And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
And he said, Nay, х lo' (H3808)] - No, used absolutely in answer to a question, 'I am not; i:e., a man either of your party or of the enemy's.
Captain (Exodus 15:8 ) of the host of the Lord - either the Israelite people (Exodus 7:4; Exodus 12:41; Isaiah 55:4), or the angels (Psalms 148:2), or both included; and the Captain of it was the Angel of the Covenant, whose visible manifestations were varied according to the occasion, and who on this occasion appeared to conduct God's people into the land of promise. Some consider this to be the created angel (Exodus 33:2-3) who was substituted for the Angel of the Presence (Exodus 33:20-23) in superintending the Sinaitic economy, after the grievous offence caused by the people in the affair of the golden calf. But the address and the adoration of Joshua, the holiness communicated to the spot by the presence of this Personage, and the application to him of the name Yahweh (Joshua 6:2), identify Him with the Angel the Lord, the Second Person of the Trinity. His attitude of equipment betokened his approval of, and interest in, the war of invasion.
Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship. The adoption by Joshua of the absolute form of prostration demonstrates the sentiments of profound reverence with which the language and majestic bearing of the stranger inspired him. The real character of this personage was disclosed by His accepting the homage of worship (cf. Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8-9), and still further in the command, "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot."