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This chapter concludes the life and reign of Joshua, in which we have, I. The great care and pains he took to confirm the people of Israel in the true faith and worship of God, that they might, after his death, persevere therein. In order to this he called another general assembly of the heads of the congregation of Israel (Jos 24:1) and dealt with them. 1. By way of narrative, recounting the great things God had done for them and their fathers, Jos 24:2-13. 2. By way of charge to them, in consideration thereof, to serve God, Jos 24:14. 3. By way of treaty with them, wherein he aims to bring them, (1.) To make religion their deliberate choice; and they did so, with reasons for their choice, Jos 24:15-18. (2.) To make it their determinate choice, and to resolve to adhere to it, Jos 24:19-24. 4. By way of covenant upon that treaty, Jos 24:25-28. II. The conclusion of this history, with, 1. The death and burial of Joshua (Jos 24:29,30) and Eleazar (Jos 24:33), and the mention of the burial of Joseph's bones upon that occasion, Jos 24:32. 2. A general account of the state of Israel at that time, Jos 24:31.
1-28
Joshua's Farewell Address to Israel (1427 BC)
约书亚向以色列的告别演说（公元前1427年）
¹ 约书亚将以色列的众支派聚集在示剑，召了以色列的长老、族长、审判官和官长来；他们就站在神面前。 ² 约书亚对众民说："耶和华以色列的神如此说：古时你们的列祖，就是亚伯拉罕的父亲和拿鹤的父亲他拉，住在大河那边事奉别神， ³ 我将你们的列祖亚伯拉罕从大河那边带来，领他走遍迦南全地，又使他的后裔繁多，赐他以撒。 ⁴ 我将以撒赐给雅各和以扫。我又将西珥山赐给以扫为业；雅各和他的子孙却下埃及去了。 ⁵ 我差遣摩西、亚伦，并照我在他们中间所行的降灾与埃及，然后把你们领出来。 ⁶ 我领你们列祖出埃及，他们就到了海边；埃及人带领战车马兵追赶你们的列祖到红海。 ⁷ 他们呼求耶和华，他就使黑暗隔开你们和埃及人，又使海水淹没他们。我在埃及所行的，你们亲眼见过。你们在旷野也住了许多日子。 ⁸ 我领你们到约旦河东亚摩利人所住之地；他们与你们争战，我将他们交在你们手中，你们便得了他们的地为业；我也在他们面前将他们除灭。 ⁹ 那时摩押王西拨的儿子巴勒起来攻击以色列人，打发人召了比珥的儿子巴兰来咒诅你们。 ¹⁰ 我不肯听允巴兰，所以他反而为你们祝福；这样，我便救你们脱离他的手。 ¹¹ 你们过了约旦河，到了耶利哥；耶利哥人、亚摩利人、比利洗人、迦南人、赫人、革迦撒人、希未人、耶布斯人都与你们争战；我把他们交在你们手里。 ¹² 我打发黄蜂飞在你们前面，将亚摩利人的两个王从你们面前撵出去；这并不是用你的刀，也不是用你的弓。 ¹³ 我赐给你们地土，非你们所修治的；我赐给你们城邑，非你们所建造的；你们就住在其中；又得吃非你们所栽种的葡萄园、橄榄园的果子。" ¹⁴ 现在你们要敬畏耶和华，诚心实意地事奉他；将你们列祖在大河那边和在埃及所事奉的神除掉，去事奉耶和华。"
约书亚原以为，在前一章所交付那庄重的训勉中，他说过我现在要走世人必走的路之后，便已向以色列作了最后的告别；但神恩慈地延长了他的寿数，超过预期，并更新了他的力量，他便愿将这余力用于以色列的益处。他并未说："我已辞别过一次，便已够了"；而是在又多得了一些时日之后，再次召聚他们，好看看还有什么能做，使他们为神的缘故更加牢固。注意，我们不可以为自己对神的工作已经做完，除非生命已经完结；他若使我们的寿数超过所想，我们就当断定那是因为他还有进一步的事工要我们去作。
这次集会与前一章相同：以色列的长老、族长、审判官和官长（书24:1）。但在此处比那里更为庄重。
I. 指定聚会的地点是示剑，不仅因为它比示罗更靠近约书亚，如今他年老体弱、不堪远行，更为便利，更因为它是以色列人之神那圣约的第一位受托人亚伯拉罕初到迦南时定居之处，也是神向他显现之地（创12:6-7）；它又靠近基利心山和以巴路山——百姓初进迦南时曾在那里与神重新立约（书8:30）。这地方可叫他们想起神对列祖的应许，以及他们自己对神所发的应许。
II. 他们在这次集会中不仅站在约书亚面前，更是站在神面前——即以庄重敬虔的方式聚集，如同进入神特殊的临在之中，仰望他借约书亚向他们说话；聚会很可能以祷告开始。解经家们推测，在这重大场合，约书亚命祭司将神的约柜从示罗——据说距示剑约十里——抬到示剑，安放在他们聚会的地点，因此那地被称为（书24:26）耶和华的圣所——是约柜的临在使它在当时成为圣所；如此行乃是为着隆重起见，并使与会百姓心生敬畏。如今我们虽然没有这样可感可见的神临在之记号，但当相信：无论在哪里，有两三个人奉基督的名聚集，他就在他们中间，如同神在约柜所在之处一样真实；他们确实是站在他面前。
III. 约书亚以神的名、从神那里向他们说话，用的是先知的口吻（书24:2）：耶和华如此说——耶和华，伟大的神，以色列的神，你们立约的神，因此你们有义务听他、留意他。注意，神的话无论由谁传来，我们都当作为神的话来领受；传信者的伟大不能增添它，传信者的卑微也不能减损它。他的讲章由教义和应用两部分组成。
1. 教义部分是神为他百姓、以及在他们之前的列祖所行之大事的历史。神借约书亚重述往日的奇事："我行了如此如此的事。"他们必须知道并思考，不仅是这些事被做成了，更是神做成了这些事。此处所记的是一连串的奇事，约书亚也许还提到了更多，为简明起见这里从略。请看神所成就的：(1.) 他将亚伯拉罕从迦勒底的吾珥领出来（书24:2-3）。他和他的祖辈在那里事奉别神，因为那地虽以学问著称，偶像崇拜（如一些人所说）却发源于此；在那里，世人凭智慧不认识神。亚伯拉罕后来成为神的朋友、天的大宠儿，却是在偶像崇拜中长大的，并在其中生活了很久，直到神借恩典将他如从火中抽出的柴一般抢救出来。让他们记念自己所被凿出的磐石，不要重新陷入他们列祖借白白恩典的奇事所蒙拯救脱离的那罪。"我将他领出来，"神说，"否则他绝不会脱离那罪中之境。"因此亚伯拉罕的称义被使徒作为神称不敬虔之人为义的实例（罗4:5）。(2.) 他领他到迦南，建立他的家室，领他走遍那地到他们如今所在的示剑，借以实玛利——他生了十二位族长——使他的后裔繁多，但至终将应许之子以撒赐给他，并在以撒身上使他的后裔繁多。当以撒有了两个儿子雅各和以扫时，神在别处的西珥山为以扫预备了产业，使迦南地可以完整地保留给雅各的后裔，使以扫的后裔不至对它有任何分。(3.) 他以大能的手将雅各的后裔从埃及领出来（书24:5-6），并在红海从法老和他全军的手中拯救了他们（书24:6-7）。同样的水成了以色列人的护卫，也成了埃及人的坟墓；这是在祷告中蒙允的——因为尽管我们在故事中读到他们在那急难中向神发怨言（出14:11-12），此处却记下了他们的向神呼求；他恩慈地悦纳了那些向他祷告的人，也宽容了那些与他争闹之人的愚妄。(4.) 他在旷野保护他们——那里他们在此处说不是飘流，而是住了许多日子（书24:7）。他们的一切行动都被如此智慧地引导，被如此安全地保守，以致即便在那里，他们也有确实的居所，如同住在有城墙的城中一般。(5.) 他将约旦河东亚摩利人的地赐给他们（书24:8），并在那里挫败了巴勒和巴兰对他们的阴谋，以致巴兰不能照他所愿地咒诅他们，巴勒也就不敢照他所谋地与他们作战——正因为他心里如此图谋，经文在此便说他行了这事。巴兰本意要咒诅以色列，舌头却被扭转来祝福他们，这常被提及作为神为以色列施展大能的实例，与任何奇事一样令人瞩目，因为神借此证明了他对黑暗权势和人心之灵的统辖——这一统辖如今仍然如此，只是我们大多不曾察觉。(6.) 他使他们平安而得胜地进入迦南，将迦南人交在他们手中（书24:11），在他们正与敌人交战之际，打发黄蜂飞在他们前面，以其螫针折磨敌人，以其声音惊吓敌人，使他们成为以色列轻易的猎物。这些可畏的蜂群首先出现在他们与亚摩利人的两个王西宏和噩的战争中，后来也出现在其他战役中（书24:12）。神曾应许为他们如此行（出23:27-28），约书亚在此留意这应许的应验。见出23:27-28，申7:20。这些黄蜂似乎比以色列的兵器更令敌人痛苦，因此他加上一句：*不是用你的刀，也不是用你的弓。*这完全是主的作为。最后，他们如今安然拥有一块美地，舒适地享用别人劳碌的果子（书24:13）。
2. 将这段神怜悯的历史应用于他们，是借着劝勉他们敬畏神、事奉神——为着他的恩惠而感恩，好叫恩惠继续临到他们（书24:14）。"既然如此"，既考虑到这一切：(1.) "敬畏耶和华——敬畏耶和华和他的恩惠（何3:5）。敬重一位如此全能的神，畏惧得罪他、畏惧失去他的恩惠，保持对他威严的敬畏、对他权柄的敬重、对他不悦的惧怕，并不断留意他无所不见的眼睛在看着你们。"(2.) "你们的行事当与这一原则相符，事奉他——既以敬拜的外在行动，也以你们全部为人中每一个顺服的实例来事奉他；并且要诚心实意地行，有单纯的眼目和正直的心，内心的感动与外表的表达相符。"这就是神所要求的内里的诚实（诗51:6）。因为对一个鉴察人心的神虚与委蛇，于我们有何益处呢？(3.) 除掉外邦的神——无论是迦勒底的偶像还是埃及的偶像，因为那些是他们最容易背逆归向的偶像。从这一再重复的吩咐（书24:23）看来，他们中间似乎有些人私下在柜中保存着这些粪堆神明的像或画像，那是从列祖传下来的家族传家宝——虽然他们也许并不敬拜它们；约书亚恳切地催促他们将这些东西丢弃："毁掉它们，除灭它们，免得你们受试探去事奉它们。"雅各曾催促他的全家如此行，而且正是在这个地方；当他们交出他们所有的小神像时，他将它们埋在示剑的橡树底下（创35:2、4）。此处所提到的那棵橡树（书24:26），也许就是同一棵，或同一地点的另一棵，它可恰当地称为改革之橡——正如也有拜偶像之橡树一样。
¹⁵ 若你们以事奉耶和华为不好，今日就可以选择所要事奉的：是你们列祖在大河那边所事奉的神呢？是你们所住这地亚摩利人的神呢？至于我和我家，我们必定事奉耶和华。 ¹⁶ 百姓回答说："我们断不敢离弃耶和华去事奉别神； ¹⁷ 因耶和华我们的神曾将我们和我们的列祖从埃及地、从为奴之家领出来，在我们眼前行了那些大神迹，在我们所行的路上、所经过的各国中，都保护了我们。 ¹⁸ 耶和华又把住这地的亚摩利人都从我们面前赶出去。所以我们必事奉耶和华，因为他是我们的神。" ¹⁹ 约书亚对百姓说："你们不能事奉耶和华，因为他是圣洁的神，是忌邪的神；他必不赦免你们的过犯罪恶。 ²⁰ 你们若离弃耶和华去事奉外邦的神，耶和华在降福之后，必转而降祸与你们，把你们灭绝。" ²¹ 百姓对约书亚说："不然，我们必定事奉耶和华。" ²² 约书亚对百姓说："你们选定耶和华要事奉他，你们自己作见证吧。"他们说："我们愿意作见证。" ²³ 约书亚说："你们现在要除掉你们中间的外邦神，专心归向耶和华以色列的神。" ²⁴ 百姓对约书亚说："我们必事奉耶和华我们的神，听从他的话。" ²⁵ 当日，约书亚就与百姓立约，在示剑为他们立定律例典章。 ²⁶ 约书亚将这些话都写在神的律法书上，又将一块大石头立在橡树下耶和华的圣所旁边。 ²⁷ 约书亚对众百姓说："看哪，这石头可以向我们作见证，因为是它听见了耶和华所吩咐我们的一切话；这石头要向你们作见证，免得你们背弃你们的神。" ²⁸ 于是约书亚打发百姓各归自己的地业去了。
从未有过哪一次谈判，比约书亚与百姓这一次使他们决心事奉神的谈判，处理得更为妥当，结局更为圆满。他与他们打交道的方式表明他是认真的，心是极其迫切的，要使他们尽一切可能的责任专靠神——尤其是选择之责和立约之责。
I. 他们若将事奉神作为自己的选择，这能否成为约束？——他在此让他们作出选择。这不是说事奉神与否本来就是无关紧要的事，也不是说他们可以自由拒绝他的事奉，而是因为他们若以人的理智和人的决心来拥抱信仰，这对于他们在信仰上恒忍将有极大的影响。他要在此引导他们达到这两件事。
1. 他引导他们以理智而明白地接受自己的信仰，因为这是合理的敬拜。人的意志生来以自由为荣，并为维护这一尊严，最乐于坚持自己选择的、而非被迫的事；因此神的旨意是要这敬拜成为我们的选择，而非偶然，也非被迫。因此：
(1.) 约书亚坦率地将此事交给他们选择（书24:15）。[1.] 他提出候选的对象：一边是耶和华——主；另一边要么是列祖的神，那些神会向喜爱古远、喜爱从列祖传统所领受之事的人自荐；要么是邻舍的神——他们所住之地的亚摩利人的神，那些神会渗入那些随和、喜爱结交之人的心。[2.] 他假设有些人或因某种缘故，会觉得事奉耶和华为不好。有些人对信仰怀有偏见和异议，这在那些倾向世界和肉体的人心中大有力量。在他们看来，事奉耶和华是恶事，是艰难而不合理的——竟要他们舍己、治死肉体、背起十字架等。但他们既处于受试炼的境况，路上有一些困难也是应当的，否则便没有试炼可言。[3.] 他将此事交托给他们："你们今日就可以选择所要事奉的——如今事情既已如此明白地摆在你们面前，就速速作出决断，不要犹豫不决。"许久之后的以利亚，也将耶和华与巴伦之间的争论交托给与他交涉之人的良心来裁决（王上18:21）。约书亚在此将事情以此方式了结，清楚地暗示两件事：第一，神的旨意是我们每一个人都当将信仰作为自己认真而深思熟虑的选择。让我们不偏不倚地将事情摆在自己面前，将一切放在天平上衡量，然后选定我们所发现真正真实而善良的。让我们决意过敬虔认真的信仰生活，不仅因为我们不知道别的路，更因为我们在考查之后确实找不到更好的。第二，信仰有如此不言自明的理性和公义为证，以致可以放心地交给每一个容许自己自由思考的人去选择或拒绝；因为此案的理据如此明显，但凡有思虑的人都不能不作别的选择，只能选它。案子如此清楚，自己便为自己定了案。也许约书亚让他们作出选择，是要借此试验他们中间是否有人在如此公允的场合之下，会对事奉神表现出冷淡与漠然，是否会要求给他时间去考虑、去咨询朋友然后才作答——若这样的人出现，他便可以加以标记，警告其余的人远离他们。[4.] 他以公开宣告自己的决心来引导他们在此事上的选择："至于我和我家，无论你们怎样，我们必定事奉耶和华，我希望你们也都同心。"在此他为两方面定意：第一，为他自己：至于我，我必事奉耶和华。注意，事奉神丝毫不降低最伟大之人的身份；它绝非贬损君王和最高贵之人的事——他们敬虔，乃是他们最大的尊荣，为他们添上最荣耀的冠冕。请看他何等坚定："我必事奉神。"将自己用誓约与神相连，并非对自由的限制。第二，为他的家，即他的家人、儿女和仆人——那些直接在他的眼目看顾、他的管教和影响力之下的人。约书亚是以色列的官长、士师，但他并不以公务繁忙为借口，忽略家庭的信仰。那些负责管理许多家庭的人——如官长和传道人——必须特别照顾自己的家（提前3:4-5）：我和我家必事奉神。1. "不是我的家，没有我。"他不愿将一件他自己不愿动手的工作交托给他们。有些人愿他们的儿女仆人好，自己却不愿好；那就是：愿他们上天堂，自己却打算下地狱。2. "不是我，没有我的家。"他料到自己也许会被百姓离弃，但在他家中——他的权柄更大、更直接——在那里他要以主的权柄管教。注意，当我们不能将我们所愿的所有人都带到事奉神的事上时，我们必须尽我们所能多带一些人，并将努力扩展到我们活动范围的最远边界；我们若不能改革那地，就当将罪恶从我们自己的帐棚中远远赶除。3. "先我，然后我的家。"注意，那些在其他事上带领、治理的人，在事奉神的事上也当居先，在最美好的事上走在前头。第三，无论别人怎样行，他决心如此。即使以色列全家都背逆神、事奉偶像，约书亚和他的家也必坚定地忠于以色列的神。注意，那些决心事奉神的人，不可因与众不同而退缩，也不可被众人裹挟而离开他的事奉。那往天国去的人必须甘心逆流而游，不可随大多数，而要随最善良的人。
(2.) 事情既如此交在他们手中选择，他们立即以自由、理性而明白的宣告作出决断——为以色列的神，反对一切竞争者（书24:16-18）。[1.] 他们与约书亚的决断一致，受了如此伟大之人——曾如此大大祝福他们的人——的榜样所感（书24:18）：我们也必事奉耶和华。请看大人物若在信仰上热心，借他们对下属的影响力，能成就多大的善。[2.] 他们一想到背逆神就惊骇（书24:16）：我们断不敢——这词表达所能想象的最大畏惧与厌恶。"万万不可，万万不可我们或我们的后裔离弃耶和华去事奉别神。我们必须完全丧失一切正义感、感恩之心和荣誉感，才可能稍存此念。"我们向一切引诱我们离弃事奉神的试探也当如此心生反感：撒但，退我后边去吧。[3.] 他们为自己的选择提出十分实在的理由，表明他们并非纯粹为迁就约书亚，而是出于对此选择之合理与公正的完全确信。他们作此选择，是第一，考虑到神为他们所行的许多重大而极恩慈的事——将他们从埃及经过旷野领进迦南（书24:17-18）。如此他们将约书亚的讲章复述给自己，然后表达真诚的顺服。第二，考虑到他们与神所站的关系，以及他与他们所立的约："我们必事奉耶和华（书24:18），因为他是我们的神——他借应许恩慈地将自己交托给我们，我们也借郑重的誓言将自己交托给他。"
2. 他引导他们以坚定的决心接受信仰，并表达完全立志的心专靠主。如今他们既有了好的心意，他便乘势而上，将钉子钉到头里，使它若可能成为"钉在坚固处的钉子"。系得牢，找得到。
(1.) 为此他将信仰的艰难摆在他们面前，将其中可能被认为令人灰心之处陈明出来（书24:19-20）：你们不能事奉耶和华，因为他是圣洁的神——希伯来文作他是圣洁的神（复数），暗示三位一体的奥秘，三位而一体——圣哉、圣哉、圣哉，圣父、圣子、圣灵；他必不赦免；你们若离弃他，他必降祸与你们。约书亚当然不是要借此使他们不敢事奉神，视之为不能行且危险的事。但：[1.] 他也许是想要描绘那些引诱以色列人离开神和事奉神之人的诡辩——他们用这样的话说：神是严苛的主人，他的工是不可能做到的，他也是不能讨其欢悦的，一旦他不悦，便不能挽回、记仇报复——他要他们只尊崇他一位，不容他们对别的神稍示善意——在这方面他与列国的神大不相同，那些神随和，既不圣洁，也不忌邪。很可能这在当时是常被用来攻击犹太信仰的论调，正如自撒但引诱始祖以来，歪曲神和他的律法为严酷苛刻，一直是他的惯技；约书亚借语气和表达方式可以让他们察觉他是有意提出这一异议，要他们自己设法抵挡它的攻势。或：[2.] 他是借此表达对他们的敬虔忧虑和担忧——尽管他们如今热心于神和事奉神的宣告，日后却会退缩，若如此，他们必发现他是公义忌邪、必要报应的。或：[3.] 他决心让他们知道事情最坏的一面，知道他们在神面前当站在何等严格的条件上，好叫他们坐下计算代价。"你们不能事奉耶和华，除非你们除掉一切别的神——因为他是圣洁忌邪的，绝不许有 rival——因此你们必须非常警醒、非常谨慎，因为若离弃他的事奉便是冒险；你们倒不如从来没有知道。"如此，虽然我们的主已向我们保证他的轭是容易的，但为免我们因此而生出懈怠和疏忽之心，他也告诉我们引到永生那门是窄的、路是小的，好叫我们因此竭力进入，而不只是指望轻易为之。你们不能又事奉神，又事奉玛门；所以你们若决心事奉神，就必须弃绝一切与他竞争的。你们不能靠自己的力量事奉神，他也不会因你们自己的任何义而赦免你们的过犯；但以色列的后裔都必称义，并要唯独以耶和华为他们的义和力量而夸耀（赛45:24-25）。因此他们必须放下一切对自己充足的自信，否则他们的决心便毫无意义。或：[4.] 约书亚如此强调他们路途上那些看似令人灰心的难处，是为要磨利他们的决心，从他们口中引出一个更加明确而庄重的应许，就是他们要忠于神和信仰。他从他们口中引出，好叫他们更急切地抓住它，也更牢牢地持守它。
(2.) 尽管信仰的艰难如此陈述，他们仍宣告了坚定而稳固的继续恒忍其中的决心（书24:21）：不然，我们必定事奉耶和华。"我们不会因他是圣洁忌邪的神而看轻他，也不会因他将仆人限于只敬拜他一位而退缩。离弃他的人被除灭诚然公义，但我们绝不离弃他；不仅我们有事奉他的好心意、并盼望如此行，我们更已立定心意，我们不能容忍任何劝我们离开他或转去不跟从他的恳求（得1:16）；靠着神恩典的大能，我们决心事奉耶和华。"他们再次以更明确的解释重申这一决心（书24:24）：我们必事奉耶和华我们的神——不仅被称为他的仆人、穿他的号衣，我们的信仰更要凡事管治我们，我们要听从他的话。我们若称呼他为主、为夫子，却不遵他的话行，便是徒然（路6:46）。最后这一应许是回答约书亚的吩咐（书24:23）——为要恒忍，他们当：[1.] 除掉外邦神的像和遗物，若决心以造他们的主为丈夫，就不可在身边保留那些别的恋人的记号；他们在此应许要听从他的话。[2.] 使你们的心归向以色列的神——运用对自己的心所拥有的权柄，将心为神的缘故献上，不仅将情感寄托于他，更将心坚定地安设于他。这些条件他们都同意了，于是，正如约书亚解释这交易那样，他们达成了：我们必事奉耶和华我们的神。
II. 事奉神既成为他们的慎重选择，约书亚便以庄严的约来约束他们（书24:25）。摩西曾两次公开批准神与以色列之间的这一圣约——一次在西奈山（出24:1-33），一次在摩押平原（申29:1）。约书亚也已行过一次（书8:31-35等），如今是第二次。此处称之为律例和典章，是因这一约束的力量和永久性，也因为这一约所约束他们的，不外乎他们先前已因神的命令而当尽的本分。如今，为使它具备立约的形式：1. 他传召见证人，不是别人，正是他们自己（书24:22）：你们为自己作见证，说你们已选定耶和华。他相信他们绝不会忘记这一天的庄重；但日后他们若背约，他向他们保证：他们如今所宣告的承认和应许必在审判时起来定他们的罪；他们也同意了：我们愿意作见证——若我们日后对神不忠，就让我们被自己的口定罪。2. 他将它付诸文字，如我们在此所见，纳入了正典：他将它写在律法书上（书24:26）——写在原本里，那原本放在约柜旁；之后大概被抄录到各支派首领所持有的供各支派使用的多个副本中。在那里，他们因神命令而当尽的信仰本分，与他们因自己的应许而当尽的，一同记录在案。3. 他为此立了一个记念物，为那些也许不熟悉文字之人的益处（书24:26-27）。他在橡树下立了一块大石头，作为这约的纪念碑，也许还在其上刻了铭文（石头因此能"说话"），说明其用意。当他说它听见了方才所发生的事时，他暗中责备百姓的心硬，仿佛这块石头与他们中的一些人听得一样有果效；他们若忘了如今所做的事，这块石头也足以保存对此的记念，并责备他们的愚顽和疏忽，成为指控他们的见证。
事情既如此定妥，约书亚便遣散了以色列这一首领大会（书24:28），向他们作了最后的告别——他既已尽了自己的本分，便安然满意，借此他已救了自己的灵魂；他们若灭亡，他们的血必归到自己的头上。
英文原文
Joshua's Farewell Address to Israel (1427 BC)
¹ And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
² And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
³ And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
⁴ And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
⁵ I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
⁶ And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
⁷ And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
⁸ And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
⁹ Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
¹⁰ But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
¹¹ And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
¹² And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
¹³ And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
¹⁴ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Joshua thought he had taken his last farewell of Israel in the solemn charge he gave them in the foregoing chapter, when he said, I go the way of all the earth; but God graciously continuing his life longer than expected, and renewing his strength, he was desirous to improve it for the good of Israel. He did not say, "I have taken my leave of them once, and let that serve;" but, having yet a longer space given him, he summons them together again, that he might try what more he could do to engage them for God. Note, We must never think our work for God done till our life is done; and, if he lengthen out our days beyond what we thought, we must conclude it is because he has some further service for us to do.
The assembly is the same with that in the foregoing chapter, the elders, heads, judges, and officers of Israel, Jos 24:1. But it is here made somewhat more solemn than it was there.
I. The place appointed for their meeting is Shechem, not only because that lay nearer to Joshua than Shiloh, and therefore more convenient now that he was infirm and unfit for travelling, but because it was the place where Abraham, the first trustee of God's covenant with this people, settled at his coming to Canaan, and where God appeared to him (Ge 12:6,7), and near which stood mounts Gerizim and Ebal, where the people had renewed their covenant with God at their first coming into Canaan, Jos 8:30. Of the promises God had made to their fathers, and of the promises they themselves had made to God, this place might serve to put them in mind.
II. They presented themselves not only before Joshua, but before God, in this assembly, that is, they came together in a solemn religious manner, as into the special presence of God, and with an eye to his speaking to them by Joshua; and it is probable the service began with prayer. It is the conjecture of interpreters that upon this great occasion Joshua ordered the ark of God to be brought by the priests to Shechem, which, they say, was about ten miles from Shiloh, and to be set down in the place of their meeting, which is therefore called (Jos 24:26) the sanctuary of the Lord, the presence of the ark making it so at that time; and this was done to grace the solemnity, and to strike an awe upon the people that attended. We have not now any such sensible tokens of the divine presence, but are to believe that where two or three are gathered together in Christ's name he is as really in the midst of them as God was where the ark was, and they are indeed presenting themselves before him.
III. Joshua spoke to them in God's name, and as from him, in the language of a prophet (Jos 24:2): "Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah, the great God, and the God of Israel, your God in covenant, whom therefore you are bound to hear and give heed to." Note, The word of God is to be received by us as his, whoever is the messenger that brings it, whose greatness cannot add to it, nor his meanness diminish from it. His sermon consists of doctrine and application.
1. The doctrinal part is a history of the great things God had done for his people, and for their fathers before them. God by Joshua recounts the marvels of old: "I did so and so." They must know and consider, not only that such and such things were done, but that God did them. It is a series of wonders that is here recorded, and perhaps many more were mentioned by Joshua, which for brevity's sake are here omitted. See what God had wrought. (1.) He brought Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, Jos 24:2,3. He and his ancestors had served other gods there, for it was the country in which, though celebrated for learning, idolatry, as some think, had its rise; there the world by wisdom knew not God. Abraham, who afterwards was the friend of God and the great favourite of heaven, was bred up in idolatry, and lived long in it, till God by his grace snatched him as a brand out of that burning. Let them remember that rock out of which they were hewn, and not relapse into that sin from which their fathers by a miracle of free grace were delivered. "I took him," says God, "else he had never come out of that sinful state." Hence Abraham's justification is made by the apostle an instance of God's justifying the ungodly, Ro 4:5. (2.) He brought him to Canaan, and built up his family, led him through the land to Shechem, where they now were, multiplied his seed by Ishmael, who begat twelve princes, but at last gave him Isaac the promised son, and in him multiplied his seed. When Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau, God provided an inheritance for Esau elsewhere in Mount Seir, that the land of Canaan might be reserved entire for the seed of Jacob, and the posterity of Esau might not pretend to a share in it. (3.) He delivered the seed of Jacob out of Egypt with a high hand (Jos 24:5,6), and rescued them out of the hands of Pharaoh and his host at the Red Sea, Jos 24:6,7. The same waters were the Israelites' guard and the Egyptians' grave, and this in answer to prayer; for, though we find in the story that they in that distress murmured against God (Ex 14:11,12), notice is here taken of their crying to God; he graciously accepted those that prayed to him, and overlooked the folly of those that quarrelled with him. (4.) He protected them in the wilderness, where they are here said, not to wander, but to dwell for a long season, Jos 24:7. So wisely were all their motions directed, and so safely were they kept, that even there they had as certain a dwelling-place as if they had been in a walled city. (5.) He gave them the land of the Amorites, on the other side Jordan (Jos 24:8), and there defeated the plot of Balak and Balaam against them, so that Balaam could not curse them as he desired, and therefore Balak durst not fight them as he designed, and as, because he designed it, he is here said to have done it. The turning of Balaam's tongue to bless Israel, when he intended to curse them, is often mentioned as an instance of the divine power put forth in Israel's favour as remarkable as any, because in it God proved (and does still, more than we are aware of) his dominion over the powers of darkness, and over the spirits of men. (6.) He brought them safely and triumphantly into Canaan, delivered the Canaanites into their hand (Jos 24:11), sent hornets before them, when they were actually engaged in battle with the enemy, which with their stings tormented them and with their noise terrified them, so that they became a very easy prey to Israel. These dreadful swarms first appeared in their war with Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, and afterwards in their other battles, Jos 24:12. God had promised to do this for them, Ex 23:27,28. And here Joshua takes notice of the fulfilling of that promise. See Ex 23:27,28, De 7:20. These hornets, it should seem, annoyed the enemy more than the artillery of Israel, and therefore he adds, not with thy sword nor bow. It was purely the Lord's doing. Lastly, They were now in the peaceable possession of a good land, and lived comfortably upon the fruit of other people's labours, Jos 24:13.
2. The application of this history of God's mercies to them is by way of exhortation to fear and serve God, in gratitude for his favour, and that it might be continued to them, Jos 24:14. Now therefore, in consideration of all this, (1.) "Fear the Lord, the Lord and his goodness, Ho 3:5. Reverence a God of such infinite power, fear to offend him and to forfeit his goodness, keep up an awe of his majesty, a deference to his authority, a dread of his displeasure, and a continual regard to his all-seeing eye upon you." (2.) "Let your practice be consonant to this principle, and serve him both by the outward acts of religious worship and every instance of obedience in your whole conversation, and this in sincerity and truth, with a single eye and an upright heart, and inward impressions answerable to outward expressions." This is the truth in the inward part, which God requires, Ps 51:6. For what good will it do us to dissemble with a God that searches the heart? (3.) Put away the strange gods, both Chaldean and Egyptian idols, for those they were most in danger of revolting to. It should seem by this charge, which is repeated (Jos 24:23), that there were some among them that privately kept in their closets the images or pictures of these dunghill-deities, which came to their hands from their ancestors, as heir-looms of their families, though, it may be, they did not worship them; these Joshua earnestly urges them to throw away: "Deface them, destroy them, lest you be tempted to serve them." Jacob pressed his household to do this, and at this very place; for, when they gave him up the little images they had, he buried them under the oak which was by Shechem, Ge 35:2,4. Perhaps the oak mentioned here (Jos 24:26) was the same oak, or another in the same place, which might be well called the oak of reformation, as there were idolatrous oaks.
¹⁵ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
¹⁶ And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
¹⁷ For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
¹⁸ And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
¹⁹ And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
²⁰ If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
²¹ And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
²² And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
²³ Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
²⁴ And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
²⁶ And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
²⁷ And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
²⁸ So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.
Never was any treaty carried on with better management, nor brought to a better issue, than this of Joshua with the people, to engage them to serve God. The manner of his dealing with them shows him to have been in earnest, and that his heart was much upon it, to leave them under all possible obligations to cleave to him, particularly the obligation of a choice and of a covenant.
I. Would it be any obligation upon them if they made the service of God their choice?—he here puts them to their choice, not as if it were antecedently indifferent whether they served God or nor, or as if they were at liberty to refuse his service, but because it would have a great influence upon their perseverance in religion if they embraced it with the reason of men and with the resolution of men. These two things he here brings them to.
1. He brings them to embrace their religion rationally and intelligently, for it is a reasonable service. The will of man is apt to glory in its native liberty, and, in a jealousy for the honour of this, adheres with most pleasure to that which is its own choice and is not imposed upon it; therefore it is God's will that this service should be, not our chance, or a force upon us, but our choice. Accordingly,
(1.) Joshua fairly puts the matter to their choice, Jos 24:15. Here, [1.] He proposes the candidates that stand for the election. The Lord, Jehovah, on one side, and on the other side either the gods of their ancestors, which would pretend to recommend themselves to those that were fond of antiquity, and that which was received by tradition from their fathers, or the gods of their neighbours, the Amorites, in whose land they dwelt, which would insinuate themselves into the affections of those that were complaisant and fond of good fellowship. [2.] He supposes there were those to whom, upon some account or other, it would seem evil to serve the Lord. There are prejudices and objections which some people raise against religion, which, with those that are inclined to the world and the flesh, have great force. It seems evil to them, hard and unreasonable, to be obliged to deny themselves, mortify the flesh, take up their cross, etc. But, being in a state of probation, it is fit there should be some difficulties in the way, else there were no trial. [3.] He refers it to themselves: "Choose you whom you will serve, choose this day, now that the matter is laid thus plainly before you, speedily bring it to a head, and do not stand hesitating." Elijah, long after this, referred the decision of the controversy between Jehovah and Baal to the consciences of those with whom he was treating, 1Ki 18:21. Joshua's putting the matter here to this issue plainly intimates two things:—First, That it is the will of God we should every one of us make religion our serious and deliberate choice. Let us state the matter impartially to ourselves, weigh things in an even balance, and then determine for that which we find to be really true and good. Let us resolve upon a life of serious godliness, not merely because we know no other way, but because really, upon search, we find no better. Secondly, That religion has so much self-evident reason and righteousness on its side that it may safely be referred to every man that allows himself a free thought either to choose or refuse it; for the merits of the cause are so plain that no considerate man can do otherwise but choose it. The case is so clear that it determines itself. Perhaps Joshua designed, by putting them to their choice, thus to try if there were any among them who, upon so fair an occasion given, would show a coolness and indifference towards the service of God, whether they would desire time to consider and consult their friends before they gave in an answer, and if any such should appear he might set a mark upon them, and warn the rest to avoid them. [4.] He directs their choice in this matter by an open declaration of his own resolutions: "But as for me and my house, whatever you do, we will serve the Lord, and I hope you will all be of the same mind." Here he resolves, First, For himself: As for me, I will serve the Lord. Note, The service of God is nothing below the greatest of men; it is so far from being a diminution and disparagement to princes and those of the first rank to be religious that it is their greatest honour, and adds the brightest crown of glory to them. Observe how positive he is: "I will serve God." It is no abridgment of our liberty to bind ourselves with a bond to God. Secondly, For his house, that is, his family, his children and servants, such as were immediately under his eye and care, his inspection and influence. Joshua was a ruler, a judge in Israel, yet he did not make his necessary application to public affairs an excuse for the neglect of family religion. Those that have the charge of many families, as magistrates and ministers, must take special care of their own (1Ti 3:4,5): I and my house will serve God. 1. "Not my house, without me." He would not engage them to that work which he would not set his own hand to. As some who would have their children and servants good, but will not be so themselves; that is, they would have them go to heaven, but intend to go to hell themselves. 2. "Not I, without my house." He supposes he might be forsaken by his people, but in his house, where his authority was greater and more immediate, there he would over-rule. Note, When we cannot bring as many as we would to the service of God we must bring as many as we can, and extend our endeavours to the utmost sphere of our activity; if we cannot reform the land, let us put away iniquity far from our own tabernacle. 3. "First I, and then my house." Note, Those that lead and rule in other things should be first in the service of God, and go before in the best things. Thirdly, He resolves to do this whatever others did. Though all the families of Israel should revolt from God, and serve idols, yet Joshua and his family will stedfastly adhere to the God of Israel. Note, Those that resolve to serve God must not mind being singular in it, nor be drawn by the crowd to forsake his service. Those that are bound for heaven must be willing to swim against the stream, and must not do as the most do, but as the best do.
(2.) The matter being thus put to their choice, they immediately determine it by a free, rational, and intelligent declaration, for the God of Israel, against all competitors whatsoever, Jos 24:16-18. Here, [1.] They concur with Joshua in his resolution, being influenced by the example of so great a man, who had been so great a blessing to them (Jos 24:18): We also will serve the Lord. See how much good great men might do, if they were but zealous in religion, by their influence on their inferiors. [2.] They startle at the thought of apostatizing from God (Jos 24:16): God forbid; the word intimates the greatest dread and detestation imaginable. "Far be it, far be it from us, that we or ours should ever forsake the Lord to serve other gods. We must be perfectly lost to all sense of justice, gratitude, and honour, ere we can harbour the least thought of such a thing." Thus must our hearts rise against all temptations to desert the service of God. Get thee behind me, Satan. [3.] They give very substantial reasons for their choice, to show that they did not make it purely in compliance to Joshua, but from a full conviction of the reasonableness and equity of it. They make this choice for, and in consideration, First, Of the many great and very kind things God had done for them, bringing them out of Egypt through the wilderness into Canaan, Jos 24:17,18. Thus they repeat to themselves Joshua's sermon, and then express their sincere compliance with the intentions of it. Secondly, Of the relation they stood in to God, and his covenant with them: "We will serve the Lord (Jos 24:18), for he is our God, who has graciously engaged himself by promise to us, and to whom we have by solemn vow engaged ourselves."
2. He brings them to embrace their religion resolutely, and to express a full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. Now that he has them in a good mind he follows his blow, and drives the nail to the head, that it might, if possible, be a nail in a sure place. Fast bind, fast find.
(1.) In order to this he sets before them the difficulties of religion, and that in it which might be thought discouraging (Jos 24:19,20): You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, or, as it is in the Hebrew, he is the holy Gods, intimating the mystery of the Trinity, three in one; holy, holy, holy, holy Father, holy Son, holy Spirit. He will not forgive. And, if you forsake him, he will do you hurt. Certainly Joshua does not intend hereby to deter them from the service of God as impracticable and dangerous. But, [1.] He perhaps intends to represent here the suggestions of seducers, who tempted Israel from their God, and from the service of him; with such insinuations as these, that he was a hard master, his work impossible to be done, and he not to be pleased, and, if displeased, implacable and revengeful,—that he would confine their respects to himself only, and would not suffer them to show the least kindness for any other,—and that herein he was very unlike the gods of the nations, which were easy, and neither holy nor jealous. It is probable that this was then commonly objected against the Jewish religion, as it has all along been the artifice of Satan every since he tempted our first parents thus to misrepresent God and his laws, as harsh and severe; and Joshua by his tone and manner of speaking might make them perceive he intended it as an objection, and would put it to them how they would keep their ground against the force of it. Or, [2.] He thus expresses his godly jealousy over them, and his fear concerning them, that, notwithstanding the profession they now made of zeal for God and his service, they would afterwards draw back, and if they did they would find him just and jealous to avenge it. Or, [3.] He resolves to let them know the worst of it, and what strict terms they must expect to stand upon with God, that they might sit down and count the cost. "You cannot serve the Lord, except you put away all other gods for he is holy and jealous, and will by no means admit a rival, and therefore you must be very watchful and careful, for it is at your peril if you desert his service; better you had never known it." Thus, though our Master has assured us that his yoke is easy, yet lest, upon the presumption of this, we should grow remiss and careless, he has also told us that the gate is strait, and the way narrow, that leads to life, that we may therefore strive to enter, and not seek only. "You cannot serve God and Mammon; therefore, if you resolve to serve God, you must renounce all competitors with him. You cannot serve God in your own strength, nor will he forgive your transgressions for any righteousness of your own; but all the seed of Israel must be justified and must glory in the Lord alone as their righteousness and strength," Isa 45:24,25. They must therefore come off from all confidence in their own sufficiency, else their purposes would be to no purpose. Or, [4.] Joshua thus urges on them the seeming discouragements which lay in their way, that he might sharpen their resolutions, and draw from them a promise yet more express and solemn that they would continue faithful to God and their religion. He draws it from them that they might catch at it the more earnestly and hold it the faster.
(2.) Notwithstanding this statement of the difficulties of religion, they declare a firm and fixed resolution to continue and persevere therein (Jos 24:21): "Nay, but we will serve the Lord. We will think never the worse of him for his being a holy and jealous God, nor for his confining his servants to worship himself only. Justly will he consume those that forsake him, but we never will forsake him; not only we have a good mind to serve him, and we hope we shall, but we are at a point, we cannot bear to hear any entreaties to leave him or to turn from following after him (Ru 1:16); in the strength of divine grace we are resolved that we will serve the Lord." This resolution they repeat with an explication (Jos 24:24): "The Lord our God will we serve, not only be called his servants and wear his livery, but our religion shall rule us in every thing, and his voice will we obey." And in vain do we call him Master and Lord, if we do not the things which he saith, Lu 6:46. This last promise they make in answer to the charge Joshua gave them (Jos 24:23), that, in order to their perseverance, they should, [1.] Put away the images and relics of the strange gods, and not keep any of the tokens of those other lovers in their custody, if they resolved their Maker should be their husband; they promise, in this, to obey his voice. [2.] That they should incline their hearts to the God of Israel, use their authority over their own hearts to engage them for God, not only to set their affections upon him, but to settle them so. These terms they agree to, and thus, as Joshua explains the bargain, they strike it: The Lord our God will we serve.
II. The service of God being thus made their deliberate choice, Joshua binds them to it by a solemn covenant, Jos 24:25. Moses had twice publicly ratified this covenant between God and Israel, at Mount Sinai (Ex 24:1-33) and in the plains of Moab, De 29:1. Joshua had likewise done it once (Jos 8:31-35, etc.) and now the second time. It is here called a statute and an ordinance, because of the strength and perpetuity of its obligation, and because even this covenant bound them to no more than what they were antecedently bound to by the divine command. Now, to give it the formalities of a covenant, 1. He calls witnesses, no other than themselves (Jos 24:22): You are witnesses that you have chosen the Lord. He promises himself that they would never forget the solemnities of this day; but, if hereafter they should break this covenant, he assures them that the professions and promises they had now made would certainly rise up in judgment against them and condemn them; and they agreed to it: "We are witnesses; let us be judged out of our own mouths if ever we be false to our God." 2. He put it in writing, and inserted it, as we find it here, in the sacred canon: He wrote it in the book of the law (Jos 24:26), in that original which was laid up in the side of the ark, and thence, probably, it was transcribed into the several copies which the princes had for the use of each tribe. There it was written, that their obligation to religion by the divine precept, and that by their own promise, might remain on record together. 3. He erected a memorandum of it, for the benefit of those who perhaps were not conversant with writings, Jos 24:26,27. He set up a great stone under an oak, as a monument of this covenant, and perhaps wrote an inscription upon it (by which stones are made to speak) signifying the intention of it. When he says, It hath heard what was past, he tacitly upbraids the people with the hardness of their hearts, as if this stone had heard to as good purpose as some of them; and, if they should forget what was no done, this stone would so far preserve the remembrance of it as to reproach them for their stupidity and carelessness, and be a witness against them.
The matter being thus settled, Joshua dismissed this assembly of the grandees of Israel (Jos 24:28), and took his last leave of them, well satisfied in having done his part, by which he had delivered his soul; if they perished, their blood would be upon their own heads.
29-33
The Death of Joshua (1427 BC)
约书亚之死（公元前1427年）
²⁹ 这些事以后，耶和华的仆人嫩的儿子约书亚正一百一十岁就死了。 ³⁰ 以色列人将他葬在他地业的境界上，就是在以法莲山地的亭拿西拉，在迦实山的北边。 ³¹ 约书亚在世的日子，和约书亚死后、那些知道耶和华为以色列人所行诸事的长老还在的日子，以色列人事奉耶和华。 ³² 以色列人从埃及所带出来的约瑟的骸骨，葬埋在示剑，就是雅各从前用一百块银子向示剑的父亲哈抹的子孙所买的那块地里；这就作了约瑟子孙的产业。 ³³ 亚伦的儿子以利亚撒死了；他们把他葬在他儿子非尼哈所得以法莲山地的小山冈上。
本书以胜利开始，却以葬礼告终——人的一切荣耀都因此暗淡。我们在此看见：1．约瑟的安葬（书 24:32）。他大约二百年前死于埃及，却为他的骸骨留下遗命，叫它们在以色列于应许之地得享安息之前不得入土安歇；因此，以色列人既把这装满骨头的棺木从埃及带出来，便在他们旷野的一切行程中都随身携带（大概由以法莲和玛拿西这两个支派特别照管），并把它留在营中，直到迦南全然被征服；如今他们终于把它安放在他父亲在示剑附近给他那一块地里（创 48:22）。也许正是在这事上，约书亚召集以色列众人到示剑见他（书 24:1），以便护送约瑟的棺木到那里的坟墓——所以本章的讲章既作了约瑟的丧礼讲章，也作了他自己的告别讲章；如果（如人所推测）这是他一生的最后一年，这个场合很可能正好提醒他自己离世之日已近，因为他正是与他那位杰出先祖约瑟死时相同的年纪——一百一十岁（参书 24:29 与创 50:26）。2．约书亚的离世与安葬（书 24:29、30）。我们未被告诉他在以色列人进入迦南之后又活了多久。莱特富特博士以为约十七年；但犹太的编年史家通常说约二十七或二十八年。他在此被称为耶和华的仆人——这正是论到摩西之死时所用的同一称号（书 1:1）；因为约书亚虽在许多方面不及摩西，但在这一方面却与他相等：照着他的工作，他证明自己是神殷勤而忠心的仆人。那以二他连得作买卖的，与那以五他连得作买卖的，所得的称许相同：好，你这又良善又忠心的仆人。约书亚的安葬之地在此被称为在迦实山——或作"震动之山"——的北边；犹太人说它之所以如此得名，是因为在约书亚安葬之时那山震动，要责备以色列民，因为他们没有像所当行的那样为那伟大良善之人的离世哀恸。照样，当我们的约书亚——基督——离世之时，大地震动。博学的帕特里克主教观察说，经上未提及为约书亚守哀之日，像为摩西和亚伦所作的那样；他说圣耶柔米及其他教父以为其中有奥秘：即在律法之下，生命和不朽尚未如现今这样显明出来之时，他们有理由为亲友的离世哀哭；如今我们的约书亚耶稣既已开了天国，我们便更当喜乐。3．大祭司以利亚撒的离世与安葬——大概他与约书亚约在同时离世，正如亚伦与摩西同一年一样（书 24:33）。犹太人说以利亚撒临终前不久召集了长老，像约书亚所作的，给他们留下训诲。他被葬在他儿子非尼哈的一座小山冈上——这山冈归他，并非因继承（否则必先归他父亲，且祭司在以法莲山地并无城邑），要么是因婚姻而归他（如犹太人所推测），要么是出于某位敬虔、爱慕祭司职分的以色列人之自愿赠予，使他在其上建造乡间居所；因为经上在此说它已给他；他就在那里安葬了他亲爱的父亲。4．此处也向我们给出以色列此时状况的概观（书 24:31）。约书亚在世之日，宗教在他的照料和影响下得以在他们中间维持；但他和与他同时代的人死后不久，宗教便衰落了——这样一个头面人物往往能撑住大局。福音教会有福了，因我们的约书亚——基督——借着祂的灵，仍与教会同在，且要一直同在，直到世界的末了！
英文原文
The Death of Joshua (1427 BC)
²⁹ And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
³⁰ And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.
³¹ And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.
³² And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
³³ And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
This book, which began with triumphs, here ends with funerals, by which all the glory of man is stained. We have here 1. The burial of Joseph, Jos 24:32. He died about 200 years before in Egypt, but gave commandment concerning his bones, that they should not rest in their grave until Israel had rest in the land of promise; now therefore the children of Israel, who had brought this coffin full of bones with them out of Egypt, carried it along with them in all their marches through the wilderness (the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, it is probable, taking particular care of it), and kept it in their camp till Canaan was perfectly reduced, now at last they deposited it in that piece of ground which his father gave him near Shechem, Ge 48:22. Probably it was upon this occasion that Joshua called for all Israel to meet him at Shechem (Jos 24:1), to attend Joseph's coffin to the grave there, so that the sermon in this chapter served both for Joseph's funeral sermon and his own farewell sermon; and if it was, as is supposed, in the last year of his life, the occasion might very well remind him of his own death being at hand, for he was not just at the same age that his illustrious ancestor Joseph had arrived at when he died, 110 years old; compare Jos 24:29 with Ge 50:26. 2. The death and burial of Joshua, Jos 24:29,30. We are not told how long he lived after the coming of Israel into Canaan. Dr. Lightfoot thinks it was about seventeen years; but the Jewish chronologers generally say it was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years. He is here called the servant of the Lord, the same title that was given to Moses (Jos 1:1) when mention was made of his death; for, though Joshua was in many respects inferior to Moses, yet in this he was equal to him, that, according as his work was, he approved himself a diligent and faithful servant of God. And he that traded with his two talents had the same approbation that he had who traded with his five. Well done, good and faithful servant. Joshua's burying-place is here said to be on the north side of the hill Gaash, or the quaking hill; the Jews say it was so called because it trembled at the burial of Joshua, to upbraid the people of Israel with their stupidity in that they did not lament the death of that great and good man as they ought to have done. Thus at the death of Christ, our Joshua, the earth quaked. The learned bishop Patrick observes that there is no mention of any days of mourning being observed for Joshua, as there were for Moses and Aaron, in which, he says, St. Hierom and others of the fathers think there is a mystery, namely, that under the law, when life and immortality were not brought to so clear a light as they are now, they had reason to mourn and weep for the death of their friends; but now that Jesus, our Joshua, has opened the kingdom of heaven, we may rather rejoice. 3. The death and burial of Eleazar the chief priest, who, it is probable, died about the same time that Joshua did, as Aaron in the same year with Moses, Jos 24:33. The Jews say that Eleazar, a little before he died, called the elders together, and gave them a charge as Joshua had done. He was buried in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which came to him, not by descent, for then it would have pertained to his father first, nor had the priests any cities in Mount Ephraim, but either it fell to him by marriage, as the Jews conjecture, or it was freely bestowed upon him, to build a country seat on, by some pious Israelite that was well-affected to the priesthood, for it is here said to have been given him; and there he buried his dear father. 4. A general idea given us of the state of Israel at this time, Jos 24:31. While Joshua lived, religion was kept up among them under his care and influence; but soon after he and his contemporaries died it went to decay, so much oftentimes does one head hold up: how well is it for the gospel church that Christ, our Joshua, is still with it, by his Spirit, and will be always, even unto the end of the world!
本章结束约书亚的生平与执政记载，内容如下：I. 他竭尽心力，要使以色列民在信靠真神、敬拜真神的事上得着坚固，好叫他们在约书亚去世之后仍能恒心坚守。为此，他再次召集以色列会众众首领举行大会（书 24:1），并向他们陈明心意。1. 以叙述的方式，追述神为他们和他们的列祖所行的奇事，书 24:2-13。2. 以劝勉的方式，据此吩咐他们事奉神，书 24:14。3. 以立约的方式与他们交涉，其中他的目标是要引领他们——（1.）使信仰成为他们深思熟虑的抉择；他们果然如此行了，并举出如此选择的理由，书 24:15-18。（2.）使之成为他们坚定的抉择，并立定心志坚守不渝，书 24:19-24。4. 在立约的基础上与他们正式立约，书 24:25-28。II. 本书历史的结语，包括：1. 约书亚的去世与安葬（书 24:29,30）和以利亚撒的去世（书 24:33），以及当时所记约瑟骸骨下葬的事，书 24:32。2. 关于当时以色列光景的总体记述，书 24:31。