Joshua 11:14
in Joshua 11The 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any that breathed.
KJV
And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.
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This verse in Joshua 11
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAll the spoil of these cities - Israel took - With the exception of those things which had been employed for idolatrous purposes; see Deu 7:25.
This site's exposition
Joshua captured all these kings and their cities
on Joshua 11:12-14
Keil and Delitzsch read the “cities built on their mounds” as towns left standing, as Deuteronomy 6:10-11 promised. Plunder and livestock are kept under the allowance of Deuteronomy 20:14. Jericho went whole to God as the firstfruits at 6:18-19, but the rest of the land is held more loosely.
This site's exposition
all the plunder and livestock of these cities
Adam Clarke limits the plunder by Deuteronomy 7:25, which ordered the images burned and forbade keeping their silver and gold. Matthew Henry sets this plunder beside the goods Israel carried out of Egypt, recorded at Exodus 12:36. Both times the spoil equipped the people for what came next.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
One should not at all think it a horrible cruelty that Joshua did not leave anyone alive in those cities that fell to him, for God himself had ordered this. However, whoever for this reason thinks that God himself must be cruel and does not wish to believe then that the true God was the author of the Old Testament judges as perversely about the works of God as he does about the sins of human beings. Such people do not know what each person ought to suffer. Consequently, they think it a great evil when that which is about to fall is thrown down and when mortals die.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
As they were enriched with the spoil of their oppressors when they came out of Egypt, wherewith to defray the charges of their apprenticeship in the wilderness, so they were now enriched with the spoil of their enemies for a stock wherewith to set up in the land of Canaan. Thus is the wealth of the sinner laid up for the just.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Remained with their walls intact. Their walls were not destroyed like Yericho, whose walls fell, and similarly Ai, as it is said, “[And Yehoshua burned Ai] and made it into a mound forever, a ruin.” 3 See Chapter:28 above.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠כֹל | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׁלַ֞ל | shelal | [the] booty of | H7998 → | 73 times |
| הֶעָרִ֤ים | hearim | the cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה | vehabehemah | and the cattle | H929 → | 190 times |
| בָּזְז֥וּ | bazezu | they plundered | H962 → | 43 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | for <the> themselves | ||
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| רַ֣ק | rak | only | H7535 → | 109 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָדָ֞ם | haadam | <the> man | H120 → | |
| הִכּ֣וּ | hiku | they struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| לְפִי־ | lefi- | to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| חֶ֗רֶב | cherev | [the] sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הִשְׁמִדָם֙ | hishmidam | had destroyed they | H8045 → | 90 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִשְׁאִ֖ירוּ | hishiru | they left | H7604 → | 133 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נְשָׁמָֽה׃ | neshamah | breathing thing | H5397 → | 24 times |
וְ֠כֹלand all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
שְׁלַ֞ל[the] booty of
shelalH7998 →73 times
הֶעָרִ֤יםthe cities
hearimH5892 →1090 times
הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔הand the cattle
vehabehemahH929 →190 times
בָּזְז֥וּthey plundered
bazezuH962 →43 times
לָהֶ֖םfor <the> themselves
lahem
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
רַ֣קonly
rakH7535 →109 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָדָ֞ם<the> man
haadamH120 →
הִכּ֣וּthey struck
hikuH5221 →499 times
לְפִי־to [the] mouth of
lefi-H6310 →498 times
חֶ֗רֶב[the] sword
cherevH2719 →413 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הִשְׁמִדָם֙had destroyed they
hishmidamH8045 →90 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הִשְׁאִ֖ירוּthey left
hishiruH7604 →133 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
נְשָׁמָֽה׃breathing thing
neshamahH5397 →24 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 20:14But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
it leads to
- Joshua 8:2
And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 22:8
saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”
- Numbers 31:9
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods.
- Joshua 8:2
Through
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…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:2–16
and 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 7:24
He 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.
- Joshua 8:27
Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9
and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels
- Deuteronomy 7:2–16
Through
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.
it leads to
- Joshua 10:40
So 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…
- Joshua 10:40
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS ON JOSHUA 16; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.