Exodus 15:15

 Exodus 15:15 

Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

a. NLT: The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt away;[Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Then were the chiefs of Edom dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them: All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Then have chiefs of Edom been troubled: Mighty ones of Moab -- Trembling doth seize them! Melted have all inhabitants of Canaan![The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: Now the chiefs of Edom are dismayed; the mighty men of Moab [renowned for strength], trembling takes hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away—little by little.[Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: Then the chieftains of Edom were confounded, trembling gripped the powers of Moab, all the dwellers of Canaan dissolved. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. Peshitta Eastern Text: Then the princes of Edom were afraid; the mighty men of Moab, trembling seized them; all the inhabitants of Canaan were heartbroken.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1961 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1939 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1967  by A.J. Holmon Co.;  Copyright  Ⓒ 1940 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1957 by A.J. Holmon Co. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

g. NIV: The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed…”

a. Then [Strong: 227 'az awz a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now, of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.]

b. [the] dukes [Strong: 441 'alluwph al-loof' or (shortened) talluph {al-loof'}; from 502; familiar; a friend, also gentle; hence, a bullock (as being tame; applied, although masculine, to a cow); and so, a chieftain (as notable, like neat cattle):--captain, duke, (chief) friend, governor, guide, ox.]

c. [of] Edom [Strong: 123 'Edom ed-ome' or (fully) oEdowm {ed-ome'}; from 122; red (see Gen. 25:25); Edom, the elder twin-brother of Jacob; hence the region (Idumaea) occupied by him:--Edom, Edomites, Idumea.]

d. [shall be] amazed [Strong: 926 bahal baw-hal' a primitive root; to tremble inwardly (or palpitate), i.e. (figuratively) be (causative, make) (suddenly) alarmed or agitated; by implication to hasten anxiously:--be (make) affrighted (afraid, amazed, dismayed, rash), (be, get, make) haste(-n, -y, -ily), (give) speedy(-ily), thrust out, trouble, vex.]

1). Approximately 40 years later, Edom was still afraid because of the Red Sea crossing of Israel, though they were not to take their land.

a). Deuteronomy 2:4, 5  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:

2:5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

2. “...the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.”

a. [the] mighty men [Strong: 352 'ayil ah'-yil from the same as 193; properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree:--mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram, tree.]

b. [of] Moab [Strong: 4124 Mow'ab mo-awb from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and 1; from (her (the mother's)) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants:--Moab.]

c. trembling [Strong: 7461 ra`ad rah'-ad or (feminine) radah {reh-aw-daw'}; from 7460; a shudder:--trembling.

d. [shall] take hold [upon them] [Strong: 270 'achaz aw-khaz' a primitive root; to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession):--+ be affrighted, bar, (catch, lay, take) hold (back), come upon, fasten, handle, portion, (get, have or take) possess(-ion).]

e. all [Strong: 3605 kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

f. [the] inhabitants [Strong: 3427 yashab yaw-shab' a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.]

g. [of] Canaan [Strong: 3667 Kna`an ken-ah'-an from 3665; humiliated; Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him:--Canaan, merchant, traffick.]

h. [shall] melt away [Strong: 4127 muwg moog a primitive root; to melt, i.e. literally (to soften, flow down, disappear), or figuratively (to fear, faint):--consume, dissolve, (be) faint(-hearted), melt (away), make soft.]

1). This is exactly what happened to the inhabitants of Canaan. We must remember that it was 40 years after this event that Israel entered Canaan. When Rahab is talking to the spies and making a deal for her own life and the life of her family she recounts the effect of the Red Sea crossing upon her countrymen  and the more recent [about one year previous] account of the wars with the Amorite kings Sihon and Og. 

a). Joshua 2:8-11 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

2). The effect on Rahab was the effect God desired. Compare Rahab’s reaction to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt with the following passages in Romans.

a). Romans 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

b). Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

3). Do I believe that it was God’s will that the  whole city of Jericho get saved and not just Rahab and her family? Yes. Rahab’s family were spared and God is no respecter of persons. It is His will that none perish.

a). 1 Timothy 2:4-6 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

b). 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

4). We need to add the passage in 1 Kings that describes the Queen of Sheba’s reaction to Solomon’s wisdom and kingdom.

a). 1 Kings 10:4, 5 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

10:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

5). The Scripture says “there was no more spirit in her.” The words used in the various translations are “utterly amazed”, “overwhelmed”, and “overcome”. This is the same language used to describe the effect on the kings of Canaan when they heard the news of Israel crossing the Jordan River.

a). Joshua 5:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

(1) heart [Strong: 3824 lêbâb, lay-bawb'; from H3823; used also like H3820 the heart (as the most interior organ);:— bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, (faint), (tender-) heart(-ed), midst, mind, × unawares, understanding.]

(2) melted [Strong: 4549 mâçaç, maw-sas'; a primitive root; to liquefy; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief):—discourage, faint, be loosed, melt (away), refuse, × utterly.]

(3) neither [Strong: 3808 * lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

(4) spirit [Strong: 7303 rûwach, roo'-akh; from H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):—air, anger, blast, breath, × cool, courage, mind, ×quarter, × side, spirit(-ual), tempest, × vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).]

6). It is also the same words used to describe the effect on Rahab and all the citizens of Jericho when they heard about Israel crossing the Red Sea and the military defeats of Sihon and Og. The word translated “courage” in the English is the Hebrew word for ‘spirit.”.

a). Joshua 2:9-11 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

(1) heart [Strong: 3824 lêbâb, lay-bawb'; from H3823; used also like H3820 the heart (as the most interior organ);:— bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, (faint), (tender-) heart(-ed), midst, mind, × unawares, understanding.]

(2) melted [Strong: 4549 mâçaç, maw-sas'; a primitive root; to liquefy; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief):—discourage, faint, be loosed, melt (away), refuse, × utterly.]

(3) neither [Strong: 3808 * lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

(4) courage [Strong: 7303 rûwach, roo'-akh; from H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):—air, anger, blast, breath, × cool, courage, mind, ×quarter, × side, spirit(-ual), tempest, × vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).]

7). The same spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental revelation came upon Rahab, the citizens of Jericho and the rest of the inhabitants of Canaan and the Queen of Sheba. Rahab surrendered to God and got right with Him, the Queen of Sheba also got right with God. The citizens of Jericho and the inhabitants of Canaan rejected the revelation and were destroyed. They all had the same choice. This is why we read these passages in Romans. 

a). Romans 9:17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I reised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

b). Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

8). It is God’s will that none perish, but all come to repentance.

a). 1 Timothy 2:3-6  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

b). 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.