Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Joshua 7:6
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And Joshua rent his clothes, etc.] As was usual in those ancient times, on hearing bad news, and as expressive of grief and trouble f102; (see <013729> Genesis 37:29,34 <180120>Job 1:20); and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord, until the eventide; in a posture of adoration and prayer, in which he continued till even; how long that was cannot be said, since the time is not mentioned when the army returned from Ai; very probably it was some time in the afternoon: this was done before the ark of the Lord, the symbol of the divine Presence, not in the most holy place, where that usually was, and into which Joshua might not enter, but in the tabernacle of the great court, over against where the ark was: he and the elders of Israel; either the elders of the people in the several tribes, or rather the seventy elders, which were the sanhedrim or council, and which attended Joshua, and assisted him as such; and put dust upon their heads; another rite or ceremony used in times of mourning and distress, and that very anciently, before Joshua’s time and after, (see <180212>Job 2:12 <090412>1 Samuel 4:12 <100102>2 Samuel 1:2); and among various nations; so when Achilles bewailed the death of Patroclus, he is represented by Homer f103 taking with both his hands the black earth, and pouring it on his head; so Aristippus among the Athenians is said f104 to sprinkle dust on his head in token of mourning on a certain account.
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