And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest,.... This was for the honour of God, whose priest Eleazar was, and whose oracle was consulted by him; for it is said z, the high priest did not come into the presence of the king but when he pleased; and he did not stand before him, but the king stood before the high priest, as it is said, "and before Eleazar the priest shall he stand"; though it is commanded the high priest to honour the king, and to rise up and stand when he comes unto him; and the king does not stand before him, but when he consults for him by the judgment of Urim; and his posture seems to be different from other persons that consulted; for the same writer a observes, in answer to a question,
"how do they consult? the priest stands, and his face is before the ark, and he that consults is behind him, and his face to the back of the priest;''
whereas here Joshua stood before the priest, and so any king or supreme governor:
who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: of the Urim and Thummim which were in the breastplate of judgment, and of consultation by them, Exodus 28:30 and from this place the Jews b infer that consultation was not made by them for a private person, but for a king, or for one the congregation stood in need of:
at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come in; go out to war, and return from it, or do any service enjoined them; that is, either at the word of the Lord, or rather at the word of Eleazar the priest, declaring the will of God, which comes to much the same sense; or at the word of Joshua, directed by the high priest, according to the oracle of God; and he being under such direction, the people could never do amiss in obeying him, or be in any fear or danger of being led wrong by him; but he is mentioned in the next clause, as included in those that went out, and came in:
[both] he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation; which Maimonides c interprets thus, "he", this is the king; "and all the children of Israel", this is the anointed for war, or he whom the congregation hath need of; "and all the congregation", these are the great sanhedrim, or seventy elders.
z Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 2. sect. 5. a Maimon. Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 11. b Misn. Yoma, c. 7. sect. 5. Maimon. Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 12. c lbid.