Joshua 1:14

14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall abide in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but ye, all the valiant men, shall go over in array ^[a] before your brethren and help them,

Joshua 1:14 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 1:14

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain
in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan
This was what they themselves proposed, agreed unto, and confirmed, ( Numbers 32:16 Numbers 32:17 Numbers 32:26 Numbers 32:27 ) ;

but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed;
bearing arms, to fight for them; for none but such that were fit to bear arms were obliged to go; and these were to go "harnessed" ^F15, as some render the word, or in a military order, in rank and file, by fives, five in a row; not at the front of the army, for the standard of Judah went first, but along with them; for "before them" signifies no other than in the presence of them, and in company with them:

all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
to obtain a conquest over the Canaanites; all, according to the order of Moses, and by their agreement, were to go, all that were able to bear arms; but Joshua did not take them all, only a select company of strong and valiant for, out of an hundred thirty thousand, but forty thousand went with him, ( Joshua 4:13 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F15 (Myvmx) "ordine militari", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "quintati", Montanus.

Joshua 1:14 In-Context

12 And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh spoke Joshua, saying,

13 Remember the word that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God has given you rest and has given you this land.

14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall abide in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but ye, all the valiant men, shall go over in array before your brethren and help them,

15 until Jehovah give your brethren rest as to you, and they also take possession of the land which Jehovah your God giveth them; then shall ye return into the land of your possession and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sun-rising.

16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou hast commanded us will we do, and whither thou shalt send us will we go.

Footnotes

• [a]. See Ex. 13.18.