Yehoshua 1:14

14 Your nashim, your little ones, and your livestock, shall remain in the land which Moshe gave you beyond the Yarden; but ye shall cross over ahead of your achim armed, all the gibborei hachayil, and help them;

Yehoshua 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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Yehoshua 1:14 In-Context

12 And to the Reubeni, and to the Gadi, and to the half tribe of Menasheh, spoke Yehoshua, saying,

13 Remember the devar which Moshe Eved Hashem commanded you, saying, Hashem Eloheichem hath given you menuchah, and hath given you HaAretz Hazot.

14 Your nashim, your little ones, and your livestock, shall remain in the land which Moshe gave you beyond the Yarden; but ye shall cross over ahead of your achim armed, all the gibborei hachayil, and help them;

15 Until Hashem has given your achim menuchah, as He hath given you, and they also have possessed HaAretz which Hashem Eloheichem giveth them; then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and occupy it, which Moshe Eved Hashem gave you beyond Yarden toward the rising of the shemesh.

16 And they answered Yehoshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and everywhere thou sendest us, we will go.