Commentaria in Josue
THAT THOU MAYST OBSERVE (in mind) AND DO (in work) ALL THE LAW WHICH MOSES MY SERVANT HATH COMMANDED THEE.—He means the law generally enacted and given to the whole people by Moses on Sinai, which is contained in Deuteronomy and the other four books of the Pentateuch: not some special law delivered to Josue, as is clear from verse 8. Yet he says specially, “which he hath commanded thee,” that Josue may know that the common law is imposed on him and commended to him by God chiefly as leader, and therefore ought to be more at heart and care to him than to others, that he may first keep it himself, and then see to its being kept by others, and do this not so much by words and threats as by life and deeds, that the leader himself may be to the people a living and seeing law, as Cyrus says in Xenophon.
TURN NOT ASIDE FROM IT TO THE RIGHT HAND OR TO THE LEFT.—First, to turn aside to the right is to add something to the law; to the left, to take something from it, say the Hebrews and Vatablus. Secondly, Serarius: to turn aside to the right, he says, is to transgress the law for hopes and advantages; to the left, to transgress it for fear and threats.
But I say it is a Hebraism, which means nothing else than that one must walk in the straight way of the law, if one wishes to reach heaven, as travellers keep the straight and royal road to arrive at the end of the journey, lest by paths or by-ways they be led off into a seeming plain that is pathless and stray from the end, so that those wishing to go to Jerusalem go to Jericho. Thus sinners wishing to go to heaven, straying from the way of the law, find themselves at the end of life in gehenna and hell. In place of “from it” the Hebrew has mimmennu, that is “from him,” namely from what the law commanded; but mimmennu stands for mimmenna, that is, “from her,” namely from the Thora, that is, the law. It is an enallage of gender.
THAT THOU MAYST UNDERSTAND ALL THINGS WHICH THOU DOST.—The Hebrew: that thou mayst understand all things in which thou walkest, that is, all that thou doest. For actions and works are called ways in Hebrew, because by them as by ways we tend to happiness, heaven and God: “that thou mayst understand,” that is, that thou mayst act prudently; for this is the Hebrew taschil; so often in Proverbs prudence is called understanding, knowledge, doctrine, practical wisdom, namely that which leads a man to salvation, and therefore makes him blessed.
Hence it is clear that Josue was chosen by God as successor of Moses and leader of the people on account of his fidelity, probity and obedience, by which he had obeyed both the law of God and Moses his lord. Hence St. Ephrem, tract On Virtue, chapter i: “Jesus the son of Nave,” he says, “by his perfect obedience merited so great a gift as to become the successor of Moses”: namely, he who obeys his superior well rules others rightly, and therefore deserves to rule.
8. LET NOT THE BOOK OF THIS LAW (of Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch, which I gave to Moses) DEPART FROM THY MOUTH: BUT THOU SHALT MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT, THAT THOU MAYST OBSERVE AND DO ALL THINGS THAT ARE WRITTEN IN IT,—as if to say: Keep the law of God continually in mind and mouth: for the Hebrew hagah means to meditate so often and fervently that from the fervent meditation the words of the law are born and bubble up on the mouth as in a murmur; and that thou mayst teach them to the people subject to thee. Hence the saying: “The mouth of the just shall meditate (that is, having meditated, or from meditation) wisdom.” He hints that it belongs to a Prince to teach the people the law of God, as Moses did in Deuteronomy, and Jagello, prince of the Poles, who by his own mouth, catechizing and preaching, taught the Poles the faith and law of Christ. Surely this piety and this study of the law paved the way for Josue to so many and such great victories, so that Rabbi Simeon truly said: “The banner of Josue was the pattern of the law.”
DAY AND NIGHT,—namely by interrupted turns, that is, frequently, diligently, assiduously; for to meditate continually and always on the law of God is impossible to man in this life, since he must sleep, eat and labour. Wherefore Rabbi Ismael, asked too strictly by his sister’s son whether, after Moses’s book was perused, he might read the writings of the Greeks, answered that he might, provided he did not do so by day or night. For all the time of day and night is to be given to the law, according to this precept of God.
THEN SHALT THOU DIRECT (Hebrew tasliach, that is, thou shalt prosper, make fortunate, make happy) THY WAY (that is, the actions of thy life), AND UNDERSTAND IT.—The Hebrew taschil, that is, thou shalt order it prudently, or thou shalt be understanding and prudent, as I said on verse 7. Note here that prudence is joined with prosperity and happiness, as mother with daughter; for prudence prospers actions, often in this life, and always in the future; for it always directs them to eternal happiness.
9. FEAR NOT, BECAUSE THE LORD THY GOD IS WITH THEE IN ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER THOU SHALT GO TO.—For who would fear with God as companion, indeed as leader? Wherefore this is to be imitated by each, that in all they do and plan they strive to have God as leader of their study and work, and therefore at the beginning of the work implore his help with humble prayer, as I have often admonished. “If God be for us, who is against us?” Romans viii. Excellently St. Ambrose, book ii On Duties, chapter i: “Peace of conscience and security of innocence,” he says, “make the blessed life.” The same, book ii On Jacob and the Blessed Life, chapter vi: “Perfect virtue,” he says, “has tranquillity and stability of mind. For it belongs to the perfect not to be easily moved by worldly things, not to be troubled by fear, not agitated by suspicion, not shaken by terror, not vexed by grief, but as on a most safe shore, against the rising waves of the storms of the world to calm the immovable mind in a faithful station.”
11. PREPARE YOU VICTUALS,—not manna; for this fell daily from heaven, and had to be gathered daily, nor could it be kept for the next day; for if it was kept, it rotted, Exodus xvi. But pottage and meats from the spoil of the kingdoms of Og and Basan, for example, slay, cook and salt the sheep and oxen taken there, and store them in vessels.
Note: the manna still rained on the Hebrews from heaven; for the manna ceased only on the fifteenth day of the month, when the Hebrews tasted and possessed the new fruits of Chanaan, as is clear from chapter v, verse 12. Hence it is clear that the Hebrews in the desert, besides manna (which many of the more greedy loathed, especially since for thirty-eight years they had eaten it continually), also used other foods, such as meats, which that dainty nation gaped for, as is clear from Numbers chapter xi, verse 4, which they used as a relish to the manna as to bread. This is clear from the fact that they bought these foods from their neighbours the Idumeans and Moabites. Hear God, Deuteronomy chapter ii, verse 6: “You shall buy meats of them for money, and shall eat.” And verse 27, the Hebrews say to Sehon the king, asking passage from him: “We will pass through thy land, we will go by the highway, etc. Sell us meat for money, that we may eat.” Hence also Deuteronomy xxix, 6, it is said not of meat but of bread only and wine: “You have not eaten bread, you have not drunk wine nor strong drink.” But the richer of the Hebrews, as well as the poorer, lived in the desert on manna alone, and tasted in it meats, fish, eggs, and whatever they wished to taste, according to Wisdom chapter xvi, verse 20: “Thou didst feed thy people with the food of angels, and gavest them bread from heaven prepared without labour, having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste.”
BECAUSE AFTER THE THIRD DAY YOU SHALL PASS OVER THE JORDAN.—It is asked how this is true: for in the next chapter Josue sent spies into Jericho, who, besides the time of going and returning, lay hid three days in the mountains, as will be said in the next chapter, verse 22; and when they had returned to Josue, by his command the Hebrews moved their camp to the Jordan, and stayed there three other days, as is clear from chapter iii, verse 2. Hence at least six days intervened before the crossing of the Jordan. How then is it said, “after the third day”?
St. Augustine here, Question 1, thinks that Josue fixed the time of three days here not from revelation and divine certainty but from human hope: for he hoped the crossing could be made in that time, if the spies returned quickly; but they delaying and not returning, Josue’s plans were changed.