Joshua 11:1-9

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,
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.
6 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for tomorrow 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 Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Miz-peh 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.

1.

Who originated the alliance in the North? Joshua 11:1

Jabin, king of Hazor, formed an alliance with the kings of Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph, as well as other kings of the North, to make a common attack upon the Israelites. Hazor was formerly the head of all the kingdoms of northern Canaan (see Joshua 11:10). Although Hazor was burned to the ground, it was afterwards restored and became a capital again. It was fortified by Solomon (1 Kings 9:15) and was taken by Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kings 15:29). It belonged to tribe of Naphtali. According to Josephus (Antiquities V, v., 1), it was above Lake Huleh. Recent archaeological excavations in the area are some of the most interesting of all Palestine.

2.

Where was Cbinnerotb? Joshua 11:2

Chinneroth was another name for the Sea of Galilee. In New Testament times this Sea was also called the Sea of Tiberias after it was renamed by Tiberius Caesar. The same body of water was also known as Lake Genesseret. The alliance which Jabin formed reached out to include kings as far south as the central part of Canaan.

3.

Where was Dor? Joshua 11:2 b

The town of Dor was built by Phoenicians who settled there on account of an abundance of purple mussels. It was allotted to the Manassites but was in the territory of Asher (Joshua 17:11, cf. Joshua 19:26), and taken possession by the children of Joseph (1 Chronicles 7:29). The city itself was situated on the Mediterranean Sea, below the promontory of Carmel, and was nine miles north of Caesarea.

4.

Where was Mount Hermon? Joshua 11:3

Mount Hermon is the dominating feature of the landscape of northern Palestine. The mountain lies north and east of the waters of Merom. From its heights one can see without the aid of field glasses all the way to Damascus farther north and to Mount Tabor to the south. Snow lies on the peaks of Mount Hermon during most of the year, and the melting snow provides enough moisture to nourish vegetation. The village which lies at the foot of the mountain is some 2000 feet above sea level and the peak lies some 7000 feet higher. It is not a rocky mountain although there are some bold and majestic masses of naked rock to be seen at various points. Most of the surface is covered with soil and shepherds through the years drove their flocks almost to its summit in search of good pasture, The territory where it was located was called the land of Mizpeh, a name given to it by Jacob as he parted from Laban (Genesis 31:49).

5.

Where did Jabin get chariots? Joshua 11:4

The fact that the northern Canaanites came to fight with horses and chariots is an indication of the advanced civilization which was found in the North. This was the land of the Hittites, a branch of the Canaanites who were very highly developed in artistic skills. No record is made of the Israelites having such equipment for war. They seemed to fight with bows and arrows, spears, swords, and javelins. It is possible that the northern Canaanites had received their chariots from Egypt (1 Kings 10:28-29).

6.

Where was Merom? Joshua 11:5

These peoples who came out to war were as numerous as the sand by the seashore; and they had very many horses and chariots. All these kings agreed together concerning the war and the place of battle, and they encamped at Merom to fight against Israel, The name Merom is like Meirom, a village whose name is also found as Meirum. It is a celebrated place of pilgrimage among the Jews, because Hillel, Shammai, Simeon ben Jochai, and other noted Rabbis are said to be buried there. About two hours-' journey northwest of Safed, upon a rocky mountain, there is a spring which forms a small brook and flows away through the valley below Safed. This stream, which is said to reach the Lake of Tiberias in the neighborhood of Beth-saida, is in all probability to be regarded as the waters of Merom, according to Josephus (Antiquities V, i, 18). These kings encamped at Beeroth, a city of Upper Galilee, not far from Kedesh.

7.

Why did God tell Joshua to hough ther horses? Joshua 11:6

God told Joshua to make the horses incapable of running fast and pulling the chariots. To hough a horse was to break the tendons in its lower legs so that it could not run fast. It would still be capable of pulling plows and doing all kinds of domestic work. In this way the horses were spared but were made unfit for military action. The fact that the chariots could be burned indicates that they were made mostly from wood, but they were doubtlessly covered with metal to shield them from spears and javelins.

8. Why is Sidon called Sidon the Great? Joshua 11:8

Sidon is called the great (see Joshua 19:28), because at that time it was the metropolis of Phoenicia. By the time of David it had lost its ancient splendor and was outstripped by its daughter city of Tyre. It is still to be seen in the town of Saida, a town of five or six thousand inhabitants with many large and well-built houses. The fact that Joshua chased the Canaanites to the far distant point on the Mediterranean Seacoast and to Misrephoth-maim on the east indicates that the campaign was completely successful for the Israelites. Misrephoth-maim was a place with a name which indicated there were slime pits and salt pits in the area. The entire region was flat and marshy. Flat land enabled the northern Canaanites to use their chariots well in their campaigns, but even this advantage in armament did not overcome the men who were doing the will of God.