Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Saturday, May 28, 2022
Joshua, chapter 16, brief comments
Joshua 16:1 ¶ And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, 2 And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, 3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea. 4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
Joshua 16:5 ¶ And the
border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even
the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto
Bethhoron the upper; 6 And the border
went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about
eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; 7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and
to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. 8 The border went out from Tappuah westward
unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the
inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. 9 And the separate cities for the children of
Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities
with their villages. 10 And they drave
not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the
Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve
under tribute.
As of the writing of Joshua the Ephraimites had not driven out
Canaanites from their possessions, their conquests.
Judges 1:29 Neither did
Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt
in Gezer among them.
This will be a great problem for Ephraim as it will result in that
tribe’s downfall.
Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is
joined to idols: let him alone.
Hosea 5:3 I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom,
and Israel is defiled.
Ephraim is not mentioned in Revelation but the tribe of Joseph
is, which is linked to Manasseh in Numbers.
Revelation 7:8 Of the tribe
of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Numbers 13:11 Of the tribe
of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
Ephraim becomes Samaria. The original tribe was carried away by
the Assyrians.
Isaiah 7:9 And the head of
Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not
believe, surely ye shall not be established.
Isaiah 9:9 And all the
people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the
pride and stoutness of heart,
Hosea 7:1 When I would have
healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness
of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop
of robbers spoileth without.
Obadiah 1:19 And they of
the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the
Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria:
and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
2Kings 17:5 Then the king
of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and
besieged it three years. :6 In the ninth
year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into
Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in
the cities of the Medes…24 And the king
of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from
Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead
of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities
thereof…26 Wherefore they spake to the
king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the
cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he
hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not
the manner of the God of the land.
Friday, May 27, 2022
Brief comments on Joshua, chapter 16.
Joshua 16:1 ¶ And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, 2 And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, 3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea. 4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
Joshua 16:5 ¶ And the
border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even
the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto
Bethhoron the upper; 6 And the border
went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about
eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; 7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and
to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. 8 The border went out from Tappuah westward
unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the
inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. 9 And the separate cities for the children of
Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities
with their villages. 10 And they drave
not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the
Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve
under tribute.
As of the writing of Joshua the Ephraimites had not driven out
Canaanites from their possessions, their conquests.
Judges 1:29 Neither did
Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt
in Gezer among them.
This will be a great problem for Ephraim as it will result in that
tribe’s downfall.
Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is
joined to idols: let him alone.
Hosea 5:3 I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom,
and Israel is defiled.
Ephraim is not mentioned in Revelation but the tribe of Joseph
is, which is linked to Manasseh in Numbers.
Revelation 7:8 Of the tribe
of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Numbers 13:11 Of the tribe
of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
Ephraim becomes Samaria. The original tribe was carried away by
the Assyrians.
Isaiah 7:9 And the head of
Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not
believe, surely ye shall not be established.
Isaiah 9:9 And all the
people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the
pride and stoutness of heart,
Hosea 7:1 When I would have
healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness
of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop
of robbers spoileth without.
Obadiah 1:19 And they of
the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the
Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of
Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
2Kings 17:5 Then the king
of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and
besieged it three years. :6 In the ninth
year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into
Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in
the cities of the Medes…24 And the king
of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from
Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead
of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities
thereof…26 Wherefore they spake to the
king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the
cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he
hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not
the manner of the God of the land.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Monday, May 23, 2022
Sunday, May 22, 2022
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Friday, May 20, 2022
Joshua 14 and 15 brief comments
Joshua, chapter 14
Joshua 14:1 ¶ And these are
the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan,
which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the
fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to
them. 2 By lot was their
inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes,
and for the half tribe. 3 For
Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other
side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes,
Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land,
save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for
their substance. 5 As the LORD commanded
Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
This passage recounts the aspects of the Law we already looked at
in the discussion of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Joshua 14:6 ¶ Then the
children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh
the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto
Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea. 7 Forty years old was I when Moses the
servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I
brought him word again as it was in mine heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me
made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely
the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy
children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. 10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive,
as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word
unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and
now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as I
was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is
my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof
the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were
there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be
the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the
LORD said. 13 And Joshua blessed him,
and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of
Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly
followed the LORD God of Israel. 15 And
the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great
man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.
Of the men sent from Kadeshbarnea to scout out the land of Canaan
only Joshua and Caleb, because of their obedience and confidence in God, were
to live of the men that left Egypt. Their faith and trust in God made this
possible. Here again are some things we’ve discussed in Numbers.
Caleb seeks a challenge and is confident in the Lord that he will
take it. There is a popular gospel song with that title, “I Want That Mountain.”
Of course, the difference between a gospel song and a hymn is that the gospel
song is about what God has done for you while a hymn praises God for who He is,
some say.
Joshua, chapter 15
Joshua 15:1 ¶ This
then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even
to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost
part of the south coast. 2 And their
south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh
southward: 3 And it went out to the
south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the
south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to
Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
4 From thence it passed toward
Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast
were at the sea: this shall be your south coast. 5 And the east border was the salt sea, even
unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was
from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan: 6 And the border went up to Bethhogla, and
passed along
by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of
Bohan the son of Reuben: 7 And the
border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking
toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is
on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of
Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at Enrogel: 8 And the border went up by the valley of the
son of
Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is
Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth
before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley
of the giants northward: 9 And the
border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of
Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn
to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim: 10
And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and
passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the
north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah: 11 And the border went out unto the side of
Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount
Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the
sea. 12 And the west border was
to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the
children of Judah round about according to their families.
There is some assumption and guesswork today in pinpointing these
locations as sometimes names are duplicated or the origin is uncertain. We are
talking about over 3,000 years ago, quite a long time with a lot of name
changes, changes in geography, and towns lost to time and the ravages of war. A
couple of things to note in this passage are the salt sea, which is the
Dead Sea today, and the great sea which would be the Mediterranean. In
English “the Dead Sea” comes from the 13th century according to some
sources but the sea was called in both Latin and Greek “The Dead Sea.”
The word Mediterranean comes from the 1590s by way of the 1400s
from Latin meaning “the sea in the middle of the earth.” Of course these dates
will not be consistent among all scholars.
Joshua 15:13 ¶ And unto
Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah,
according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of
Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. 14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of
Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 And he went up thence to the inhabitants of
Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher. 16 And Caleb said, He that smiteth
Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the
brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 18 And it came to pass, as she came unto him,
that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her
ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? 19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou
hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the
upper springs, and the nether springs.
Joshua 15:20 ¶ This is
the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their
families. 21 And the uttermost cities of
the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were
Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur, 22 And
Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah, 23 And
Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan, 24 Ziph,
and Telem, and Bealoth, 25 And Hazor,
Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor, 26 Amam, and Shema, and Moladah, 27 And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,
28 And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and
Bizjothjah, 29 Baalah, and Iim, and
Azem, 30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and
Hormah, 31 And Ziklag, and Madmannah,
and Sansannah, 32 And Lebaoth, and
Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with
their villages: 33 And in the
valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah, 34
And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam, 35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
36 And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and
Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages: 37 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad, 38 And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, 39 Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, 40 And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish, 41 And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and
Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages: 42 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, 43 And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, 44 And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine
cities with their villages: 45 Ekron, with
her towns and her villages: 46 From
Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:
47 Ashdod with her towns and her
villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and
the great sea, and the border thereof: 48 And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and
Socoh, 49 And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah,
which is Debir, 50 And Anab, and
Eshtemoh, and Anim, 51 And Goshen, and
Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages: 52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean, 53 And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,
54 And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which is
Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages: 55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, 56 And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, 57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with
their
villages: 58 Halhul,
Bethzur, and Gedor, 59 And Maarath, and
Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages: 60 Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim,
and Rabbah; two cities with their villages: 61
In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah, 62 And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and
Engedi; six cities with their villages. 63
As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah
could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at
Jerusalem unto this day.
Jerusalem was inhabited at first here by the Jebusites,
Canaanites. The tribe of Judah will eventually sack the city.
Judges 1:8 Now the children
of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with
the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
David took it and it became the capital of the ancient kingdom of
Israel.
1Chronicles 11:4 And David
and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the
inhabitants of the land.5 And the
inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless
David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David.
6 And David said, Whosoever
smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of
Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.7
And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of
David.8 And he built the city round
about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 So David waxed greater and greater: for the
LORD of hosts was with him.
Verse 63 is internal evidence that Joshua was written before the
events of David’s life and probably before Judges 1:8 was written down. This
internal evidence places the writing of Joshua close to the events that
happened.
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Joshua, chapter 13, brief comments
Joshua 13:1 ¶ Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. 2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: 4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: 5 And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. 6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
Joshua’s work is clearly unfinished. We might think, if we are
doing a work for God, that He will not call us home until it is finished. Well,
that is not true. He will call us home when we are finished and others
will take up our work for God if it is His will. Joshua is to declare God’s
plan for the Israelites to divide the inheritance among them as God instructs.
Joshua 13:7 ¶ Now therefore
divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of
Manasseh, 8 With whom the Reubenites and
the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond
Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them; 9 From Aroer, that is upon the bank of
the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all
the plain of Medeba unto Dibon; 10 And
all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto
the border of the children of Ammon; 11
And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all
mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah; 12
All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in
Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite,
and cast them out. 13 Nevertheless the
children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the
Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
14 Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave
none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are
their inheritance, as he said unto them. 15
And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance
according to their families. 16 And their
coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the
city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
17 Heshbon, and all her cities that are
in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon, 18 And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19 And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and
Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley, 20
And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth, 21 And all the cities of the plain, and all the
kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses
smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which
were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country. 22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer,
did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by
them. 23 And the border of the children
of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the
inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the
cities and the villages thereof. 24 And
Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the
children of Gad according to their families. 25
And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the
land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah; 26 And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and
Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; 27 And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah,
and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon,
Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of
Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward. 28 This is the inheritance of the
children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages. 29 And Moses
gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this
was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by
their families. 30 And their coast was
from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the
towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities: 31 And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei,
cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children
of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of
Machir by their families. 32 These are
the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of
Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward. 33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any
inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said
unto them.
These rules of inheritance for Israel have already been talked
about in the books of the Law written mostly by Moses. You can read my comments
on them if you feel inclined to go over them again.
You’ll notice the word dukes here. Duke comes from the
Latin dux, a military commander, and then a ruler of a province. From the early
12th century it referred to a sovereign prince in English.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Monday, May 16, 2022
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Friday, May 13, 2022
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Joshua, chapter 12, brief comments
Joshua 12:1 ¶ Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 3 And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah: 4 And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh and
their inheritance are discussed in the books of the Law penned by Moses. Review
and compare from the books of the Law given to Moses and the early history of
the Israelite wanderings.
“Deuteronomy 3:12 ¶ And
this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is
by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto
the Reubenites and to the Gadites. 13
And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og,
gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all
Bashan, which was called the land of giants. 14
Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts
of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair,
unto this day. 15 And I gave Gilead unto
Machir. 16 And unto the Reubenites and
unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley,
and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the
children of Ammon; 17 The plain also,
and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of
the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward. 18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, The
LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed
before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the
war. 19 But your wives, and your little
ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall
abide in your cities which I have given you; 20
Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you,
and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given
them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his
possession, which I have given you.
Joshua 1:10 ¶ Then Joshua
commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the
people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over
this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you
to possess it. 12 And to the Reubenites,
and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
13 Remember the word which Moses the
servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you
rest, and hath given you this land. 14
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land
which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your
brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest,
as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your
God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and
enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward
the sunrising.
In Numbers 32 there is a more complete explanation of what
occurred in the beginning of this.
Numbers 32:1 ¶ Now the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of
cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that,
behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2 The children of Gad and the
children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and
unto the princes of the congregation, saying, 3
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and
Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4 Even the
country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for
cattle, and thy servants have cattle: 5
Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land
be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6 And Moses said unto the children of
Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye
sit here? 7 And wherefore discourage ye
the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the
LORD hath given them? 8 Thus did your
fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up unto the valley of
Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel,
that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10 And the LORD’S anger was kindled the same
time, and he sware, saying, 11 Surely
none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward,
shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob;
because they have not wholly followed me: 12
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun:
for they have wholly followed the LORD. 13
And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander
in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in
the sight of the LORD, was consumed. 14
And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of
sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. 15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will
yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
Numbers 32:16 ¶ And they
came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and
cities for our little ones: 17 But we
ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have
brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced
cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return unto our houses, until the
children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on yonder
side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side
Jordan eastward. 20 And Moses said unto
them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
21 And will go all of you armed over
Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22 And the land be subdued before the
LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and
before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have
sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build you cities for your little ones, and
folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the children of Gad and the
children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our
flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: 27 But thy servants will pass over, every man
armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.”
Joshua 12:7 ¶ And these are
the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this
side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the
mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel
for a possession according to their divisions; 8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in
the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south
country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the
Hivites, and the Jebusites: 9 The king
of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; 10 The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of
Hebron, one; 11 The king of Jarmuth,
one; the king of Lachish, one; 12 The
king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; 13
The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14 The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad,
one; 15 The king of Libnah, one; the
king of Adullam, one; 16 The king of
Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17
The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon,
one; 19 The king of Madon, one; the king
of Hazor, one; 20 The king of
Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; 21 The king of Taanach, one; the king of
Megiddo, one; 22 The king of Kedesh,
one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; 23
The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of
Gilgal, one; 24 The king of Tirzah, one:
all the kings thirty and one.
A list of Joshua’s conquests include several kings who came up
against the people of Israel.
Monday, May 9, 2022
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Psalms, chapter 11, comments: what can the righteous do?
Psalm 11:1 ¶ «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
In verse 1 David makes a curious remark. Matthew Henry concluded
that David was using the bird allusion as a metaphor of a bird fleeing the
fowler to safety as David expressed defiance at a temptation to follow the
advice of friends as Saul made attempts to kill him. In other words, “I trust
God, why do you suggest I flee?”
But David did have a mountain refuge from Saul if this is even
about that time before David was king. The simile is used flee AS a bird with
as or like being used in a simile to contrast two very unlike
things. David is advised to not trust in the Lord but to flee like a bird to
his mountain refuge.
1Samuel 23:14 And David
abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the
wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not
into his hand.
Whether verse 2 is a metaphor as some commentators claim in that
David was being assailed by slanderous lies, likened here to arrows, or
literally that Saul wanted to kill him, which is more likely, this is a
lamentation that the wicked are always trying to kill the righteous. David
feels unsafe and hated.
For verse 3, in the context of the passage, David would be talking
about the ruin of the nation, perhaps even when Absalom rebelled against him.
If the king fled, the context would say, what can be done? What can people do
if all authority collapses, for the king was the political foundation of any
kingdom. In a kingdom patriotism is all about doing the king’s will, fighting
for the king, praying for the king, and submitting to his authority as God’s
spokesman on earth. The king was the foundation of any kingdom.
From a prophetic point of view we should consider the events
future to David but not quite upon mankind yet. These are some examples of
acknowledging that trust is placed in God.
2Chronicles 14:11 And Asa
cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help,
whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God;
for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou
art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
2Chronicles 16:8 Were not
the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and
horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into
thine hand.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in
thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever:
for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
From our personal point of view as well, we are to stand firm or
should, in the face of adversity. The foundation of our faith is belief in the
Resurrection of Christ and of trusting on God. If we do not trust in God the
foundation of our faith is on sifting sand. Remember what Jesus will say about obedience
to His own words.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto
a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was
founded upon a rock. 26 And every one
that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the
fall of it.
On a similar note we have a civil war going on this country
between the previous order, called the Judeo-Christian moral tradition plus the
Protestant work-ethic and Marxism. The former exalts moral behavior hard work,
individual rights, self-reliance, and personal responsibility, accountability,
and reliability. The latter, in its social form often called Cultural Marxism
regards those things as racist, oppressions, and unjust. The former evolved
from oppression of minority groups to a philosophy of equal opportunity for
all. The latter regards only the fantasy of equal outcomes, no personal
accountability for one’s actions, and the dominance of the collective over the
rights of a minority or an individual. The former espoused majority
rule-minority rights and the latter only acknowledges the collective will, a
disregard for private property, and a contempt for God and faith in Him.
If the foundations be destroyed what CAN the righteous do?
Psalm 11:4 ¶ The LORD is
in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his
eyelids try, the children of men. 5 The
LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul
hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain
snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the
portion of their cup. 7 For the
righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
Here, David acknowledges the location of God’s throne, the center
of authority over all the universe. He also asserts that God is watching
mankind, paying particular attention to him and his doings.
To try is to test or prove, to see if someone or something is
worthy or up to the task set for it or them.
Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O
LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
Exodus 16:4 Then said the
LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people
shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them,
whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Note how ironic it is that David, a king who was not permitted to
build God’s house wherein He would dwell with the Israelites;
1Chronicles 28:3 But God
said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been
a man of war, and hast shed blood.
…speaks of condemnation of violent men as those whom God hates. But,
these are people intent on doing David harm.
Another important point is the mention of God’s soul by David. God
the Father is the soul of God, the seat of will and self-identity, while the
Holy Ghost is the very mind and heart of God moving in creation called the Holy
Spirit in action as the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, and the Son of
God is God’s physical existence, His image, His body. It is through the latter
that we experience His connection with us and it is there, at the Lord Jesus
Christ, that we who have bodies commune with God. Without the physical image of
God as our Saviour there is no connection in our minds and hearts, in our
spirits with an invisible, incorporeal God of the universe. It is through
Christ that we reach God and through Him only. From Job 19:25 through Adam and
Eve’s encounter with the preincarnate Christ, Moses, and Samson’s parents,
Jacob and Gideon’s among others’ encounters with Him we have the proof that God
gives mankind His image, His appearance, to connect with.
From David’s perspective, in his dispensation, it is clear that
God loves the righteous but who is righteous before God? The prophetic take on
this could be that only Jesus Christ is truly righteous. God loves the
Christian through Christ now whereas He loved all mankind at the Cross.
For prophecy also we can see God’s judgment through history all
the way from Sodom and Gomorrah’s fate to the end in Revelation.
Revelation 14: 9 And the
third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup
of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast
and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
For us personally, this is a guide and a warning. Americans and
particularly our European ancestors loved violence and were known for their
warlike aspirations. We conquered the world. There is an undercurrent in our
country where those who dominate and even exploit others are lauded and
exalted. America loves violent entertainment, violent sports, and even those
who are generally not violent loving in their own lives vicariously live
through actors and athletes who express the violent aspirations of our soul. I
am not referring to being strong or defending one’s self or an innocent
third-party. I am not talking about killing a predator or vermin who endangers
your family or food supplies or killing because you have to in order to survive.
I am talking about the thrill of pulling a trigger and killing something not
out of hunger or fear but of the sheer joy of extinguishing a life. I am
talking about getting excited about the knockout, the good hit, the good guy
who guns down several bad guys. I’m talking about our love, my love, of
violence as perhaps not being pleasing to God.
Joshua, chapter 11, brief comments: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms
Joshua 11:1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2 And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west, 3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. 4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. 5 And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 6 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. 7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. 8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. 9 And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
Here in verse
4 we see the dangers of hyperliteralism. Phrases like sand that is upon the
sea shore in multitude is not an exact contrast but an equivalence meaning
a lot, more than one could reasonably count. The Holy Spirit uses this kind of
phrasing elsewhere.
In Genesis 15:5 God challenges Abram to count (tell
as in a bank teller) the stars if he can, as the number of his descendants
shall be like the number of stars.
Up
until the invention of the telescope mankind was able to count only a few
thousand stars. However, God will liken their number to the number of particles
of sand on the sea shore. This is not an exact numerical comparison but an
equivalence, meaning the numbers are similar, an amount too great for a man to
number.
Genesis 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the
sand which is upon the sea shore;
and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Hebrews
11:12 Therefore sprang there even of
one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and
as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
However,
it is not so with God. He can count them and has names for each one. This is
one of those amazing facts about how great the God who created the universe and
who orders all matter, energy, space, and time is.
Psalm
147:4 He telleth the number of the
stars; he calleth them all by their names.
Horses and chariots make a good study. Here is what I said about
Genesis 50:9.
“The phrase chariots and horsemen will play a very important part in places in
the Old Testament and be a source of contention. One thing missing in
scholarship and Bible exposition is the common sense understanding of chariot
warfare. A chariot was a mobile fighting platform as well as a ceremonial
vehicle whose weak link was also how it was delivered to the forefront of the
battle so quickly; its horses. Logic tells us, logic and common sense, that the
horses would be what the infantry would go after first. Kill the horses and the
chariot cannot move and respond to the battle. So, with chariots there needed
to be a string of horses and horsemen to accompany them. Like the pit crew at a
NASCAR event these teams needed to be able to replace dead and injured horses
or, in a fierce battle, the chariot would have been rendered useless and even
helpless quite quickly, as the driver would not be able to remove to safety in
the event of being overwhelmed, with dead horses.
1Kings
4:26 And Solomon had forty thousand
stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
2Chronicles
9:25 And Solomon had four thousand
stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed
in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
So,
in these two verses which have been the source of much disagreement it is very
obvious to me that Solomon had 40,000 stalls for chariot horses and 4,000
stalls that were big enough for the chariot and the horse team that drew it.
This would be necessary for maintenance and preparation before training and
battle. This also implies a string of 10 horses per chariot as the primary team
and backup. These backup teams would have not only needed protection by cavalry
but perhaps were a capable fighting force all their own. There is no contradiction,
just common sense and reading comprehension needed here.”
To hough
a horse means to hamstring, calling the horse
hamstrung in English. They severed the achilles tendon of the hind legs making
the horse useless for war.
1Chronicles
18:4 And David took from him a thousand
chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also
houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots.
Keep in mind that a chariot is a mobile fighting platform designed
to get quickly into place to deliver spears and arrows from above and then be
removed to keep the horses from being slaughtered by infantry and to prevent
the occupants, sometimes a driver and someone shooting or throwing from being
exposed sitting ducks for missile weapons or being pulled from the chariot.
Joshua 11:10 ¶ And Joshua
at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the
sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And they smote all the souls that were
therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was
not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. 12 And all the cities of those kings, and all
the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and
he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. 13 But as for the cities that stood still
in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did
Joshua burn. 14 And all the spoil of
these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto
themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had
destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.
Verse 10
reinforces what verse 1 might suggest, that Hazor ruled over these cities in
the North. According to the website, hazo-excavations.org;
Canaanite Hazor is
mentioned on several occasions in external records: it is first mentioned in
the 19th century BCE in the Egyptian Execration texts. Hazor is the only
Canaanite site mentioned in the archive discovered in Mari (18th century BCE).
The Mari documents clearly demonstrate the importance, wealth and far-reaching
commercial ties of Hazor. In the archive discovered at El-Amarna, Egypt, (14th
century BCE) there are several references to Hazor, as well as in records of
the military campaigns conducted by the Egyptian Pharaohs, during the 15th –
14th centuries BCE[1]
This is a
very potent and powerful example of the furiousness and cruelty of ancient
warfare. It was up close and personal, face to face, as they did not have
artillery and cruise missiles. This was mass killing done in a very bloody
manner.
Joshua 11:15 ¶ As the LORD
commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he
left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and
all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the
plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; 17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth
up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and
all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. 18 Joshua made war a long time with all those
kings. 19 There was not a city that made
peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon:
all other they took in battle. 20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come
against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that
they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD
commanded Moses. 21 And at that time
came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from
Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the
mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities. 22 There was none of the Anakims left in the
land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there
remained. 23 So Joshua took the whole
land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an
inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the
land rested from war.
Remember what
I noted before, that this Goshen was not the Goshen in Egypt. Strong says it
was probably a city on the southern border of the land Joshua conquered.
The Anakims
were giants, remember? In my comments for Numbers 13 and Deuteronomy, chapter
1, I noted;
“Another thing of note is that these scouts or spies saw giants.
Remember what was said in the first part of Genesis.
Genesis 6:4 There were
giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God
came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same
became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Keep in mind that since
Genesis 6:9 says that Noah was perfect in his generations it is possible there
was no genetic taint of the fallen sons of God and human women so this genetic
abnormality that produced giants would come through his wife to his sons. I
want to repeat what I said in my comments on Genesis 6:4.
The
resultant offspring of these sons of God and human women were giants, famous as
heroes in myth and legend. The mythologies of the world have brought us stories
of these great men of renown with
various names and in various forms. The phrase and also after that shows that this was an ongoing problem even
after the Flood. I will not go into the many websites about and books written
on findings of giant remains in graves and tombs as it is difficult to
distinguish fact from fancy and outright fraud. Sticking with the Bible
account, though, we have many references that would render some of the modern
stories about archaeological finds understandable and believable. Here are a
few examples of the many references to giants with the measurement given so
that we see these were not just National Basketball Association (NBA) style
large men.
Deuteronomy
3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained
of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it
not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof,
and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man. [that
is between
13 ½ to 18 feet long depending on the actual length of
a cubit]
1Samuel
17:4 And there went out a champion out
of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six
cubits and a span. [Goliath was between around 9 feet plus
and 12 feet tall]
Other
references to show that there were places where such giants were common are;
Numbers
13:33 And there we saw the giants, the
sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as
grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Deuteronomy
2:10 The Emims dwelt therein in times
past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; 11 Which also were accounted giants, as the
Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
Deuteronomy
3:13 And the rest of Gilead, and all
Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all
the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.
Joshua
15:8 And the border went up by the
valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is
Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before
the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants.” northward:”
It might be
of some interest to you to note that Spanish explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, in
1520 reported contact with 10ft. tall giants on his journey, in South America.
[1] “HAZOR EXCAVATIONS,
The Selz Foundation Hazor Excavations in Memory of Yigael Yadin,” http://www.hazor-excavations.org/the-history-of-hazor/#:~:text=Hazor%20was%20the%20largest%20site,confined%20to%20the%20upper%20city. (accessed 2.28.22)