Joshua11
World English Bible · Public Domain
1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
2and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
3to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
5All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
6Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7So Joshua came suddenly, with all the warriors, against them by the waters of Merom, and attacked them.
8Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the valley of Mizpah eastward. They struck them until they left them no one remaining.
9Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor used to be the head of all those kingdoms.
11They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burned Hazor with fire.
12Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded.
13But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that.
14The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed.
15As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses.
16So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same,
17from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death.
18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle.
20For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
21Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joshua 11.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Divers kings overcome at the waters of Merom. (1–9). Hazor is taken and burned. (10–14). All that country subdued, The Anakims cut off. (15–23).
vv1-9
The wonders God wrought for the Israelites were to encourage them to act vigorously themselves. Thus the war against Satan's kingdom, carried on by preaching the gospel, was at first forwarded by miracles; but being fully proved to be of God, we are now left to the Divine grace in the usual course, in the use of the sword of the Spirit. God encouraged Joshua. Fresh dangers and difficulties make it necessary to seek fresh supports from the word of God, which we have nigh unto us for use in every time of need. God proportions our trials to our strength, and our strength to our trials. Joshua's obedience in destroying the horses and chariots, shows his self-denial in compliance with God's command. The possession of things on which the carnal heart is prone to depend, is hurtful to the life of faith, and the walk with God; therefore it is better to be without worldly advantages, than to have the soul endangered by them. (Jos 11:10-14)
vv10-14
The Canaanites filled up the measure of their iniquity, and were, as a judgment, left to the pride, obstinacy, and enmity of their hearts, and to the power of Satan; all restraints being withdrawn, while the dispensations of Providence tended to drive them to despair. They brought on themselves the vengeance they justly merited, of which the Israelites were to be executioners, by the command the Lord gave to Moses.
vv15-23
Never let the sons of Anak be a terror to the Israel of God, for their day to fall will come. The land rested from war. It ended not in a peace with the Canaanites, that was forbidden, but in a peace from them. There is a rest, a rest from war, remaining for the people of God, into which they shall enter, when their warfare is accomplished. That which was now done, is compared with what had been said to Moses. God's word and his works, if viewed together, will be found mutually to set each other forth. If we make conscience of our duty, we need not question the performance of the promise. But the believer must never put off his armour, or expect lasting peace, till he closes his eyes in death; nay, as his strength and usefulness increase, he may expect more heavy trials; yet the Lord will not permit any enemies to assault the believer till he has prepared him for the battle. Christ Jesus ever lives to plead for his people, and their faith shall not fail, however Satan may be permitted to assault them. And however tedious, sharp, and difficult the believer's warfare, his patience in tribulation may be encouraged by the joyfulness of hope; for he will, ere long, rest from sin and from sorrow in the Canaan above.
Key Words
יָבִין: Jabin, the name of two Canaanitish kings
מֶלֶךְ: a king
חָצוֹר: Chatsor, the name (thus simply) of two places in Palestine and of one in Arabia
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
יוֹבָב: Jobab, the name of two Israelites and of three foreigners
מָדוֹן: Madon, a place in Palestine
שִׁמְרוֹן: Shimron, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine
אַכְשָׁף: Acshaph, a place in Palestine
צָפוֹן: properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as aquarter (gloomy and unknown)
Cross References
Joshua 11Moses' command to utterly destroy the Canaanites and make no covenant with them is here executed.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Contrast between trusting in chariots/horses versus relying on the name of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
God's law forbade Israel's kings from multiplying horses; hence Joshua houghed the captured horses.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jabin is noted as a hereditary title or dynasty ruling from Hazor in Judges.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies Gibeon as the only Hivite city that successfully made peace with Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels God hardening the hearts of enemies to deliver them to destruction, as with Sihon.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The Anakims, who previously terrified the faithless spies, are finally cut off by Joshua.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The idiom 'as the sand upon the sea shore' recalls the immense size of the confederacy.
Supported by John Calvin
David similarly houghed chariot horses, following Joshua's precedent of not trusting in horses.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The explicit commandment to save alive nothing that breatheth in the cities of these nations.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Connects the southern campaign's 'land of Goshen' with the northern conquests.
Supported by JFB
Caleb's inheritance in Hebron, where he drove out the three sons of Anak.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identifies the Old Testament 'Cinneroth' as the Lake of Gennesaret/Sea of Galilee.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The paradigm of God hardening hearts, established during Pharaoh's resistance in Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The land resting from war foreshadows the eternal rest remaining for God's people.
Supported by Matthew Henry