Joshua 22:8
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saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this and the following chapter we have two farewell sermons, which Joshua preached to the people of Israel a little before his death. Had he designed to gratify the curiosity of succeeding ages, he would rather have recorded the method of Israel's settlement in their new conquests, their husbandry, manufacturers, trade, customs, courts of justice, and the constitutions of their infant commonwealth, which one would wish to be informed of; but that which he intended in the registers of this book was to entail on posterity a sense of religion and their duty to God; and therefore, overlooking these things which are the usual subjects of a common history, he here transmits to his reader the methods he took to persuade Israel to be faithful to their covenant with their God, which might have a good influence on the generations to come who should read those reasonings, as we may hope they had on that generation which then heard them. In this chapter we have, I. A convention of the states called (Jos 23:1, Jos 23:2), probably to consult about the common concerns of their land, and to set in order that which, after some years' trial, being left to their prudence, was found wanting. II. Joshua's speech to them as the opening, or perhaps at the concluding, of the sessions, to hear which was the principal design of their coming together. In it, 1. Joshua reminds them of what God had done for them (Jos 23:3, Jos 23:4, Jos 23:9, Jos 23:14), and what he was ready to do yet further (Jos 23:5, Jos 23:10). 2. He exhorts them carefully and resolutely to persevere in their duty to God (Jos 23:6, Jos 23:8, Jos 23:11). III. He cautions them against all familiarity with their idolatrous neighbours (Jos 23:7). IV. He gives them fair warning of the fatal consequences of it, if they should rev…
Open source ↗22:8 The great wealth represented these tribes’ share of the spoils from the cities Israel had taken. • Share . . . with your relatives: While most of the fighting men assisted the rest of Israel, some men had remained to protect the women, children, and herds.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.
Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”
“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.
So he led David down, and there were the Amalekites spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and celebrating the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.
He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.
So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles.