shall be burnt] As the accursed thing ought to have been, according to the Law, Deut. 13. 15, 16. namely, after he is first stoned, which was the punishment appointed for blasphemers and presumptuous offenders by the law, Lev. 24. 13. Num. 15. 30, 35. fully in Israel] A base, foolish and sinfull deed. So Genesis 34:7. Judges 20:6. 2 Samuel 13:13. he and all that he hath] Not onely the accursed things, but his sons, daughters, oxen, asses, &c. This was a most severe punishment, but yet just, because God appointed it, whose judgements are always righteous, Genesis 18:25. Jeremiah 12:1. though often unsearchable, and above our reason: which may appear, whether we respect God, who appointed this punishment; for first, he is supreme LORD of all, and may do with his what he will; and his will is the rule of justice, yea justice it self. Secondly, we owe our lives to God, and deserve death by the first sin, and all that followed it, and God may justly require his debt, when and in what manner he pleaseth. Thirdly, he had infected all he had with the contagion of his sin, and so made them liable to his punishment. Secondly, just in respect of Joshua and the people, who executed it: First, because God commanded it. Secondly, because he had endangered the whole camp to destruction, who were not directly guilty of his fact. Thirdly, because he had exposed six and thirty men to the slaughter, who were innocent of his sin, though by their own sins known to God they might deserve their death; and therefore all his were executed with him justly by the same reason, though they were not knowingly guilty of his fact, that they might be examples unto others, to deter them from the like transgressions and sinnes.