Verse 14. 'Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth.' Not
one word is said about heaven or hell, not a hint that after his death
he expects to live again, no expression of hope that he may reach
heaven, and there enjoy eternal happiness, no thought about his soul.
He does not refer to it in any way, so that it is quite evident that if
there be a future state of happiness and misery, Joshua knew nothing
of it, yet Joshua was a favoured individual; he had personally seen the
'Captain of the Lord's host,' and ought to have known much about
{105} heavenly things. Our translators felt the want of this spiritual
feeling, and have put into Joshua's mouth the words, 'Your souls.'
Joshua, however, never uttered these words. The verse reads, 'Ye
shall know, in all your hearts and in all your souls;' the Douay more
correctly translates the same passage, 'You shall know with all your
mind.' It simply means, 'Ye shall be in no doubt; but shall thoroughly
know and understand.' None of the books we have examined contain
the slightest reference to an immortal soul outliving the body, and
responsible for the acts committed during the body's life. (See pages 68
and 88).
*Chapter xxiv., vv. 2 and 3. What flood is this? In verse 3, the Douay,
instead of saying that Abraham came from the 'other side of the flood,'
substitutes the words, 'from the borders of Mesopotamia.' We are here
informed, for the first time, that Terah, the father of Abraham, was an
idolator; but we cannot ascertain how Joshua obtained his knowledge. If
from other books they are lost, together with 'Jasher,' and the 'Book of
the Wars of the Lord.'
Verses 12 and 13. If these verses are true, all the preceding accounts
of the wars of the Israelites must be false, as we are repeatedly told
of their battles, and hard labours, and struggles, to obtain the land.
Verse 19. Moses said, that God kept 'mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity, transgression, and sin.' Joshua says of God: 'He is a jealous
God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.'
Verses 29 and 30. Dr. Giles thus comments:--
'If Joshua died at the age of 110 years, and his death is recorded in
the Book which passes by his name, we need no further proof, that this
book could not have been written until after Joshua was dead. But this
limitation of its origin, to some period after the death of Joshua, must
be still further qualified; for in the next verse of the same chapter we
read as follows:--
'"Chap, xxiv., v. 31. And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua,
and all the days of the elders that over-lived Joshua, and which had
known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account