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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
The people, Heb. that people, not all the people of Israel, which was needless, and required more time than could now be spared; but the rest of that host of thirty thousand, whereof five thousand were sent away; and now the remainder are numbered, partly to see whether some of them had not withdrawn themselves, taking the advantage of the night, and of the design of laying an ambush; and partly that it might be evident that this work was done without any loss of men, and thereby they might be encouraged to trust in God, and to proceed vigorously and resolutely in their work.
The elders of Israel; either,
1. The military elders, the chief commanders of his army. But they seem to be included in the thirty thousand, Jos_8:3, which are supposed to be furnished and led by their several commanders; and such persons are scarce ever called the
elders of Israel. Or rather,
2. The chief magistrates and rulers of Israel under Joshua, who are commonly so called; and these, I suppose, went with Joshua, and with the army, to take care that the cattle and the spoil of the city, which was given by God to all Israel for a prey, Jos_8:2,27, might be justly and equally divided between those that went to battle, and the rest of the people, according to the example and prescript, Num_31:27; and that they who were present and assistant in the taking of that city, might not engross the whole to themselves, as is usual for soldiers in those cases to do.