Joshua 1:14

14 Your wives, your little ones, and your beasts shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan; but ye, all the mighty men of valour, shall pass before your brethren armed 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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Joshua 1:14 In-Context

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

13 Remember the word which Moses, the slave of the LORD, commanded you, saying, The LORD your God has given you rest and has given you this land.

14 Your wives, your little ones, and your beasts shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan; but ye, all the mighty men of valour, shall pass before your brethren armed and help them

15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as he has given you and they also inherit the land which the LORD your God gives them; then ye shall return unto the land of your inheritance and inherit it, which Moses the LORD’s slave has given you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising.

16 Then they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou hast commanded us we will do, and wherever thou dost send us, we will go.