some of the Prophets they call former, others latter. Among the former they put Josue first; second, the book of Judges; third, of Samuel, that is, the first and second book of Kings; fourth, of Kings, namely the third and fourth book of the same. The latter they reckon as Isaias, Jeremias, Ezechiel and the twelve Minor Prophets; but the former, though historical, they count nevertheless in the order and name of the Prophets, either because they were written by Prophets, or because all that history of theirs foreshadowed, by a kind of mutual prophecy, the times of the future Messias.
It is asked, thirdly, who is the author of the book? I answer: Theodoret here, Question XIII; Abulensis, Question V, and Andreas Masius hold that it was collected long after the death of Josue from ancient diaries and annals (which in chapter x, verse 13, are called “the book of the just”) by some Prophet inspired by the Spirit of God; by Esdras, as Masius thinks, by Samuel, as Abulensis thinks; and this will appear the more probable from the course of the book, especially chapter x, verses 19 and 13, chapter xix, verse 47, chapter xi, verse 16, and from the end of the book. Moreover, the Hebrews hold that these diaries were first written by Josue himself, and they make Josue himself the author of this book of his; and this is sufficiently indicated in the last chapter, verse 26: “He wrote,” it says, “all these words in the volume of the law of the Lord.” For as Moses wrote his own deeds in the Pentateuch, so Josue, the disciple and successor of Moses, here describes his own; just as Julius Cæsar wrote his acts and wars one by one in the very camps, and thence called the book Commentaries on the Gallic War, etc. To these diaries, written by Josue or his amanuensis, some things were added in this book by their collector, which happened after the death of Josue, such as what is related in chapter xv of Axa, the daughter of Caleb, and in chapter xix, verse 47, of the sons of Dan, and finally the death of Josue itself in the last chapter.
Moreover, who, what manner of man, and how great Josue was will appear from the course of the book. Hear Ecclesiasticus, chapter XLVI, verse 4, reciting the praises and great deeds of him, the hero of heroes: “Valiant in war was Jesus the son of Nave, who was successor of Moses among the prophets, who was great according to his name, most great for the saving of the elect of God, to overthrow the enemies that rose up against them, that he might get the inheritance for Israel. How great glory did he gain when he lifted up his hands, and stretched out swords against the cities! Who before him hath so stood? for the Lord himself brought on the enemies. Was not the sun stopped in his anger, and one day made as two? He called upon the most high Sovereign, when the enemies assaulted him on every side, and the great and holy God heard him by hailstones of exceeding great force. He made a violent assault against the nation of his enemies, and in the descent he destroyed them that resisted: that the nations might know his power, that it is not easy to fight against God.” See the things said there. Josue was therefore Leader, Prince and Commander of Israel; he was a Prophet familiar with God, zealous for the law and for divine worship; he was a victor and triumpher, who, having driven out the Chanaanites, led the faithful people back into the promised land, and therefore was an express type of Jesus Christ, who makes his faithful triumph over flesh, world and devil, and so leads them back into the land of the living and into the kingdom of heaven. Hence St. Ignatius, in his epistle to the Philadelphians, St. Jerome, book 1 Against Jovinian, and St. Chrysostom, in his sermon On the Martyrs, teach that Josue, contrary to the custom of that age, was celibate and a virgin, indeed that before Elias and all the rest he raised the first standard of virginity; hear Chrysostom: “From the beginning of the world innocent Abel is slain, Henoch pleasing God is translated, Noe is found just, Abraham is proved faithful, Moses is known as meek, Jesus chaste, David gentle, Elias accepted, Daniel holy, the three children are made victors.”
Finally, the Hebrew Iehosua, contracted Iosua or Iesua, in Greek Iesous, in Latin Jesus, is the same as Saviour. Here, then, all are one and the same name, by which first our Josue, and then his antitype Jesus Christ, was called. Our Serarius has much on this name; I too have said more of it on Numbers, chapter xiii, verse 17; Matthew, chapter i, verse 21, and Philippians, chapter ii, verse 10. Blessed Gregory of Tours relates, in his book On the Glory of Confessors, chapter xl, that his father Florentius, afflicted with grievous fevers and pains, by a heavenly admonition placed under his head a little spear inscribed with the name of Jesus Nave, and was immediately freed from all sickness and pain.
Furthermore, over and above all this, Josue was chosen by Moses at God’s command, and by the laying on of hands ordained, authorized and as it were consecrated leader of the people, Numbers chapter xxvii, verse 18; and again he was encouraged by the same to such heroic works, Deuteronomy chapter xxxi, verse 7: “Take courage,” he says, “and be valiant; for thou shalt bring this people into the land, etc. The Lord himself will be with thee.”
It is asked, fourthly, what is the matter and argument of this book? I answer: the argument is to continue the history of Moses and carry it on to the end of the life of Josue. For Moses in Genesis writes the history of the world, beginning from its creation, and carries it on to the death of the patriarch Joseph, where he ends Genesis. Then in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy he follows the history of Israel from the death of Joseph, and especially his own deeds up to his death. Josue here, succeeding Moses, recounts his own heroic deeds and those of Israel after the death of Moses, and chiefly the wars by which he conquered Chanaan and distributed it to the Israelites to be possessed. In this book, then, there shines forth a most luminous example of divine providence and of fidelity in keeping promises: for in it it is clear that God, after the promise made to Abraham of Chanaan to be possessed, in the year 470, which was the fortieth from Egypt, brought all the twelve tribes sprung from Jacob, Isaac and Abraham safe into the promised land and into possession of it. This is what is said in Exodus xii, 40: “And the dwelling of the children of Israel that they made in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” Add now the forty years of wandering in the desert, which passed from the departure out of Egypt to the entrance into the land of Chanaan, and you will have the 470 years just mentioned.
The literal reason, therefore, for writing this book was that the history of the creation of the world, begun by Moses, might be carried on, that the continuous propagation of the ancient Church might be woven out in unbroken order of times, and that the fidelity of divine Providence in fulfilling promises might be attested to the whole world.
The moral reason was that in Josue there might be given the ideal of a perfect Prince, governing the commonwealth excellently both in war and in peace. Cicero, praising Pompey, requires four endowments in a Commander: knowledge of the military art, valour, authority and good fortune. All these shine forth wonderfully in Josue. Hence Tertullian, book iii Against Marcion, chapter xvi, holds that Josue is that angel and leader whom God promised, Exodus chapter xxiii, saying: “Behold I will send my angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee into the place that I have prepared. Take notice of him, and hear his voice, and do not think him to be one to be contemned: for he will not forgive when thou hast sinned, and my name is in him.” He called him an angel on account of the greatness of the mighty works he was to perform, and on account of the office of a Prophet, announcing namely the divine will; but Jesus, on account of the mystery of his future name.
The allegorical reason was that in Josue Jesus Christ might be pictured conquering sin and every power of hell. Hence Tertullian, book iii Against Marcion, in the poem, chapter iii, sings thus of Josue:
The Holy Spirit joined him to himself as a companion by name, etc. An example of the name, an image of Christ’s power.
See our Salianus, volume ii, year of the world 9600, where he adapts all the deeds of Josue to Christ.
The tropological and anagogical reason was that in him it might be represented by what means each of the faithful, like a soldier, having conquered not seven nations but the capital vices of the soul, ought to press on as victor into the land of the living promised to the conquerors. So Origen, Theodoret, Rupert. For this reason Josue, as by his faith he divided and dried up the Jordan and stayed the sun, so by his innocence surpassed Moses; for Moses offended God at the Waters of Contradiction, and was therefore excluded from the promised land, that the innocent Josue might lead Israel into it, Numbers chapter xx; for nothing in Josue was blamed, but all was praised, and especially his faith, confidence, obedience, religion, charity, zeal, fortitude, integrity, justice, statesmanship, poverty, etc., by which he merited to be enrolled in the catalogue of the Saints in the Roman Martyrology, on the first day of September, on which I write this. Finally hear St. Augustine, book xviii On the City of God, chapter xi: “Josue the son of Nave succeeded Moses, and by divine authority settled the people in the promised land, the nations that held those places having been subdued. When he had ruled the people twenty-seven years after the death of Moses, he too died, Amyntas being the eighteenth king among the Assyrians, Corax the sixteenth among the Sicyonians, Danaus the tenth among the Argives, Ericthonius the fourth among the Athenians.”
Fifthly it is asked, how many years’ deeds this book embraces. I answer: almost all agree that Josue waged wars for seven years to subdue Chanaan, all of which are described here. Peace followed, and how many years Josue survived in it and governed the people is not wholly agreed. For interpreters and chronologers differ. Rabbi Moses thinks that Josue died soon after the wars; others give Josue ten or eleven years of peace after the wars, so that in all he presided over the people seventeen or eighteen years. So Genebrard, book i Chronology, Salianus, Tornielli, Adrichomius, Arias and Lucidus; but Josephus, book v Antiquities, chapter i, at the end, assigns Josue twenty-five years in all; Bede and Bellarmine, twenty-six. But the Hebrews, whom the Fathers follow, such as Eusebius, book x Preparation; Clement of Alexandria, book i Stromata; St. Augustine, book xviii On the City of God, chapter xi; Sulpicius, book i Sacred History; Magalianus and Masius on the last chapter of Josue, give him twenty-seven years. Wherefore, since Josue died at the age of 110, as is clear from the last chapter, verse 20, it follows that he took up the leadership of the people at the age of 83. For subtract the 27 years of his leadership from the 110 years of his life and you will arrive at 83 as the year he began to lead. Which of these opinions is the truer I shall indicate at the last chapter.
Moses begins Genesis from the creation of Adam and the world; but ends it with the death of Joseph, which happened in the year of the world 2310, 633 from the flood, 3641 from Abraham. From the death of Joseph to the exodus from Egypt and the leadership of Moses 144 years passed. And Moses presided over the people 40 years. Therefore Josue, succeeding him immediately, began to rule in the year from the creation of the world 2494, from the flood the 184th year after the death of Joseph, which was the year 1436 before the birth of Christ. See the Chronotaxis which I prefixed to the Pentateuch.
On Josue Origen wrote 36 homilies, being, in his manner, moral. Literally wrote Theodoret, Procopius, and St. Augustine thirty Questions. They are extant in volume iv, after the Questions on Genesis and the whole Pentateuch.
In a later age wrote Rupert, Lyranus, Hugh the Cardinal, Denis the Carthusian, Cajetan, and fully and exactly Alphonsus Tostatus, Bishop of Avila. In our own age Andreas Masius, counsellor of the Duke of Cleves and well versed in languages, wrote learnedly and piously; but he has this fault, that he at times carps at the Vulgate translator, although generally in small matters. He has also some things less sound or sounding unsound, as on the cross not to be adored, and on images not to be placed on the altar, which must be read and understood with caution. Don John Molanus noted them at the threshold of the work in a later edition. Masius excels in geography and in graphically describing the particular places of the holy land.
Arias Montanus followed Masius, and excels in elegance of style. Among our own, Cosmas Magalianus has commented copiously, Nicolas Serarius learnedly and profoundly, Jacobus Bonfrerius accurately.