The Church Fathers on this verse

Joshua 18:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

So they went and surveying it divided it into seven parts, writing them down in a book. And they returned to Joshua, to the camp in Silo.

Douay-Rheims

וַיֵּלְכ֤וּ הֽ͏ָאֲנָשִׁים֙ וַיַּעַבְר֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וַיִּכְתְּב֧וּהָ לֶֽעָרִ֛ים לְשִׁבְעָ֥ה חֲלָקִ֖ים עַל־סֵ֑פֶר וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה שִׁלֹֽה׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

Beda Venerabilis

7th centuryChurch Father

The tumultuous, salty waves of the vast and endless waters may symbolize the transgressions in which the unrighteous are destined to perish due to the wickedness of their earthly existence, as well as the chasm of their impending ruin. At the Final Judgment, they will be cast into Gehenna alongside the devil. It is important to note that when the Tabernacle was established on Mount Sinai, the Red Sea lay to its west, and when it was transported to Shiloh by Joshua, the Mediterranean Sea was positioned in the same direction. In the profound mystery of Scripture, we can understand that the faithful who honor the Lord in this life create a dwelling for Him within their hearts, turning away from the arrogant self-admiration of the ungodly, recognizing its inevitable end.

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The righteous will reside in their eternal home near the Lord and will be able to witness the final judgment of the wicked without jeopardizing their own state of bliss. Thus, our ancestors also expressed their gratitude to the Lord, as they not only experience His blessings but also behold the evil from which He has saved them.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.