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Joshua 11

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The Northern Coalition Assembles 1–5

1
And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, ​
2
And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west, ​
3
And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
4
And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. ​
5
And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. ​

God Commands the Destruction of War Assets 6–9

6
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. ​
7
So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8
And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
9
And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

The Destruction of Hazor 10–14

10
And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. ​
11
And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. ​
12
And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. ​
13
But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. ​
14
And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

Summary of Conquest and Obedience 15–20

15
As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. ​
16
So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; ​
17
Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
18
Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. ​
19
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses. ​

The Conquest of the Anakim and Conclusion 21–23

21
And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities. ​
22
There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 11

Verse 1

Jabin king of Hazor — He 'sent' (shalach) to the northern kings, as Adonizedek had summoned four kings in Josh 10:3. Hazor 'was the head of all those kingdoms' (v.10). A later Jabin, 'king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor', rules there in Judg 4:2.

Verse 2

the plains south of Chinneroth — The kings are named by region: the hill country north, the arabah (here 'plains'), the lowland ('valley'), and the 'borders of Dor on the west'. Chinneroth is the sea of Chinneroth (Josh 12:3; spelled Chinnereth in Num 34:11). Dor is later listed among Manasseh's towns (Josh 17:11).

Verse 4

as the sand that is upon the sea shore — Chol, sand: the image of the promise to Abraham, 'as the sand which is upon the sea shore' (Gen 22:17), here used of an enemy host. The new element is 'horses and chariots' (sus, rekeb) 'very many', which v.6 and v.9 deal with.

Verse 5

the waters of Merom — The kings 'were met together' (ya'ad, to meet by appointment) and 'pitched together' there. Merom (Merom, 'height') is their rendezvous, and v.7 makes it the field of battle; the LORD's word to Joshua in v.6 comes to a camp already gathered against Israel.

Verse 6

hough their horses — 'Aqar, to hamstring or pluck up by the root. The command to 'burn their chariots with fire' removes what the enemy trusted; compare Hosea 14:3, 'we will not ride upon horses'. 'Be not afraid' recalls 'Fear them not' in Josh 10:8; the promise 'to morrow' is stated before the battle.

Verse 10

the head of all those kingdoms — Rosh, head. Joshua 'turned back' (shub) from the pursuit of v.8 to take Hazor and slay its king, striking the city that had summoned the rest (v.1). The name returns in Judg 4:2 with another Jabin.

Verse 11

utterly destroying them — Charam, to put under the ban, devote to destruction. 'There was not any left to breathe' (neshamah, breath) follows Deut 20:16, 'thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth'. Hazor alone of the northern cities is burned (v.13).

Verse 12

as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded — The charge is Deut 7:2, 'thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them'; Deut 20:17 names the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Charam is the same verb as in v.11, now applied to all the cities and kings.

Verse 13

stood still in their strength — The Hebrew says the cities stood on their tel, their mound (Strong's: 'heap'). These Israel did not burn; only Hazor was. The cities were left standing for Israel to dwell in, as Deut 6:10 promised 'great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not'.

Verse 15

he left nothing undone — The verse links three stages: the LORD to Moses, Moses to Joshua, Joshua to the deed. It answers the charge of Josh 1:7, 'turn not from it to the right hand or to the left', and the rule of Deut 12:32, 'thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it'.

Verse 16

all the land of Goshen — This Goshen is in Canaan, not Egypt: Josh 10:41 places 'all the country of Goshen' between Kadeshbarnea and Gibeon. The verse sums up the regions taken: the hills, the Negeb ('south country'), the lowland, the Arabah ('plain'), and the 'mountain of Israel'.

Verse 18

a long time — Literally 'many days' (yamim rabbim). The conquest was no single campaign. Caleb's 'forty and five years' since the word to Moses (Josh 14:10) is the ground on which the war is reckoned at about seven years.

Verse 20

to harden their hearts — Chazaq, to strengthen, make firm; the verb of 'I will harden his heart' for Pharaoh (Ex 4:21). Their destruction was 'as the LORD commanded Moses' (Deut 20:16–17), and the Gibeonites alone sought peace (v.19); Rom 9:18 states the principle.

Verse 21

cut off the Anakims — The 'children of Anak', 'a people great and tall' (Deut 9:2), were in Hebron when the spies came (Num 13:22). Caleb drove out the 'three sons of Anak' (Josh 15:14). The cutting off is karath, followed by charam, 'destroyed them utterly'.

Verse 23

the land rested from war — Shaqat, to be quiet, at rest. The same words close Hebron's story in Josh 14:15, and Josh 21:44 says 'the LORD gave them rest round about'. 'Gave it for an inheritance' leads into the tribal allotments of chapters 13–21.