ORigen has six and twenty Homilies upon the whole Book of Joshua. They are in Latin only in the Edition of Basil, and that of Genebrard. M. Huet has given us a Greek and Latin Fragment of the 20th Homily, taken from the Philocalia.
St. Austin, Bede and Theodoret, have made Questions on this Book. Procopius has explain’d it in a plain, short, but useful Comment. It is comprized in his Catena upon the Pentateuch. See above.
Tostatus, Cajetan, Cosmas Megalian. and Arias Montanus, have likewise commented this Book. The Title of the latter’s Performance is, De optimo imperio: It is an excellent Comment upon Joshua; and was printed at Antwerp, 1583, in 4to. The Author of it is so well known, that it is not necessary to say any thing of him in this Place. We have spoken of him in the Article Polyglots. Andreæ Masii, Josuæ Imperatoris Historia illustrata atque explicata, Ibid. 1574, in fol. and in the great Criticks, tom. 2. upon Joshua. This is the best Work we have upon this Book. He explains both the Mysteries and true Sense of Scripture; examines, like an able Critick, and confutes the Extravagances of the antient Hebrews, as well as Talmudists; describes, like an expert Geographer, all the Cities and Places mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Simeon de Muis says, that his Notes and Comment deserve to have new Impressions of them made for ever. He has likewise translated this whole Book out of Hebrew. He was one of those employed in the Edition of the Antwerp Polyglot. He died in 1573. and had not therefore the consolation to see his own Work printed.
James Bonfrere, a Jesuit, has also written upon Joshua, and succeeded very well; particularly in the Geography, having published the Book of Hebrew Names, composed by Eusebius, and translated by St. Jerom, to which he has added good Notes of his own. His Comment was printed at Paris, in 1659, in fol. the second Edition. His Excellency consists in the just Choice he has made of different Versions, upon his comparing them together: So that herein, in M. Dupin’s Judgment, he far surpasses other Commentators.
Cornelius à Lapide, in Josue, in his large Work upon almost the whole Scripture.
Nicholas Serrarius, of Rembervillers in Lorrain, a Jesuit, has written several good Pieces upon Scripture; particularly a long Comment upon Joshua. It is his Method to propose several Questions upon History, and resolve them; having first examined the Arguments pro and con. These Questions may pass for so many little Dissertations. Serrarius died in 1609. His Comment upon Joshua was printed in 1622, at Mentz, in folio. M. Simon does justice to his Learning and great Capacity; but thinks there is too great a mixture of out of the way Knowledge, and too little Criticism in his Questions. We shall speak of his Prolegomena, which is his best Performance, in the third Part.
Cosma Magalianus wrote two Volumes, in folio, of Comments upon the History of Joshua; to which he added an Appendix, printed at Tournon, in 1612. He was a Portugueze, a Jesuit; and died in 1624. of his Age 73. We shall speak of his other Works upon Judges, and the two Epistles to Timothy.
We may add Henry Marcellus, whose Comment was printed at Wirtzburg, 1661, in 4to. He was a Fleming, a Jesuit; and died at Rheims, in 1664. of his Age 71.
Emanuel de Naxera wrote a literal and moral Comment, printed at Antwerp, in two Volumes in fol. 1658. the third Edit. He was a Spaniard of Toledo, and a Jesuit. He died, as F. le Long says, in 1680. as Nicholas Antonio, in 1675.