John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. And it came to pass a long time after , etc.] Or “after many days” f519 , that is, years: that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about ; the greatest part of the land of Canaan was subdued, the whole divided by lot to the tribes of Israel, and they quietly settled in the respective portions assigned them, the Canaanites that remained giving them no disturbance, in which state of rest and peace they had now been for some years; and this may be reasonably supposed to be the last year of the life of Joshua, (see Joshua 23:14). that Joshua waxed old [and] stricken in age ; and became feeble and decrepit, and greatly declined; for though he was ten years younger than Moses when he died, yet not so vigorous, strong, and robust as he, but was pressed and bore down with the infirmities of age.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - Joshua was old and dying, let them observe what he said now. He pu them in mind of the great things God had done for them in his days. He exhorted them to be very courageous. Keep with care, do with diligence and regard with sincerity what is written. Also, very cautiously to endeavour that the heathen idolatry may be forgotten, so that it ma never be revived. It is sad that among Christians the names of the heathen gods are so commonly used, and made so familiar as they are Joshua exhorts them to be very constant. There might be many thing amiss among them, but they had not forsaken the Lord their God; the way to make people better, is to make the best of them.
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 מימים3117 רבים7227 אחרי310 אשׁר834 הניח5117 יהוה3068 לישׂראל3478 מכל3605 איביהם341 מסביב5439 ויהושׁע3091 זקן2205 בא935 בימים׃3117
