Joshuachapter 11

A.The northern coalition at the waters of Meromvv. 1-9

1 Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph; 2 to the kings of the north in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the foothills, and in Naphoth-dor to the west; 3 to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots. 5 All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel. 6 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.” 7 So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them, 8 and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors. 9 Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.

B.Hazor burned, the head of those kingdomsvv. 10-15

10 At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword, because Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. 11 The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself. 12 Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded. 13 Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14 The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed. 15 As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

C.The Anakim cut off; the land had rest from warvv. 16-23

16 So Joshua took this entire region: the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah, and the mountains of Israel and their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long period of time. 19 No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle. 20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses. 21 At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities. 22 No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive. 23 So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to the allotments to their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

The north musters everything it has: Jabin king of Hazor with a coalition gathered at the waters of Merom, a people as the sand on the seashore with horses and chariots very many.

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The north musters everything it has: Jabin king of Hazor with a coalition gathered at the waters of Merom, a people as the sand on the seashore with horses and chariots very many. Jehovah tells Joshua not to be afraid; Israel falls on them suddenly, houghs the horses, burns the chariots, and burns Hazor, the head of those kingdoms. Not a city made peace save the Hivites of Gibeon: Jehovah hardened their hearts to come against Israel in battle. The Anakim that once terrified the spies are cut off from the hill country, and the chapter closes with the promised rest: 'And the land had rest from war.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

History · Joshua — Joshua overview

A. 1–9 The northern coalition at the waters of Merom
B. 10–15 Hazor burned, the head of those kingdoms
C. 16–23 The Anakim cut off; the land had rest from war

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Joshua 118 verses
- Joshua 11:1Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;
- Joshua 11:3to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
- Joshua 11:6Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.”
- Joshua 11:9Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.
- Joshua 11:10At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword, because Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms.
- Joshua 11:11The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.
- Read Joshua 11: 2 more there →
Joshua 104 verses
- Joshua 10:8The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.”
- Joshua 10:9After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.
- Joshua 10:40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
- Joshua 10:41Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
- Read Joshua 10 →
Joshua 122 verses
- Joshua 12:3as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
- Joshua 12:8the hill country, the foothills, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negev—the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites):
- Read Joshua 12 →
Joshua 132 verses
- Joshua 13:5the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
- Joshua 13:6All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you.
- Read Joshua 13 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Deuteronomy 72 verses
- Deuteronomy 7:2and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- Deuteronomy 7:24He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them.
- Read Deuteronomy 7 →
Joshua 152 verses
- Joshua 15:13According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)
- Joshua 15:46from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, along with their villages;
- Read Joshua 15 →
Deuteronomy 201 verse
- Deuteronomy 20:16However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
- Read Deuteronomy 20 →
Psalms 21 verse
- Psalms 2:1Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
- Read Psalms 2 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.