Chapter 23 Joshua's Speech to the Nation.
Joshua grew old and, possibly at the central sanctuary when Israel gathered together, or at Shechem, called the people together to give an address to the nation. He did not know how long he had to go and he wanted to pass on his final words in case he died before the next gathering. No doubt as he grew older he gave many such addresses. This was one selected to give the gist of what he said in them.
In his address to them he observed what God had done for them, and would do, and exhorted them to keep the commandments of God, and cleave to Him, and not to mix with the Canaanites, and join with them in their idolatrous practises. Then, he said, it would be well with them. But should they join with the Canaanites, and depart from YHWH, Who had so faithfully and in such a timely way performed every good thing He had promised them, they might expect many evils and calamities, and utter ruin and destruction, to fall on them.
‘ And so it was after many days, when YHWH had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken with years, that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well stricken with years.” '
Clearly after much effort all the tribes of Israel had found somewhere to settle. Some were well established, others like Dan were finding things more difficult and had had to settle in hill country because the enemy would not allow them on lower ground. There life would be hard, water would be short and the land would be rugged and unyielding to the plough.
But at least they were at rest. They were established in the land without fear of being driven out, and the next phase lay ahead, the gradual subjection and driving out of the Canaanites.
The phraseology is taken from elsewhere. ‘After many days -- given rest -- enemies round about'. For these expressions see Joshua 21:44; Joshua 22:3-4; Deuteronomy 12:10.
But Joshua was aware that he was very old and that he had not long to go. And he wanted to enthuse them as much as possible for the task that lay ahead. And so, possibly when the tribes gathered at the central sanctuary, he called their leaders together for a speech to the nation which he knew might well be his last (although it probably was not).
“All Israel” is immediately defined as their leaders, ‘their elders, their heads, their judges, and their officers'. The elders were those in authority as a result of their distinguished background or the talents that they had revealed, from ‘the seventy' who were over all Israel, down to the general councils at various levels. These would be largely composed of ‘the elders', who would be mainly, but not solely, the older men who had learned wisdom, who would give guidance to the rulers. The heads would be the princes and suchlike, those who were seen as having more specific authority as rulers from aristocratic families, the judges were those who passed judgment according to the Law, and the officers were those responsible for administration or for military matters and leading in time of war. In essence the titles were intended to cover all in authority.
As the one who had led them for so long he was conscious that they looked to him, but he wanted to direct their thoughts beyond himself. They must not stand still but go forward. So he drew attention to his age and then pointed ahead to the future.