_A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451._ The confederacy of many kings against Israel, Joshua 11:1. God's encouragement to Joshua, and his conquest of them and their cities, Joshua 11:6. The destruction of the Anakims, Joshua 11:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_King of Hazor_ This was the principal city of the northern part of Canaan, Joshua 11:10; and fell to the share of the tribe of Naphtali in the division of the land, Joshua 19:36. Jabin was the name of the king of the Canaanites in this part of the country, in future times, as well as now. _Had hear... [ Continue Reading ]
_On the north of the mountains_ Rather, according to the Hebrew, _On the north in the mountain._ That is, either mount Lebanon, called _the mountain_ by way of eminence, or in the mountainous country. This seems to be the general designation of all the particular places following: they were in the n... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Canaanites on the east and on the west_ The Canaanites, properly so called, lived part of them on the east, near Jordan, and part on the west, near the sea, and both are here united. _And to the Amorite_, &c. There were other Amorites scattered up and down the country, besides those who were su... [ Continue Reading ]
_These kings pitched at the waters of Merom_ A lake made by the river Jordan in the northern part of it, which was in the territory of the king of Shimron, near Hazor, Jabin's royal city, and almost in the middle of these confederate kings.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will deliver them up all slain_ The Seventy translate this τετροπωμενους, _put to flight:_ and it is certain they were not all slain, but many of them fled. The meaning therefore can only be, that they should be so broken and scattered by that time, as to have no more power to resist than dead me... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua came against them_ When they least expected him, intending there to refresh, and prepare, and order themselves for the offensive war which they designed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Great Zidon_ A great city in the northwest part of Canaan, upon the sea. _Misrephoth-maim_ A place not far from Zidon, supposed to be so called from the salt or glass which they made there. _Valley of Mizpeh_ Under mount Hermon, as appears by comparing this with verses 3 and 17, where it seems to... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king_ In his royal city, to which he fled out of the battle. _Head of those kingdoms_ Not of all Canaan, but of all those who were confederate with him in this expedition.... [ Continue Reading ]
_In their strength_ Hebrew, _with their fence_, walls, or bulwarks, that is, which were not ruined with their walls in taking them. _Save Hazor_ Because this city began the war, and, being the chief and royal city, might renew the war, if the Canaanites should ever seize upon it: which in fact they... [ Continue Reading ]
_As the Lord commanded Moses_, &c. See Exodus 34:11, 12; Deuteronomy 31:7. _So did Joshua: he left nothing undone_ This is a demonstration that Moses left in writing what _the Lord commanded_, as we read in the foregoing books, and that they were not written, as some have pretended, in later times.... [ Continue Reading ]
_All that land_ Of Canaan, whose parts here follow. _The hill_ Or, _the mountain_, that is, the mountainous country, namely, of Judea. A considerable part of Judea was called the hilly or the mountainous country, Luke 1:39; Luke 1:65. _The south country_ That is, not only the mountainous part, but a... [ Continue Reading ]
_That goeth up to Seir_ That is, to the country of Seir or Edom, namely, to that part of it which was south from Judea. _Unto Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon_, &c. As the preceding words express the bounds of Joshua's conquest southward, so hither they extended northward. And this seems to be a d... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua made war a long time_ For divers years together, five or six at least, according to Josephus. And this is here expressed, lest it should be thought that as all these wars are here recorded in a short narration, so they were despatched in a short time. God would have the land to be conquered... [ Continue Reading ]
_All other they took in battle_ That is, all that were taken by Joshua were taken by the sword, and therefore it is no wonder that the war was long, when the enemy was so obstinate. _It was of the Lord to harden their hearts_ In the same sense in which he hardened the heart of Pharaoh. He did not so... [ Continue Reading ]
_At that time_ That is, in the war before mentioned, and probably toward the conclusion of it; after he had left none to oppose him in other places, but only in those mountainous parts which were of difficult access. _Joshua cut off the Anakims_ “A wild, barbarous, and gigantic people, who were of a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod_ These were three cities of the Philistines, into which either some of the Anakims escaped, and there took shelter, or they had been there from ancient time, and the Israelites could not yet expel them. For they did not possess themselves of the country of the P... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Joshua took the whole land_ Which either the Canaanites or the Anakims possessed; that is, subdued it, so that none rose up against him, though many places were not yet in the possession of the Israelites. _According to all that the Lord said unto Moses_ See Deuteronomy 31:7. God had promised to... [ Continue Reading ]