INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 11 This chapter relates how that the kings of the northern parts of Canaan combine together against Joshua, Joshua 11:1; and that the Lord encouraged him to fight with them, and did deliver them into his hands, who, with all their people, were smitten by him, Joshua 11:6; and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN JABIN KING OF HAZOR HAD HEARD [THESE THINGS],.... The taking of Jericho and Ai, the defeat of the five kings, and the conquest of the southern part of the land of Canaan; he was alarmed by them, and sent to all the northern kings to join with him against Israel; and he the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO THE KINGS THAT [WERE] ON THE NORTH OF THE MOUNTAINS,.... Of Libanus and Antilibanus, with others near them; so Josephus t says, the kings about Lebanon being Canaanites, fought against them, i.e. the Israelites; for Lebanon lay to the north of the land: AND OF THE PLAINS SOUTH OF CINNEROTH;... [ Continue Reading ]
[AND TO] THE CANAANITES ON THE EAST AND ON THE WEST,.... That is, that particular nation of the seven so called, part of which dwelt in the eastern part of the land, by the dead sea, and by the coast of Jordan, Numbers 13:29; and others dwelt on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, which was to the w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT OUT,.... The several kings and people sent to; these went out from the places they inhabited: THEY AND ALL THEIR HOSTS WITH THEM; the kings of those several places, with their armies: MUCH PEOPLE, EVEN AS THE SAND THAT [IS] UPON THE SEASHORE IN MULTITUDE; a proverbial expression, to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN ALL THOSE KINGS WERE MET TOGETHER,.... At some certain place, which Jabin had appointed: THEY CAME AND PITCHED TOGETHER AT THE WATERS OF MEROM: Josephus a says it was at Berotha; perhaps it should be Merotha, a city of upper Galilee, not far from Cedesa, the same he elsewhere calls b Merot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA, BE NOT AFRAID BECAUSE OF THEM,.... Of their number, of their horsemen, and of their scythed chariots; which might at first hearing occasion some fear and dread. And according to Josephus f, the multitude of them terrified both Joshua and the Israelites; and therefore t... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JOSHUA CAME, AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF WAR WITH HIM, AGAINST THEM,.... Being encouraged by the Lord, they set out with Joshua at the head of them, to fight the kings and their forces. It is highly probable that these were not the whole body of armed men in the camp of Israel, but a select company Jos... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD DELIVERED THEM INTO THE HAND OF ISRAEL,.... The whole host, who either were killed or wounded, or put to flight: it was of the Lord that Israel was directed to make so quick a march, and come upon them so suddenly, and that they were off their guard, and unprovided for them, and so fell... [ Continue Reading ]
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 the people of Israel, but the command of God, which he carefully obeyed, and reserved none for himse... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA AT THAT TIME TURNED BACK AND TOOK HAZOR,.... After he had chased the Canaanites to the places mentioned, he returned to Hazor, near to which Joshua first fell upon them, but through the pursuit he was led on many miles beyond it: Bunting says w, it was thirty two miles from Sidon: AND SM... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SMOTE ALL THE SOULS THAT [WERE] THEREIN WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, UTTERLY DESTROYING [THEM],.... Men, women, and children: THERE WAS NOT ANY LEFT TO BREATHE; any human creature; for as for the cattle they were taken for a prey: AND HE BURNT HAZOR WITH FIRE; as he did Jericho and Ai, tho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE CITIES OF THOSE KINGS, AND ALL THE KINGS OF THEM DID JOSHUA TAKE,.... As particularly Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph, with others which he marched unto, after he had burnt Hazor; in which he took their kings, whither they had fled, or else he had taken them before in the pursuit: AND SMOT... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AS FOR THE CITIES THAT STOOD STILL IN THEIR STRENGTH,.... Whose walls were not demolished when taken, as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it, or that "stood upon their heaps" y; upon an eminence, being built on hills and mountains: ISRAEL BURNED NONE OF THEM; but reserved them for their own habitati... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE SPOIL OF THESE CITIES, AND THE CATTLE, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TOOK FOR A PREY UNTO THEMSELVES,.... The gold, silver, household goods, corn, wine, oil, or any mercantile goods, together with cattle of every sort, all were taken by them for a prey, for their own use and benefit, which was... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES HIS SERVANT, SO DID MOSES COMMAND JOSHUA,.... Which was to destroy the people of the land, Deuteronomy 7:1; SO DID JOSHUA, HE LEFT NOTHING UNDONE OF ALL THAT THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES; both with respect to the destruction of the people, and of all their images, pictures,... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JOSHUA TOOK ALL THAT LAND,.... The whole land of Canaan, described as follows, both as to the southern and northern parts of it: THE HILLS; the hill country of Judea, of which see Luke 1:39; AND ALL THE SOUTH COUNTRY; where lived the five kings; and those of other places, the account of the tak... [ Continue Reading ]
[EVEN] FROM THE MOUNT HALAK, THAT GOETH UP UNTO SEIR,.... Or the "smooth" and "bald" mountain, which had no trees on it, as some interpret it, observed by Kimchi; it was a mount on the borders of Edom, to which the land of Canaan reached on that side: EVEN UNTO BAALGAD, IN THE VALLEY OF LEBANON, UN... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSHUA MADE WAR A LONG TIME WITH ALL THOSE KINGS. For, though the account of the conquest of them is put together, and lies in a small compass, yet those victories were not obtained at once, or in a few days, as were those of the five kings, and others, related in the preceding chapter, Joshua 10:10... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS NOT A CITY THAT MADE PEACE WITH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... Though, according to the Jews, Joshua, upon his first landing in Canaan, sent letters and messages to all the inhabitants of the land, offering them peace on certain terms; particularly that he sent three messages, or proposed thr... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT WAS OF THE LORD TO HARDEN THEIR HEARTS,.... As he hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, that his power might be displayed in their destruction: THAT THEY SHOULD COME AGAINST ISRAEL BATTLE; and so fall in it: THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THEM UTTERLY; for their abominable wickedness, id... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AT THAT TIME CAME JOSHUA,.... After he had made a conquest of the land, or at the time he made it, as before related: AND CUT OFF THE ANAKIMS FROM THE MOUNTAINS; whither, upon the conquest of the land, they had betaken themselves, and lived in dens and caves: these were giants, so called from A... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS NONE OF THE ANAKIMS LEFT IN THE LAND OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... For those that escaped the sword fled elsewhere, particularly to the following places: ONLY IN GAZA, IN GATH, AND IN ASHDOD THERE REMAINED; that is, some of the Anakims or giants; these were three of the five principaliti... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JOSHUA TOOK THE WHOLE LAND,.... Of Canaan, the far greater and better part of it, all before described; all that he went against, he failed not in any of his attempts; no place stood out against him that he besieged or summoned, all yielded to him: ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES:... [ Continue Reading ]