 The Midrash noted that in the Israelites offered, "We will go by the king's highway," but in the Israelites admitted that they would go "until [they] shall pass over the Jordan," thus admitting that they were going to conquer Canaan.The Midrash compared the matter to a watchman who received wages to watch a vineyard, and to whom a visitor came and asked the watchman to go away so that the visitor could cut off the grapes from the vineyard.The watchman replied that the sole reason that the watchman stood guard was because of the visitor.