Commentaria in Josue
15. (NOW IT WAS THE TIME OF THE HARVEST, AND THE BANKS OF THE JORDAN WERE FILLED TO THE BRIM.)—In Hebrew, in the time of the new fruits. For it was then the tenth day of the first month Nisan, which corresponds partly to March, partly to April, when in Palestine, a hot region, the crops and others, especially barley, ripen, and so the time of harvest there begins from Nisan, as is clear from Leviticus xxiii, 10; Exodus xiii, 4; Deuteronomy xvi, 1.
16. THE WATERS THAT CAME DOWN FROM ABOVE STOOD IN ONE PLACE.—Hebrew, in one heap; Chaldee, in one mass; Septuagint, in one concretion or congelation (for the waters stood as if congealed, like a mountain of crystal), AND SWELLING UP LIKE A MOUNTAIN, WERE SEEN AFAR OFF, FROM THE CITY THAT IS CALLED ADOM (so the Hebrew, Septuagint and Roman. Wrongly therefore the Complutensians and others read Edom), TO THE PLACE OF SARTHAN,—that is, from Adom (which reaches to Sarthan, and extends its borders) to Bethabara, where the Hebrews crossed the Jordan. For the sense is from Adom, or in Adom (for some Hebrew copies read beadom, that is in Adom, others meadom, that is from Adom), the city which is by the side of, or next to, Sarthan. So also the Septuagint in the Royal and Complutensian editions. Hence it is strange that in the Roman editions for Sarthan is read Cariathiarim, that is, city of woods; unless you say that Sarthan too was so called on account of neighbouring woods. The sense, therefore, is, as if to say: The waters of the Jordan, repelled by the presence of the ark of God, as new ones flowed in continually, so swelled and grew as it were into a mountain, that the mountain, raised on high from the place of crossing, which was thence called Bethabara, that is house of passage, appeared remote and far to the inhabitants of those places, as far as the obscure city of Adom, or as far as the so celebrated place Sarthan (for Sarthan is at the side of the city of Adom), that is as far as the lake of Genesareth, or the sea of Galilee, which is also called of Tiberias, as Masius here proves at length from 3 Kings iv, 12, where Sarthan is said to be opposite Jezrahel, which was near the city of Bethsan, or Scythopolis: and the sea of Galilee bounded Scythopolis.
This mountain of waters, therefore, appeared from Bethabara to Sarthan and the sea of Galilee, which is a space of twenty leagues or hours.
Indeed from the Hebrew the sense seems to be that these waters of the Jordan swelling not only appeared, but swelled in continuous series from Bethabara to Sarthan, as if to say: The waters of the Jordan, repelled by the sight of God, as new ones flowed in continually, and these again were at once driven back by the Angel, by this very repulse flowed back, and by this reflux of theirs swelled over so long a stretch as is from Bethabara to Sarthan, namely twenty leagues, or about as far as from the Dead Sea, that is from the lake Asphaltites (for Bethabara is near it), to the sea of Tiberias. Hence the Hebrew and Chaldee have, the waters stood as far as Sarthan: so Masius. Doubtless God, maker of all, who sets a bound to the waters, here restrained them more strongly than any wall of adamant.
Adrichomius less rightly here imagines another Sarthan near Bethabara, in which namely the Hebrews crossed the Jordan, and thence that mountain of the waters of the Jordan was seen swelling as far as Adom.
Symbolically, Rupert holds that here is represented the space of time in which the Hebrews were to possess the promised land, namely from the crossing of the Jordan under Josue at Bethabara to Adom and Sarthan, that is, to Titus and the Romans, who slew, afflicted and expelled them on account of the killing of Jesus Christ: for Adom in Hebrew is the same as red, and Sarthan the same as their tribulation.
Tropologically, the faithful man, from the crossing of the Jordan, that is from baptism, ought to swell, that is, to grow in patience and virtue up to Adom, that is the shedding of blood and martyrdom, and to Sarthan, that is straitening and extreme tribulation. When, therefore, thou art in tribulation, O Christian, take courage and be enlarged; for thou hast not yet resisted unto Adom, that is, unto blood, as Christ did and
From which it follows most invincibly: 1. that it was impossible for Josue to throw a wooden bridge over the waters of the Jordan, for then its breadth was nearly twelve hundred feet; besides, the Hebrews were as yet ignorant of the art of building bridges. 2. That it was impossible for Josue to cross the Jordan with his army by an approach to the bed, for there is no approach to the river when its waters fill the banks. There is no doubt, therefore, that the stupendous crossing of the Jordan by the Hebrews was effected by miracle, to perpetuate and confirm the true religion of the whole people, above all of the youth, and their faith in the one only God, maker and governor of the whole world.
Martyrs. Think how much St. Lawrence, St. Vincent, St. Euphemia, St. Febronia and the other Martyrs suffered, and whatever thou sufferest will seem little to thee.
BUT THOSE THAT WERE BENEATH RAN DOWN INTO THE SEA OF THE WILDERNESS (into the Asphaltite lake, into which Sodom and the Pentapolis were turned after the heavenly fire), WHICH IS NOW CALLED THE DEAD SEA (because it nourishes no living creature, but all living things brought into it at once die).—For the Jordan flows straight into this sea, and is swallowed up in it and as it were vanishes.
17. AND THE PEOPLE WENT OVER AGAINST JERICHO,—(some wrongly read, against the Jordan: for “against Jericho” the Hebrew, Chaldee, Septuagint and Roman have). This place, where the Hebrews crossed dry-foot the Jordan divided by God, was called Bethabara, that is house, that is place, of passage, where St. John the Baptist baptized, and there Christ was baptized by him, John chapter i, verse 28 (see what was said there): doubtless that in the place where baptism was first foreshadowed by that crossing of the Hebrews, it might also first be completed by John. That the crossing of the Jordan prefigured baptism, St. Augustine teaches, sermon 106 On the Season: for as Josue led the Hebrews through the Jordan into the promised land, so Jesus led his faithful through baptism into heaven. Hence also St. Jerome in the Places of the Hebrews, letter B: “Bethabara,” he says, “where John baptized unto penance: whence even to this day very many of the brethren, that is of the number of believers, desiring to be born again there, are baptized in the life-giving flood,” as St. Basil, who set out from Cappadocia,
Moreover Arias, page 265, holds that Bethabara is the same place as Bethbera, of which in Judges vii, 24, that is house of grain or of eating, that is, a place fertile on account of the nearness and irrigation of the waters of the Jordan; hence near it the Hebrews ate the fruits of the land when the manna ceased, Josue v, 11 and 12.
GIRDED,—until all the people passed over securely and without fear, that it might be shown to the people that this miracle of the crossing was wrought by the power of God, who was Lord and prince of the covenant (the two tables of the Decalogue) contained in the ark, of which covenant the people, being possessed, used the bed of the Jordan not only passable but altogether dry. This is what the Psalmist sings, Psalm cxiii, 5: “What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou didst flee? At the presence of the Lord (sitting upon the ark) the earth was moved, at the presence of the God of Jacob.”
Morally Origen, homily 4: “By the ministry of priests,” he says, “the people is led to the land of promise. And who today among priests is so great and of such a kind as to deserve to be enrolled in that order? For if there be such a one, the rivers of the Jordan will yield to him, and the very elements will revere him; part of the waters of the river will spring back, part will flee in rapid course into the salt sea.” And lower down: “Blessed are they who draw near the ark, that is, God; but remember what is written: They that approach me, approach fire, enlightening the pious, burning the impious.”
GIRDED.—The Hebrew hachen, that is, establishing, namely themselves in the same footstep, that is, firmly, with fixed foot. The Chaldee: firmly, or rightly, and so as they had begun. So Arias; the Zurich version, of set purpose; the Septuagint, Aquila and Symmachus, prepared, for crossing; Masius, preparing, namely the crossing for the people: for although hachen is an infinitive hiphil verb, yet among the Hebrews these verbs are often taken for adverbs, as is clear from Osee chapter v, 2, in the Hebrew.
AND ALL THE PEOPLE PASSED OVER THROUGH THE CHANNEL THAT WAS DRIED UP.—In Hebrew, and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the people had finished crossing the Jordan. So also the Septuagint, Chaldee, Vatablus, Masius and others.