Joshua 5:1

"And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the sea, heard how that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel."

"Until we had passed oven ..." Along with, "that he would give us," in Joshua 5:6, these usages of the first person plural identify the author as an eye-witness and participant in the events here narrated. Plummer speaks of those who have "emended the text,"[1] but our own view of "scholarly emendations" is that they are absolutely irresponsible and should be rejected. Who has licensed any "scholar," of whatever ability, to change the Sacred Text from what is written to that which he believes God SHOULD HAVE written? Of course, we receive Joshua himself as the author of the Book that bears his name. The oldest traditions that have descended through history affirm this, and the speculative guesses of 20th century unbelievers are no sufficient ground for denying it.

"Amorites ... Canaanites ..." "All of the various peoples of Canaan "are here grouped together under the names of `Amorites' and `Canaanites.'"[2] "Roughly speaking, the Amorites represented the dwellers in the highlands district, and the Canaanites referred to the dwellers on the maritime plain."[3] Sometimes, "Canaanites, in a broader sense, means Palestine in general."[4]

The panic in view here doubtless came about, as Jamieson suggested, from the fact that, "The kings had probably reckoned on the swollen river as being, for a time at least, a sure barrier against the invasion, but they were completely paralyzed by what happened, which was incontestable proof that God was on the side of the invaders."[5]

As the hosts of Israel were deployed upon the plains of Jericho, their status was marvelously different from what it had been in the wilderness. Matthew Henry described it thus:

"The church in the wilderness has now come up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, and looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. How terrible she was in the eyes of her enemies, and how fair and clear she was in the eyes of her friends."[6]