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Joshua Chapter
Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
how that he took their cities, and destroyed the inhabitants of them, and took
the spoil of them for a prey, Joshua 11:12; and
so became master of the whole country, both southern and northern, which is
described Joshua 11:16; and
the chapter is concluded with an account of his cutting off the Anakim from
various parts, which finished the conquest of the whole land, Joshua 10:21.
Joshua 11:1 And
it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he
sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
YLT
1And it cometh to pass when
Jabin king of Hazor heareth, that he sendeth unto Jobab king of Madon, and unto
the king of Shimron, and unto the king of Achshaph,
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 rather took this upon him, because as Adonizedek king of Jerusalem was
the principal king in the southern part of the land, so was he in the northern
part; see Joshua 11:10; Hazor
fell to the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36. It
was situated, as JosephusF14Antiqu. l. 5. c. 5. sect. 1. says, on
the lake Samachonitis, the same with the waters of Merom, Joshua 11:5.
According to AdrichomiusF15Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 102. , it was
four miles from the castle Theron to the north, six miles from Caesarea
Philippi to the southwest, and nine miles from the great sea to the east; and
was, in the times of Christ, one of the ten principal cities of the region of
Decapolis, in which he preached, Matthew 4:25; and
is now called Antiopia; and in the Arabic version here it is called Caesarea,
and, according to BuntingF16Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p.
101. , it lay eighty miles from Jerusalem to the north:
that he sent to Jobab king of Madon; of which place we
nowhere else read but in Joshua 12:19;
though BrocardF17Apud Fuller's Pisgah Sight, B. 2. c. 4. p. 114.
finds a place near Dan, called Madan by the Turks at this day:
and to the king of Shimron; not Samaria, as many
think, for that was built by Omri, king of Israel, and had its name from
Shemer, the owner of the hill on which it was built some hundreds of years
after this; besides Samaria was in the tribe of Ephraim, this in the tribe of
Zebulun, Joshua 19:15; and
is called Shimronmeron, Joshua 12:20; and
in the Jerusalem TalmudF18Megillah, fol. 70. 1. Simoniah, and here
in the Septuagint version Symoson:
and to the king of Achshaph: a city which fell to the
lot of the tribe of Asher, Joshua 19:25. The
Septuagint calls it Aziph, as if it was the same with Achzib, or Ecdippa, now
called Zib: but Achshaph and Achzib are manifestly distinguished, Joshua 19:25. Jerom
saysF19De loc. Heb. fol. 88. C. D. , in his time it was a little
village, and went by the name of Chasalus, eight miles from Diocaesarea, at the
foot of Mount Tabor. The Arabic version adds a fourth king that Jabin sent to,
called "the king of Mausel"; but we read not of any such place in the
land of Canaan.
Joshua 11:2 2 and to the kings who were
from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the
lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
YLT
2and unto the kings who
[are] on the north in the hill-country, and in the plain south of Chinneroth,
and in the low country, and in the elevations of Dor, on the west,
And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains,.... Of
Libanus and Antilibanus, with others near them; so JosephusF20Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 1. sect. 18. 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; or
Gennesaret, of the land and lake of which we read in the New Testament, Matthew 14:34; and
seems to have respect chiefly to the famous plain of Jezreel, or Esdraelon, of
which See Gill on Hosea 1:5,
and in the valley; which may more especially design the valley
of Jezreel, as it is called in the above place, and distinguish it from other
plains; it was two miles broad, and ten long:
and in the borders of Dor, on the west; which fell to
the lot of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11; which
PlinyF21Nat. Hist. l. 5. c 19. calls Dorum, and mentions it along
with the promontory of Carmel; so Josephus saysF23Contr. Apion. l.
2. c. 9. , in Phoenicia, near Mount Carmel, is a city called Dora, four days'
journey distant from Judea; that is, that part of the land of Israel
particularly so called; some copies read Idumea. According to JeromF24De
loc. Heb. fol. 92. I. , it was nine miles from Caesarea of Palestine, as you go
to Tyre; and in his time a desert. It was a haven in the Mediterranean sea, and
lies three leagues from the castle of the "pilgrims" near Mount
Carmel; and, as a traveller says, is now so decayed, that there is nothing more
extant than a large and high tower, which the inhabitants still call DorteiteF25Rauwolff's
Travels, par. 3. c. 1. p. 211. Ed. Ray. .
Joshua 11:3 3 to the Canaanites in the
east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in
the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
YLT
3[to] the Canaanite on the
east, and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and
the Jebusite in the hill-country, and the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of
Mizpeh –
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 west of
the land:
and to the Amorite, and to the Hittite, and to
the Perizzite: which were scattered about in several parts of the country:
and the Jebusite in the mountains; in the mountainous part
of Judea, in the mountains about Jerusalem, and which they still inhabited, and
did to the times of David:
and to the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh, so described
to distinguish them from the Gibeonites, who were also Hivites. Mizpeh is the
place, as Kimchi thinks, where the people of Israel are often said to meet
together; which he supposes they did, on account of the great salvation wrought
here in Joshua's time. Hermon was a mountain that adjoined to Lebanon, where it
is certain some of the Hivites dwelt, Judges 3:3.
Joshua 11:4 4 So they went out, they and
all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is
on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
YLT
4and they go out, they and
all their camps with them, a people numerous, as the sand which [is] on the sea-shore
for multitude, and horse and charioteer very many;
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 denote an exceeding great number:
with horses and chariots very many; being supplied with
horses from Egypt, and their chariots were chariots of iron; see Judges 4:3;
JosephusF26Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 18. gives us the number of this
great army, and says it consisted of three hundred thousand footmen, ten
thousand horse, and thirty thousand chariots; some copies read only twenty
thousand; and these chariots were armed with iron hooks or scythes, to cut down
men as they drove along, and so were very terrible.
Joshua 11:5 5 And when all these kings
had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight
against Israel.
YLT
5and all these kings are met
together, and they come and encamp together at the waters of Merom, to fight
with Israel.
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: JosephusF1Ibid.
(Antiq. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 8.) says it was at Berotha; perhaps it should be
Merotha, a city of upper Galilee, not far from Cedesa, the same he elsewhere
callsF2De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 20. sect. 6. Meroth, These waters are
the same with the lake Samachonitis, on which Hazor was situated; so that it
was near Jabin where the rendezvous was. This lake is thoughtF3Reland.
Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 1. p. 262. to have its name from the Arabic word
"Samacha", which signifies high, as Merom does in Hebrew. It was, as
Josephus saysF4De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 1. sect. 1. & l. 3. c. 9.
sect. 7. thirty furlongs broad, and sixty long, and its waters clayish. Jerom
saysF5De loc. Heb. fol. 93. D. , in his time there was here a
village called Merrus, twelve miles from the city Sebaste by Dothaim: here the
kings and their armies met
to fight against Israel; so that they were the
aggressors, which made the war still more lawful.
Joshua 11:6 6 But the Lord said to
Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will
deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and
burn their chariots with fire.”
YLT
6And Jehovah saith unto
Joshua, `Be not afraid of their presence, for to-morrow about this time I am
giving all of them wounded before Israel; their horses thou dost hough, and
their chariots burn with fire.'
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 JosephusF6Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 1. sect. 18. , the multitude of them terrified both Joshua and the
Israelites; and therefore the Lord appeared and spoke to him for his
encouragement: though what was said was for the sake of the Israelites, and to
animate them who might be disheartened, rather than for the sake of Joshua, who
was of a bold and courageous spirit. Whether this was said to him at Gilgal,
and out of the tabernacle there, quickly after the tidings of the combination
of the kings were brought to him, or whether when upon his march towards them,
is uncertain:
for tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up slain before
Israel; as many were, and others wounded and put to flight, as the word
signifies, so as to be as good as dead. If Gilgal was twenty two miles from the
waters of Merom, as Bunting saysF7Travels, p. 96. , and supposing
this to be said to him before he set out, he must travel all night to reach
thither the next day; and if it was sixty miles, as some say, this must be said
to him when on his march, and within a day's march of the enemy; for Josephus
saysF8Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 18.) it was on the fifth
day that he came up with them, and fell upon them:
thou shalt hough their horses; cut their nerves under
their hams, or hamstring them, so that they might be useless hereafter; for the
kings of Israel were not to multiply horses; and Joshua, as their chief ruler,
was to have no advantage of them by their falling into his hands:
and burn their chariots with fire; that so they might not
be used by the Israelites afterwards, who might be tempted to put their trust
and confidence in them, as many did.
Joshua 11:7 7 So Joshua and all the
people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and
they attacked them.
YLT
7And Joshua cometh, and all
the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and
they fall on them;
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 Joshua took of
them, and who would be able to make quicker marches on this expedition:
by the waters of Merom suddenly; the Targum is,"they
lay by the waters of Merom;'as they were thoughtless and careless, and not on
their guard, Joshua and his forces came to them suddenly, unawares, and they
not provided for them:
and they fell upon them; at once, which threw
them into disorder and confusion.
Joshua 11:8 8 And the Lord delivered them
into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to
the Brook Misrephoth,[a] and to the
Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them
remaining.
YLT
8and Jehovah giveth them
into the hand of Israel, and they smite them and pursue them unto the great
Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-Maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward, and
they smite them, till he hath not left to them a remnant;
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 into their hands:
who smote them; with the edge of the sword killed and
wounded great numbers; and the rest fleeing, they
chased them unto great Zidon; not that there was
another Zidon called the less, as Kimchi and Ben Melech thought there seemed to
be, and which also JeromF9De loc. Heb. fol. 92. B. suggests; but
this was so called because of its greatness, the large extent of it, and the
abundance of wealth and riches in it: Curtius saysF11Hist. l. 4. c.
1. 4. , it was renowned for its antiquity and the fame of its buildings; and
Mela saysF12De Situ Orbis, l. 1. c. 12. , that before it was
conquered by the Persians, it was the greatest of the maritime cities, though
now greatly reduced: Mr MaundrellF13Journey from Aleppo, &c. p.
45. says of it,"Sidon is stocked well enough with inhabitants but is very
much shrunk from its ancient extent, and more from its splendour, as appears
from a great many beautiful pillars that lie scattered up and down the gardens
without the present walls:'it lay, according to Strabo, not more than two
hundred furlongs from TyreF14Geograph. l. 16. p. 521. , or twenty
five miles: it was more ancient than that, which is called the daughter of it:
Homer speaks much of Sidon, as the same writer observes, but not a word of
Tyre: JosephusF15Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 2. thinks it had its name
from Sidon, the firstborn of Canaan, and that he built it, Genesis 10:15; but
Justin saysF16E Trogo, l. 19. c. 3. it had its name from the plenty
of fishes there: and Tzaid in the Chaldee and Syriac languages signifies
fishing and a fisherman: hence Bethsaida, a city mentioned in the New
Testament, Matthew 11:21, had
its name; and Sidon is at this day called Said, and is now in the hands of the
Turks: and though it was a part of the land of Canaan, and belonged to the
tribe of Asher, never was conquered and possessed by them, but remained an
Heathen city to the time of Christ:
and unto Misrephothmaim, or "boilings of
water", it seems as if it was a place of hot baths, but the Targum renders
it "pits of water", which Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech say, were
pits into which the salt waters of the sea were drawn, and where they were
heated by the sun, and made salt of; and so it is thought this was a place of
salt pits, where salt was boiled, either by the heat of the sun or by fireF17Vid.
Adrichom. Theatrum Terrae Sanct. sect. p. 2. : Junius and Tremellius render the
word by "glass furnaces", furnaces in which glass was made; and it is
certain, that at Sidon, and near it, within the borders of which this place
was, Joshua 13:6; glass
was made: PlinyF18Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. calls Sidon the artificer
of glass, or a city where glass was made: and Strabo saysF19Ut
supra. (Geograph. l. 16. p. 521.) , that between Ace and Tyre is a shore which
bears glassy sand, but they say it is not melted there, but carried to Sidon to
be melted; and some say the Sidonians have a glassy sand fit for melting:
CalmetF20Dictionary on this word. thinks this place is the same with
Sarepta, Luke 4:26; which
had its name from melting: of what construction the furnaces were in this place
cannot be said, no doubt great improvement has been since madeF21Vid.
Merrett de Fornac. Vitriar. p. 421, &c. :
and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward, and they smote them, until
they left them none remaining; the same with the valley of Lebanon; now as
Sidon lay northwest and this was eastward, it seems that the armies of the
Canaanites, in their consternation and confusion, fled some to the west and
some to the east, who were pursued by different bodies of the army of Israel,
separated for that purpose.
Joshua 11:9 9 So Joshua did to them as
the Lord
had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
YLT
9and Joshua doth to them as
Jehovah said to him; their horses he hath houghed, and their chariots burnt
with fire.
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 himself or
them, as David in another case afterwards did; see 2 Samuel 8:4.
Joshua 11:10 10 Joshua turned back at that
time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly
the head of all those kingdoms.
YLT
10And Joshua turneth back at
that time, and captureth Hazor, and its king he hath smitten by the sword; for Hazor
formerly [is] head of all these kingdoms;
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 saysF23Travels, p. 96. , it was thirty
two miles from Sidon:
and smote the king thereof with the sword; who, very
probably, upon the surprise at the waters of Merom, fled to his capital for
safety; but that being taken by Joshua, he was slain by him with the sword:
for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms; before
mentioned, Joshua 11:1; but
not of all the land of Canaan: JeromF24De loc. Heb. fol. 88. B.
says, it was the metropolis of all the kingdoms of the Philistines; and though
they were not now subject to it, and had kings of their own, yet it appears
that the king of this place was in great authority, and regard was paid unto
him; and this seems to be the reason why Joshua hasted to take this city, slay
the king of it, and burn it with fire, because it had been the principal in
this war, and might, if not prevented, raise new troubles; wherefore, as a precaution
to that, and to deter the rest, he hastened the conquest and destruction of it.
Joshua 11:11 11 And they struck all the
people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them.
There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.
YLT
11and they smite every person
who [is] in it by the mouth of the sword; he hath devoted -- he hath not left
any one breathing, and Hazor he hath burnt with fire;
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, though no other cities he had taken; but it seems that this city, though
burnt, was built again and inhabited by Canaanites, who had a king over them of
the same name with this in the times of Deborah, Judges 4:2.
Joshua 11:12 12 So all the cities of those
kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword.
He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.
YLT
12and all the cities of these
kings, and all their kings, hath Joshua captured, and he smiteth them by the
mouth of the sword; he devoted them, as Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded.
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 smote them with the edge of the sword; both the
kings and the inhabitants of those cities:
and he utterly destroyed
them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded; so that, in doing what
he did, he did not indulge a spirit of revenge, cruelty, and avarice, but had
regard purely to the command of Moses, which was of God, Deuteronomy 7:1.
Joshua 11:13 13 But as for the
cities that stood on their mounds,[b] Israel
burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.
YLT
13Only, all the cities which
are standing by their hill, Israel hath not burned them, save Hazor only, [it]
hath Joshua burnt;
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"F25על
תלם "super tumulum eorum", Montanus;
"quae erant in collibus et in tamulis sitae", V. L. ; upon an
eminence, being built on hills and mountains:
Israel burned none of them; but reserved them for
their own habitations, being well fortified, and having no need of new walls
being built to them, or being in a very agreeable situation:
save Hazor only, that did Joshua burn; because it
was the chief city where the scheme was formed, and the combination against
Israel was made, and was the rendezvous of the confederate forces against them:
the Jews have a traditionF26Bereshit Rabba, sect. 81. fol. 71. 1. ,
that God said to Moses, and Moses said to Joshua, that he should burn it, and
that only.
Joshua 11:14 14 And all the spoil of these
cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves;
but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed
them, and they left none breathing.
YLT
14and all the spoil of these
cities, and the cattle, have the sons of Israel spoiled for themselves; only,
every human being they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, till their
destroying them; they have not left any one breathing.
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 allowed them:
but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they
had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe; for which
they had warrant so to do from the Lord, as follows.
Joshua 11:15 15 As the Lord had commanded
Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left
nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
YLT
15As Jehovah commanded Moses
His servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so hath Joshua done; he hath not
turned aside a thing of all that Jehovah commanded Moses.
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, altars, groves, and high places; see Exodus 34:11.
Joshua 11:16 16 Thus Joshua took all this
land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland,
and the Jordan plain[c]—the
mountains of Israel and its lowlands,
YLT
16And Joshua taketh all this
land: the hill-country, and all the south, and all the land of Goshen, and the
low country, and the plain, even the hill-country of Israel and its low lands,
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 taking of which we have in
the preceding chapter, Joshua 10:40,
and all the land of Goshen; see Joshua 10:41,
and the valley, and the plain; the low places and
campaign fields which lay between the hills and mountains; particularly all the
plain and campaign country near Eleutheropolis, towards the north and west,
Jerom says, in his day, was called "Sephela", or "the vale"F1De
loc. Heb. fol. 94. M. :
and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; by which may
be meant Jerusalem, situated on a mountain, and is so called, Ezekiel 17:23; and
its valley may be the valley of Hinnom or of Jehoshaphat, as they were after
called, which were near it: some think the hill of Samaria or the mountains
about that are meant.
Joshua 11:17 17 from Mount Halak and the
ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount
Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them.
YLT
17from the mount of Halak,
which is going up [to] Seir, and unto Baal-Gad, in the valley of Lebanon, under
mount Hermon; and all their kings he hath captured, and he smiteth them, and
putteth them to death.
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, under Mount Hermon; and so
describes the northern part of the land conquered by Joshua:
and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them; both in the
southern and northern parts of the land.
Joshua 11:18 18 Joshua made war a long
time with all those kings.
YLT
18Many days hath Joshua made
with all these kings war;
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; but
were the work of some years; JosephusF2Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 19.
says five years, but the common notion of the Jews is, that Joshua was seven
years in subduing the land of CanaanF3Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p.
31. ; our Bishop UsherF4Annal. Vet. Test. p. 39, 40. thinks it was
done in six years; and it may be concluded that it was about six or seven years
ere this work was completely finished.
Joshua 11:19 19 There was not a city that
made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of
Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.
YLT
19there hath not been a city
which made peace with the sons of Israel save the Hivite, inhabitants of
Gibeon; the whole they have taken in battle;
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 three things to
them; that those who had a mind to flee might flee; that those who were
desirous of making peace might make it; and they that were for war, let them
fight; all were for the last, and so perishedF5Hieros. Sheviith,
fol. 37. 3. :
save the Hivites and the inhabitants of Gibeon; these, some
have thought, did not hear of the offers of peace, others think they did, and
at first rejected them, but repenting were obliged to take the crafty methods
they did to obtain it, of which see Joshua 9:1,
all other they took in battle; refusing to
submit to them and make peace with them.
Joshua 11:20 20 For it was of the Lord to harden
their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly
destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might
destroy them, as the Lord
had commanded Moses.
YLT
20for from Jehovah it hath
been to strengthen their heart, to meet in battle with Israel, in order to
devote them, so that they have no grace, but in order to destroy them, as
Jehovah commanded Moses.
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, idolatry, incest, &c. they had been guilty of:
and that they might have no
favour; which they would have had, had they made peace as the Gibeonites
did; or that they might not pray and make supplication, the Lord not giving
them a spirit of supplication, but an hard heart, as GussetiusF6Comment.
Ebr. p. 272. observes the words may be interpreted, though he seems to prefer
the former, sense:
but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses; Deuteronomy 7:1.
Joshua 11:21 21 And at that time Joshua
came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from
Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel;
Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
YLT
21And Joshua cometh at that
time, and cutteth off the Anakim from the hill-country, from Hebron, from
Debir, from Anab, even from all the hill-country of Judah, and from all the
hill-country of Israel; with their cities hath Joshua devoted them.
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 Anak the father of them; though these
are not to be restrained to his posterity, but include all other giants in the
land; and the Targum renders the word by "mighty men"; and as some of
them dwelt in mountains, others in cities, as follows:
from Hebron; where the children of Anak dwelt when the spies were sent into
the land between forty and fifty years before this; and though the inhabitants
of Hebron had been before destroyed by Joshua, these Anakims, who very likely
then made their escape, returned and took possession of it after Joshua's
departure, and while he was engaged in making other conquests; as we find that
after this others of the same race again possessed it, and were in the
possession of it after the death of Joshua, when they were slain by the tribe
of Judah, Judges 1:10; from
Debir: where others of them also had got after the conquest of it; unless we
suppose, as I see no great reason to object to it, that these were cut off both
at Hebron and Debir, at the time of the taking of them, of which see Joshua 10:36,
from Anab; a city which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:50. JeromF7De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. C. says, in his time it was a village, near Diospolis or
Lydda, about four miles from it to the east, and called Bethoannaba; but he
says, that most affirm it to be eight miles from it, and called Bethannaba:
Masius conjectures, that it is the same with the city of Nob; for, he says,
that travellers in those parts affirm, that the city Nob is called Bethanoba
and Bethanopolis:
and from all the mountains of Judah; the hill country of
Judea, and the mountains round about Jerusalem:
and from all the mountains of Israel; as those
about Samaria, and elsewhere:
Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities; which they
had formerly inhabited, or had got into the possession of.
Joshua 11:22 22 None of the Anakim were
left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in
Gath, and in Ashdod.
YLT
22There hath not been left
Anakim in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod,
were they left.
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 principalities of the
Philistines, and were never conquered and possessed by Israel, see Joshua 13:3; of the
city of Gaza; see Gill on Amos 1:7; See Gill
on Amos 1:8; and See
Gill on Zephaniah 2:4; and
of Gath; see Gill on Amos 6:2; Ashdod is
the same with Azotus; see Gill on Acts 8:40, Mela
saysF8De Situ Orbis, l. 1. c. 10. , the port of Azotus was a mart
for the merchandises of Arabia, and was built on such an eminence, that from
the top of it, at the fourth watch, might be seen the rising of the sun at the
mountain Azotus; see"Who discomfited the right wing, and pursued them unto
the mount Azotus.' (1 Maccabees 9:15)this city
held out a siege of twenty nine years against Psammitticus, king of Egypt; see
Gill on Isaiah 20:1.
Joshua 11:23 23 So Joshua took the whole
land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and
Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by
their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
YLT
23And Joshua taketh the whole
of the land, according to all that Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses, and Joshua
giveth it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions, by their
tribes; and the land hath rest from war.
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: in Deuteronomy 11:23,
and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel, according to
their divisions by their tribes; as is after related in this book:
and the land rested from war; there were no
combinations of any of the dispersed Canaanites, or insurrections made by them,
nor any annoyance given to Israel by the Philistines, who inhabited five
principal cities, with what belonged to them; nor did Joshua attempt anything
more in a warlike manner: and so it became a land of rest, as the heavenly
Canaan will be to the spiritual Israel and church of God, after their militant
state is ended, in which they now are; being engaged with many spiritual enemies,
the Canaanites that are in the land, but then their warfare will be ended.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)