"he hastened not to go down," that is, contrary to its invariable mode. The adverb s also admits of another meaning, which is, "approximate," as in "Mount Ephraim (approximates, or) is near to thee;" which implies that the sun did not draw near to its occultation below the horizon, in order to give light to the antipodes, during the space of a day. Finally, to answer the last argument, which asserts, Joshua would have been a greater prophet than Moses had the sun stood still at his command," it must be observed, that the ancient Sages infer from certain passages of Scripture that Moses also wrought a similar miracle; but even if he had not, his superiority to all other prophets would not have been the less, because this dignity is regulated by the degree of prophecy enjoyed, and participated in, and not by the miracles performed, seeing that miracles are not wrought capriciously, but as the nature of the case requires; and if there was no need of the sun's standing still in any battle which Moses fought, why should he cause it to do so? For even although he did not do this, he performed much greater miracles. The one in the wilderness of Sinai, when, at the giving of the Law, all the people enjoyed the prophetic spirit, bears no comparison to it, being far superior; so also the miracles which he performed were continuous, as that of the manna, the gushing of the waters out of the rock, and the clouds of glory; whereas those of the other prophets were transient. On all these accounts this difficulty does not hold; for if we were even to say, that Moses exceeded all the other prophets in the nature of his miracles, we should be able to support the assertion by what is already stated, and also by what is demonstrated in the concluding question of the first part of this work,-Moses alone performed more miracles than the whole of the other prophets together; since theirs were but seventy-four, while his alone were seventy-six. The arguments, therefore, of R. Levi ben Gershon, are not only completely refuted, but his exposition of the verses is inadmissible; because all agree in testifying that the miracle was actually effected on the celestial bodies.

9

Therefore, setting aside this opinion as groundless, and referring to those that admit the miracle,-R. Hasdai, soaring above R. Levi ben Gershon, says, that the sun did not stand still, nor cease its usual rotatory motion, but merely checked its ordinary speed, and revolved at a slower rate; and R. Joel ben Soeb,10 coincides in this, and states that he is not therefore led to doubt the power of God to cause its arrestation,-one act being as difficult as the other, but he is influenced by the consideration of finding, that whenever a miracle can be effected without a total disarrangement of the order of nature, it is so performed, because the Lord never desires entirely to annihilate His works, and consequently only disarranges the order of nature when the end He purposes by the performance of the miracle, renders it necessary; and as the object of this was, obtaining time to take vengeance on the enemy, he says, that it sufficed to delay the sun's motion by its moving slower, without the necessity of its absolute stoppage. This opinion solves the doubt, and renders the verse interpretable in this manner :-Joshua besought the Lord that the sun should go slower in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, as the word D implies, for it may be translated as in " "Wait for the Lord,"ll meaning, that man should not hastily lose confidence in the Divine Mercy; and its saying, "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day," accordingly implies, that the sun was delayed at its usual meridian altitude, as before stated; and supposing that on perfect days, as in summer, when declining to the horizon, its move

8 Jos. 17:15.

? Or a Shem.

10 Olat Sabat.

11 Psalm 37:7.

ment appears accelerated, like one descending, in comparison to the time he takes in ascending; but on this day it was not so, for the sun did not hasten to set; that is, he did not move with the ordinary velocity, more perceptible on perfect summer days. Thus the texts would be conciliated; because, where it says, "the sun stood still," is understood to denote the time when it delayed, which was noon; and therein consisted the miracle, that the sun did not hasten, which corresponds with the second verse as above.

But even supposing that this explanation is more satisfactory than the preceding, some difficulties still offer, as laid down by Don Isaac Abarbanel and R. Aaron aben Haim, which the curious may find in his work, "Leb Aaron." Others likewise understand that the sun stayed its course, together with the moon and planets. Maimonides 12 is of this opinion, according to the explanation of R. Isaac Arama; but he says it was only during a few hours, and that this day was as long as the longest one of summer; and he therefore construes the texts by saying, that "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven," (at noon) "and did not hasten to set,-like a complete day:" that is, it did not hasten to decline; and the result was, its turning out to be a most perfect day, that is, like the longest summer day: and R. David Kimchi is of the same opinion.

The ancient sages, however, judge differently; for they consider that the sun stood still, and they understand it did so twice, but they differ as to the length of time it so stayed. For R. Joshua ben Levi says, "And the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down, like a complete day," that is, for twenty-four hours, which duration may be explained in two ways, namely, that on this day, daylight was of twenty-four hours' duration, for from sunrise to noon, there were six hours; then it stood still for six hours; resuming its course six hours, at sunset it again stopped six hours; for the verse says, "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven," that is, at meridian, And did not hasten to go down," that is, a second stoppage took place at sunset, "like a complete day :" that is, an artificial one, with these two retardations added, became as long as a perfect or natural one of twenty-four hours; which opinion is held by many Sages. 13 Or it may be understood that these twenty-four hours were added to the natural twelve of daylight, and thus the sun ascended six hours to meridian, stopped twelve hours, moved six more, and then again stood still, during another twelve hours; and therefore the verse says, "The sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down, like a complete day" (of twenty-four hours). That day, therefore, was of thirty-six hours duration.

R. Eliezer thinks differently, saying, the sun stood still thirty-six hours, which opinion may be also explained in two ways; either that the day in question was of thirty-six hours' length, or that the sun stood still beyond the usual time for thirty-six hours; the verse, "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down like a complete day," would then mean that at the time of sun-set it stopped the time of a whole day of twenty-four hours; and to this period of time, the words like a perfect day" refer, because its course was retarded another twelve hours (at noon) in the midst of heaven, which shews that the whole time was thirty-six hours beyond the natural twelve hours; and, according to this, that day consisted of forty-eight hours.

R. Samuel bar Nachman says forty-eight hours; which also has two expla nations, namely, either that the sun stood still thirty-six hours, and the day thus became of forty-eight hours' duration, according to the preceding form,

12 Guide. Aquedat Isaac, c. 13.

13 Debarim Raba, Par Aazinu.

or that the sun stood still forty-eight hours beyond the natural time; the verse would then state, that "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down like a complete day," which "perfect day" is twentyfour hours and refers to the two stoppages-one in the midst of heaven (at noon), and the other at sun-set, which together amount to forty-eight hoursthat day consisting of sixty. So that, according to the opinion of these celebrated Sages, the text, saying "And there was no day like that before or after it," means that there never was a day like it as to the length of its duration. From these three opinions it may be inferred that the miracle was in the celestial body and commenced at noon, when the sun was at its meridian, and that it was delayed twice, which they collect from the verse twice saying, "the sun stood still," as also by its saying, it "stood still in the midst of heaven," and immediately after, that it did not hasten to go down;" they only differ as to the duration of the two stoppages. In my poor judgment the explanation of R. Joshua ben Levi may be the more readily followed by understanding that the sun on that day only stood still twelve hours, which made it like a perfect and complete day of twenty-four; for, as the ancient

which, reduced to ,תפסת מעט תפסת תפסת מרובה לא תפסת,Sages observe

an English proverb, is "Covet all, lose all;" that is, those who seek to prove too much, ultimately do not prove anything.

Another or fourth explanation has been given to this subject by a modern writer, R. Abraham Salom,14 who, noticing the reasons and arguments of R. Hasdai that the sun did not stand still, but proceeded slowly, and on the other hand, considering the various reasons in favour that it did stand still, he says, that the stoppage and the slow movement both took place: he therefore holds, that Joshua prayed that the Lord would cause the sun and moon to stop, this being necessary, so that the order of her opposition to, and conjunction with the sun, might not be disturbed. But God, knowing that for the object of taking vengeance on the enemy, it would not be suitable to stay the sun in its course, and making it revolve slowly would not afford sufficient time, he did both: namely, he stayed the sun's motion at its meridian, that it might be perceptibly seen, and then regulating the miracle in conformity to the order of nature, he caused it to decline slowly until vengeance was effected; so that between the time of its motion being stopped, and its continuing its course, he says six hours passed, and therefore explains the text, "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven:" that is, when its course was staid at noon, "and did not hasten to go down," means it afterwards declined at a slow rate, and "like a complete day" implying that between midday and night, there intervened twelve hours, or a duration of time equal to entire daylight of twelve hours. Consequently, that artificial day was eighteen hours' length; and by this easy mode the contradiction of the verses are conciliated.

Don Isaac Abarbanel, although admitting that the miracle took place in the celestial orb, and that the sun stood still, yet holds that it happened at sun-set, and therefore says that Joshua, seeing the sun about to set and disappear below the horizon over Gibeon, and the moon rising and shewing herself in the valley of Ajalon, wished that both one and the other might be stayed, the sun from setting and the moon from rising; and what the verse says about the sun standing "still in the midst of heaven," must not be understood for noon; but as the heavens are divided into two hemispheres, "And the sun standing still in the midst of heaven," means in our hemisphere," and did not hasten to go down, but stood still like a complete day"

without night, which is twelve hours; and this explanation also reconciles the

texts.

In the Pirqué of R. Eliezer, he says, that this miracle was performed on the eve of the Sabbath, and inasmuch as the five kings relied on their enchantments and oracles, Joshua gave them to understand, by commanding the sun to stand still in the Divine name, that the powers on which they depended were kept in subjection to his empire; and in order that the day of rest might not be profaned, the sun was staid during the period of Sabbath, and the moon during the night of Sabbath, and of its termination, together making thirtysix hours. With this we shall conclude the subject.

QUESTION 11.

Josh. 10:42. And all these kings and their Josh. 11:18. Joshua made war a long time lands did Joshua take at one time. with all those kings.

RECONCILIATION.

There is an apparent discrepancy between these verses; but by the explanation of commentators, the conciliation is rendered easy. R. David Kimchi explains the words "at one time," that Joshua had no need to delay himself by besieging the cities, for he took them on his appearance with the army.

R. Levi ben Gershon explains "at one time" differently, that is in one campaign, before returning home, because on gaining these victories the sacred text says, "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal." But in the subsequent conquests he delayed a long while.

Or, as R. Aaron a ben Haim says, "at one time" means without resting after each battle, as generals in campaigns generally do give time for the troops to refresh themselves and prepare their arms and warlike apparatus.

The ancient Sages conjecture that this second verse clearly points out the negligence of Joshua, to whom the Lord, having promised the conquest and division of the land amongst the tribes, yet delayed the execution, under the impression that he would thereby prolong his life: but he only shortened it by adopting this course; for God had promised him thus, "As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee;"2 yet he did not attain the age of 120, but died at 110 years, being reprehended for the slowness of his latter conquests, as compared with his master-Moses; for, although the Lord told him to "avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people :"3 he, nevertheless, fearlessly executed it. So that instead of imitating this example, he endeavoured to prolong his life by a slow obedience to the command he had received.

If Joshua drove the giants from Hebron and many other places, how is Caleb afterwards stated to have driven them from Hebron ?

RECONCILIATION.

The prosperous or adverse success of an army are always attributed to the general, and, therefore, according to R. Levi ben Gershon, although it was Caleb who drove out the giants from Hebron, and Othniel who conquered Debir, yet these actions may be ascribed to Joshua as general and commanderin-chief of the army, which is also Don Isaac Abarbanel's opinion.

Or, it may be said that Joshua drove out the giants that were in Hebron,

but not the whole of them, as these three, being the most powerful, yet remained, and were ultimately subdued by the superior prowess of Caleb. This agrees well with the texts; for the first says, that Joshua drove away the giants, but does not mention these three celebrated ones; but in the second it says, that Caleb conquered these three, not that he destroyed the giants generally; from which it may be inferred that they were separate conquests.

Josh. 13:3.

QUESTION 13.

From the Nile, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines.

Ibid. The Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites.

This account is incorrect; for it says "five princes" of the Philistines, how then are six enumerated?

RECONCILIATION.

In the Guemara' R. Johanan conciliates this by saying, that although there were six, five of them were the most distinguished, and therefore the Avites, who are last mentioned, are not included in the number of the principalities.

Or, according to R. Samuel Laniado, although there were six princes, only five of them were accounted as Canaanites, whose land God had promised to Abraham; and this opinion may well square with the text, which says, "From the Nile, which is before Egypt, unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines;" as if it said, although the lords are six, five of them only are reckoned as Canaanites, as the last, either on account of his great valour, or from some other cause, does not corne under that denomination.

Josh. 14:6.

QUESTION 14.

Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb, the son of Jephuneh, the Kenezite, said unto him.

Josh. 15:17. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it (Kirjat Sepher). And he gave him Achsa, his daughter, to wife.

1 Holin, c. 3.