Commentaria in Josue
For when Abraham, about to sacrifice his son in the same place, gave the place the name Adonai yireh, that is, the Lord will see or will provide a victim for himself, from that yireh, that is, “will provide,” and the more ancient name Salem, the name Jerusalem was formed, that is, “he will provide,” or “he will see peace,” or vision of peace. So Masius. See what is said on Genesis 22:14. Josephus, therefore, book 7 of the Jewish War, chapter 17, and Hegesippus, book 3, chapter 9, are mistaken in saying that Melchisedech, the founder of the city, gave it this name Jerusalem because he added to the old name Salem the Greek word hieron, that is, sacred, on account of the temple built there by himself, as if Jerusalem were the same as hieron, that is, sacred temple of the city of Salem. Others, with Eusebius, book 9 of the Preparation, chapter 4, attribute it to Solomon, as if Jerusalem were the same as hieron, that is, the sacred temple of Solomon. But neither Melchisedech nor Solomon spoke Greek, but Hebrew.
Stephanus of Byzantium likewise errs, in his book On Cities, asserting that Solyma, and Salem, are so called from the Solymi mountains, and that it was afterwards called Aelia by the Emperor Aelius, its restorer.
Also foreign to the truth seems what our Christopher a Castro writes on Baruch chapter 4, near the end, that Jerusalem was so called by the Jebusite inhabitants, as if to say Jerusalem, that is, fear our city Salem, so that by the very name of the city they might strike terror into the neighbouring cities. Equally foreign seems what St. Jerome indicates, On Places, under the letter T, that Jerusalem was called from Jebus, the son of Chanaan and great-grandson of Noe, and Salem (for the Jebusites inhabited Jerusalem), the letter S being changed into R for the sake of euphony, as if Jerusalem were the same as Jebussalem.
But these names were given to the city by divine appointment, on account of the economy of the passion, the cross and the death to be accomplished in it, in which mystery the justice, peace and happiness of the whole world were placed, according to that of Lamentations 2: “Is this the city of perfect beauty, the joy of all the earth?” and that of Psalm 73: “But God is our king before ages: he hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.” And that of Isaias 2: “Out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” And Apocalypse 21:2: “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” See Tobias, chapter 13:11 and following, exulting in the praises of Jerusalem. Hear Adrichomius in his Description of Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, the chosen city of God, holy and glorious, founded on holy mountains, surpassing all the cities of the world in the eminence of its site and the happiness of its climate and soil, is situated in the midst of the whole world and of Judea, like the centre and navel of the earth; and as a royal city among all its neighbours, it stands forth like the head in the body, and shines with splendid buildings like the sun above the rest. And it is illustrated with so great glory that, by a certain singular privilege, it was once the one place chosen by God, and was a figure not only of every faithful soul, but also of the Church of Christ militant on earth, and finally of that blessed Church triumphant in heaven. A city of perfect beauty, the joy and exultation of all the earth. It was founded about the year of the world 2023, in the time of Abraham, by Melchisedech the king, called in Hebrew Salem, but in Greek Solyma; and it seems to have been possessed by him for fifty years. Afterwards the Jebusites, sprung from Jebusaeus the son of Chanaan, occupied it; by whom it was at one time called Jebus and Jebusaeum; at which time Josue slew its king. The Jebusites held it eight hundred and twenty-four years, and so trusted in the strength of the city that, when King David was about to attack it, they placed the blind, the lame and the maimed on the walls in contempt, saying that these were enough to keep off the enemy.” So far Adrichomius.
Finally St. Jerome, epistle 47 to Marcella, inviting her to migrate from Rome to Jerusalem: “In three names,” he says, “it shows the faith of the Trinity: it is called Jebus, Salem and Hierusalem; the first name means trodden down, the second peace, the third vision of peace. For by degrees we come to faith, and after being trodden down we are lifted up to the vision of peace; since Solomon, that is, the peaceful, was born in it, and his place was made in peace. And in the figure of Christ, under the etymology of the city, the Lord of lords and King of kings received his name.”
2. FOR GABAON WAS A GREAT CITY, AND ONE OF THE ROYAL CITIES,—In Hebrew, as one of the cities of the kingdom, as if to say: Gabaon was one of the principal cities of the kingdom of the Chanaanites. The Septuagint, one of the principal cities of the kings; Masius, as any of the cities of the kingdom; the Chaldean, of the kingdoms.
4. BECAUSE IT HATH REVOLTED,—namely with impunity, “to Josue,” as if to say: Why shall we allow this desertion of the Gabaonites from us to the Hebrews to go unpunished? as if to say: Let us punish this their apostasy from us, and cut them off, lest anyone dare to imitate them and desert to the Hebrews, “because it hath made peace with Josue.”
9. SO JOSUE CAME UPON THEM SUDDENLY, GOING UP ALL THE NIGHT FROM GALGAL,—as if to say: Josue, marching all night from Galgal, fell at earliest dawn upon the camp of the enemy who were besieging it, and so oppressed them, drowsy with sleep, confused and terrified.
Note here a new stratagem of Josue, by which, by speed and a morning onslaught, he threw the enemy’s camp into confusion and overcame it. For Themistocles, the great leader of the Greeks in battles, wisely said: “Friends are to be overcome by patience, enemies by speed.” And Julius Caesar: “I came, I saw, I conquered,” which Charles V imitated, more piously saying: “I came, I saw, Christ conquered.” Hannibal was swift and watchful, as was the Emperor Vespasian. See what is said on Apocalypse chapter 2, verse 9. Thus Troy was taken by the Greeks, who, as Virgil says, Aeneid 2:
They invade the city buried in sleep and wine.
By night, therefore, we must keep the strictest watch against our enemies, both of body and of soul. For by night the demons go about to stir up what is shameful, wicked and unspeakable. Wherefore against them, at nightfall, to implore the help of God and the angels, let us recite Psalm 90: “He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven, etc. Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night, etc. Of the business that walketh about in the dark, of the destruction that walketh in the darkness.”
for Gabaon. See a like instance chapter 5, verse 8.
AND PURSUED THEM,—namely Israel the Amorrhites, or God through Israel as his soldier. For the Hebrews often leave the subject of the verb unexpressed, and leave it to be understood and supplied from the circumstances, as obvious to the reader.
11. THE LORD CAST DOWN UPON THEM GREAT STONES FROM HEAVEN.—Understand hailstones. Josephus adds, book 5 of the Antiquities, chapter 1, thunder and lightning; so that this tempest was terrible not only with stony hail of unusual size, but also with thunder and lightnings, as that Egyptian one had been, Exodus 9:23. Similar help of lightnings sent by God to the Christian legion (which from this was called the Thundering Legion) under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Eusebius relates, book 5 of the History, chapter 5; and of the Emperor Theodosius fighting against Eugenius, Claudian tells, when he sings thus:
O much beloved of God, for whom Aeolus pours forth from his caves the armed storms, for whom the heaven fights, and the conspiring winds come at the trumpet’s call.
So at the prayers of Samuel God smote the Philistines with thunder, and threw them down to be struck by the Hebrews.
12. THEN JOSUE SPOKE TO THE LORD.—The Chaldean: then Josue praised the Lord, and praising him asked, full of confidence, that he would stay the sun until he should obtain full victory over the slain enemies; and this prayer being first offered to God, Josue, trusting wholly in divine power and help, commanded the sun to rest and stand still. Ecclesiasticus 46:4 teaches that Josue did this out of zeal and just anger against the enemies of the people of God, doubtless impelled by the Holy Spirit. See here how powerful is great faith in God; but God must suggest and inspire it in us, as he inspired it in Josue: otherwise he would have been rash in commanding the sun to stand. This is what Christ promised, Matthew 21:22, saying: “All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” So much as you believe and hope, so much will you receive from God. Who, then, would not hope for the highest things from God, that he may receive the highest?