Rashi on the Former Prophets

I multiplied his descendants. The word אַרְבֶּ in the text lacks the letter ה, [from which we infer:] “How many troubles and tests did I bring upon him before I gave him a descendant.”

And He brought the sea upon “him.” He brought the sea upon each individual among them. If it happened that one of them ran away, in order not to enter the sea, a sea-wave would pursue him and catch him.

The people of Yericho went to war against you. As did the Emorites, the Perezites etc. All these seven nations are mentioned here because Yericho is on the border, and was the bolt and lock of Eretz Yisroel. Therefore, all these seven nations were gathered there, represented by their elite soldiers.

A holy God. In most places, every expression of rulership is found in the plural form, such as: “the ruler of the Land,” the master of the land, אַדנֵי הָאָרֶץ spoke to us.” Here too, it should have been written אַדוֹן הָאֶָרֶץ in the singular. “the ruler of Yoseif,” “if his master is with him,” that God went to redeem. The reason for this is because this name is the name of power.

You are witnesses against yourselves. Yehoshua foresaw that in the future, they would undermine [the covenant] in the days of Yechezkeil and say, “We want to be like the [other] nations,” and therefore he was so hard on them now. Therefore it was said to them in the days of Yechezkeil, “The thought you entertain will never come to pass etc., As I live says Adonoy, God, I will rule over you with a strong hand etc.” You have already accepted upon yourselves [the covenant] in the days of Yehoshua. And you can not say “We only accepted it upon ourselves in the days of Moshe because we wanted [God’s help] to enter the land,” since in the days of Yehoshua you had already entered the land, and [yet] you accepted the covenant.

And he established it as a statute and an ordinance at Shechem. He set in order for them there the statutes of the Torah and they accepted them upon themselves.

And Yehoshua wrote, etc. According to Targum Yonasan— And Yehoshua wrote these words, and concealed them in the Sefer Torah of God. In Maseches Makos, two Amoraim argue [about what Yehoshua wrote]. One says that it refers to the eight verses from ‘And Moshe died’ until ‘in view of all of Yisroel,’ for the Sefer Torah was incomplete and he [Yehoshua] completed it. says therefore that the final eight verses were written by Yehoshua. The other one says that this refers to the chapter of the cities of refuge which he wrote in his book [Sefer Yehoshua] as they were written in the Sefer Torah.
Under the doorpost. This is translated according to Targum Yonasan, תְּחוֹת אַלְתָא. הָאַלָה refers to the door post of the entrance, as it is said, “the doorposts were a fifth, and the doorposts had one measure.” Other say that [הָאַלָה means ‘the oak tree’] and it refers to the oak near Shechem which is written regarding Yaakov, “And Yaakov hid them beneath the oak.”
Which is in the Sanctuary of Adonoy. Since the Ark was brought there [it is referred to as the Sanctuary] as it stated above, ‘And they stood before God.

Behold this stone will be witness against us, etc. [Here Rashi quotes from Targum Yonasan]: This stone will be for us as the two stone tablets of the covenant, for we have made it for a witness, since the words written on it [the stone] are almost similar to all the words of God that He spoke to us. This verse can also be explained according to its plain meaning: for it [the stone] has heard the words that I have spoken to you, on behalf of the Omnipresent.

In Simnas-serach. This was its actual name. Elsewhere it is called Simnas-cheres because they erected a figure of the sun upon his grave, to indicate that he is the one that caused the sun to stand still, and all who pass by it say, “Woe for the loss of this one, who did such a great thing and died.” Others say its actual name was Simnas-cheres, and why was it called Simnas- serach? because its fruit would rot because of their abundant richness.
The Storming Mountain It was so named to teach us that the hill stormed [shook] and threatened to kill them, because the people did not eulogize him properly.

Lived on after [Lit. they had length of days.] Their days were lengthened but their years were not lengthened for they were punished.

They buried in Shechem. From Shechem he was stolen [kidnapped] and to Shechem they returned him.

In the hill of his son, Pinchos. From where did Pinchos have a portion in the land? He inherited it from his wife.