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Joshua 11:9

And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

Joshua did ... as the Lord (Joshua 11:6 ) bade him. Houghing the horses is done by cutting the sinews and arteries of their hinder legs, so that they not only become hopelessly lame, but bleed to death. The reasons for this special command were, that the Lord designed to lead the Israelites to trust in Him, not in military resources (Psalms 20:7), to show that in the land of promise there was no use of horses; and, finally, to discourage their traveling, as they were to be an agricultural, not a trading people.

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See also Joshua 11:9 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Joshua 11:9. _HE HOUGHED THEIR HORSES_] The Hebrew word עקר _akar_, which we render to _hough_ or _hamstring_, signifies to _wound, cut_, or _lop off_. It is very likely that it means here, not...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    FURTHER CONQUESTS CHAPTER 11 _ 1. Jabin and his confederacy (Joshua 11:1)_ 2. The divine encouragement (Joshua 11:6) 3. The victory (Joshua 11:7) 4. The obedience of Joshua ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSHUA 11. DEFEAT OF JABIN AND HIS COALITION. Jabin, king of Hazor, gathers a vast army of Canaanites at the Waters of Merom (locality uncertain, p. 32). The coalition was utterly defeated, the king w...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    AS-ACCORDING AS....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _he houghed their horses_ "he kuttide the sinewis at the knee," Wyclif. The command, to render the horses useless, was intended to lead Israel not to place its confidence in horses and chariots (Psalm...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _VER._ 9. _AND JOSHUA—HOUGHED THEIR HORSES,_ &C.— That is, he hamstrung, or disabled them by cutting the sinews of the ham: the word is derived from the Saxon [A.S.],* the _hough,_ or lower part of th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _The Defeat of Jabin Joshua 11:1-9_ 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,...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE CAMPAIGN IN THE NORTH Here there is no trace, as in the former case, of miraculous interposition. Joshua's generalship, courage, swiftness and loyalty are the prominent factors in the achievement...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    COME IN, AND RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISES! JOSHUA _BRIAN ROWLANDS_ Maps to help you to study this book are on the Internet at www.easyenglish.info. CHAPTER 11 THE *ISRAELITES DEFEAT THE TOWNS IN THE...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HE HOUGHED THEIR HORSES. — In what particular way this was done we are not informed; we cannot, therefore, be certain whether it was done so as to destroy the lives of the horses, or merely to make th...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ יְהֹושֻׁ֔עַ כַּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XX. THE BATTLE OF MEROM. Joshua Chs. 11, 12. THERE is some appearance of confusion in the terms in which the great confederacy of native princes against Israel is brought in. In the beginnin...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JOSHUA'S OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD'S COMMANDS Joshua 11:1 The scene is removed to the waters of Merom, near the sources of the Jordan. Hazor was the capital of the region; Jabin, like Pharaoh, was an her...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    A new confederacy had now to be faced and fought. Conscious of their peril, the northern kings now joined in an attempt to break the power of those conquering hosts. Turning north, Joshua led an attac...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Joshua 11:1-23 concludes the brief summary of the conquest of the land of Canaan. Jabin, king of Hazor, called for a number of the kings of the north to align with him and attack Israel. God again rea...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    If we read these wars with a spiritual eye, (and unless we do this, the mere historical relation will only leave us where it found us) we shall discover much instruction couched under those commands o...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    In the wars of Jehovah it was not always a question of hostile power. Indeed this is not the most serious evil which the people of God have to encounter in this world. The very same principle which wa...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Israel's victories bring fresh war upon them; but the confederation of their enemies only serves to deliver them all together into their hands. If God will not have peace, it is because He will have v...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND JOSHUA DID UNTO THEM AS THE LORD BADE HIM,.... Namely, in the following instances: HE HOUGHED THEIR HORSES, AND BURNT THEIR CHARIOTS WITH FIRE; not consulting his own worldly interest or that of...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. Ver. 9. See Joshua 11:6 ....

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Diuers Kings ouercome at the waters of Merom. 10 Hazor is taken and burnt. 16 All the countrey taken by Ioshua. 21 The Anakims cut off. [IOSHUA CONQUERETH DIUERS KINGS.] 1 AND it came to passe,...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, by severing the tendons of their hind legs, AND BURNED THEIR CHARIOTS WITH FIRE, whose bodies therefore were certainly of wood....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE SECOND ALLIANCE OF HEATHEN KINGS AND THEIR DEFEAT...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    CONQUEST OF NORTHERN ENEMIES (vs.1-15) Israel's returning for the time being to Gilgal gave time for the nations in the north to mobilize. In this God's wisdom is evident, for He brought these natio...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-9 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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Joshua 11:9 Joshua H3091 did H6213 (H8799) LORD H3068 told H559 (H8804) hamstrung H6131 (H8765) horses...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘ And Joshua did to them as YHWH commanded him, he houghed their horses and burned their chariots with fire.' Joshua did not question YHWH's command. He obeyed. It must have been tempting to keep the...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Final conquest of Canaan. CHARACTERS: God, Joshua, Jabin, Jobab. CONCLUSION: Those who, through obedience to His precepts, have God on their side, need not be disturbed as to the number an...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Joshua 11:1. _Hazor,_ then the metropolis of a powerful kingdom, Jeremiah 49:28, is situate on Lake _Merom,_ forty miles north of the sea of Galilee. Jabin with all the allies, 300,000 infantry, and 2...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _When Jabin king of Hazor had heard._ TAKE HEED HOW YE HEAR I. Healing and not hearing. The tidings of the overthrow of Sihon and Og, and the fall of Jericho, seem to have made almost no impression...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOSHUA—NOTE ON JOSHUA 11:1__ The northern campaign takes shape as an effort to defend the Israelites against the coalition of northern kings gathered around Jabin of Hazor. ⇐

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _THE OVERTHROW OF THE CITIES OF THE NORTH, AND GENERAL RETROSPECT_ CRITICAL NOTES.— Joshua 11:1. Hazor] In Joshua 11:11, Hazor is described as “the head” of all the kingdoms named in Joshua 11:1. It...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE PROSECUTION OF THE WAR.— JOSHUA 11:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS. The political constitution of Palestine was, humanly speaking, the cause of its overthrow. The division of the country into a...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So in chapter eleven, the other kings when they had heard what happened to these kings that had come out against them, they also went out with their host. These are now the kings that are in the area...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ezekiel 39:10; Ezekiel 39:9; Joshua 11:6...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH Joshua 11:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We have heard of old that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." This is true. The outstanding feature in...

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