Joshua 11:20
in Joshua 11For 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For it was of Jehovah to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
KJV
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
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This verse in Joshua 11
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"There was no city which the Lord did not deliver to the children of Israel, except perhaps those who lived in Gibeon. Israel violently overthrew all of them because the Lord hardened their hearts that they would fight Israel and be killed and not be shown mercy and die, just as the Lord had commanded Moses." If it happened by the will of the Lord that Israel not receive or accept peace, then let us say with the apostle, "Why, therefore, does he object? For who can resist the will of the Lord?"
This site's exposition
No city made peace with the Israelites
on Joshua 11:19-20
Verse 20 gives the reason in the language of the plagues, “it was of the LORD to harden their hearts”, the only hardening in Joshua. Gill reads a divine determination behind it, and Clarke reads God withdrawing restraint from men whose guilt was full, as at Genesis 15:16.
This site's exposition
to harden their hearts
Augustine reads the hardening through the Gibeon account, where Israel spared a people it had been ordered to destroy. On his reading the Canaanites came out to fight, so Israel would have no occasion to show them mercy. Matthew Henry adds that the other cities never asked for terms.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
It is said that "their heart was strengthened through the Lord," that is, that their heart was hardened, just as in the case of Pharaoh. There can be no doubt that this is justly done by a divine and lofty judgment, when God abandons someone and the enemy takes possession of him; the same applies in this case as in Pharaoh's. But here something else sets in motion, as it is said that their hearts were emboldened to arise against Israel in war and therefore the Israelites would not show any mercy to them. The Israelites may very well have showed them mercy, if the Canaanites had not gone to war, since God had ordered that none of the Canaanites were to be spared and yet the Israelites had spared the Gibeonites because they had represented themselves as having come from a far-off country and had made a treaty with them. But because the Israelites showed mercy to some, albeit against the command of God, it must be understood that it was said with this intention that the Canaanites waged war in such a manner so that the Israelites would not spare them, nor would the Canaanites be able to convince the Israelites to show mercy and neglect God's command. I cannot believe that this could have happened in any other way, even though Joshua was their leader and diligently obeyed all of God's commands. Nonetheless, not even Joshua would have annihilated them so quickly had they not gone against him in such a dastardly fashion. Thus it could have happened that Joshua, taking care to fulfill God's commandments, would have defeated them in a rather minimal way and they would have remained until the time when the Israelites could spare them after Joshua's death, when the Israelites did not do God's commandments with such care. […]
For as long as the hostile powers that work sin in us do not come and incite us to sin or provoke us to fight, they cannot be killed or exterminated. For that reason, therefore, God is said in like manner to permit, even to excite, opposing powers to go out into battle against us so that we may seize the victory and they may pursue destruction.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts,....
Are we stronger than God? Observe here, That hardness of heart is the ruin of sinners. Those that are stupid and secure, and heedless of divine warnings, are already marked for destruction.
Thus the war carried on by the preaching of the gospel against Satan's kingdom was at first forwarded by miracles; but, the war being by them sufficiently proved to be of God, the managers of it are now left to the ordinary assistance of divine grace in the use of the sword of the Spirit, and must not expect hail-stones nor the standing still of the sun.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
It was of the Lord to harden their hearts - They had sinned against all the light they had received, and God left them justly to the hardness, obstinacy, and pride of their own hearts; for as they chose to retain their idolatry, God was determined that they should be cut off. For as no city made peace with the Israelites but Gibeon and some others of the Hivites, Jos 11:19, it became therefore necessary to destroy them; for their refusal to make peace was the proof that they wilfully persisted in their idolatry.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מֵאֵ֣ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הָיְתָ֡ה | hayetah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְחַזֵּ֣ק | lechazek | to strengthen | H2388 → | 291 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבָּם֩ | libam | heart their | H3820 → | |
| לִקְרַ֨את | likrat | to meet | H7122 → | 139 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֤ה | hamilchamah | the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לְמַ֣עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הַֽחֲרִימָ֔ם | hacharimam | to totally destroy them | H2763 → | 52 times |
| לְבִלְתִּ֥י | levilti | to not | H1115 → | 112 times |
| הֱיוֹת־ | heyot- | to belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| תְּחִנָּ֑ה | techinah | favor | H8467 → | |
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְמַ֣עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הַשְׁמִידָ֔ם | hashmidam | to destroy them | H8045 → | 90 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֥ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶֽׁה׃ ס | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מֵאֵ֣תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
יְהוָ֣ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הָיְתָ֡הit was
hayetahH1961 →3559 times
לְחַזֵּ֣קto strengthen
lechazekH2388 →291 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבָּם֩heart their
libamH3820 →
לִקְרַ֨אתto meet
likratH7122 →139 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֤הthe battle
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לְמַ֣עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הַֽחֲרִימָ֔םto totally destroy them
hacharimamH2763 →52 times
לְבִלְתִּ֥יto not
leviltiH1115 →112 times
הֱיוֹת־to belong
heyot-H1961 →3559 times
לָהֶ֖םto <the> them
lahem
תְּחִנָּ֑הfavor
techinahH8467 →
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לְמַ֣עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הַשְׁמִידָ֔םto destroy them
hashmidamH8045 →90 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֥הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶֽׁה׃ סMoses
moshehH4872 →765 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
Romans 9:18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
it leads to
- Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 9:15–16
For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- Exodus 4:21
Through
Deuteronomy 7:16You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:33
They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
- Judges 8:27
From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
- Exodus 23:33
Through
Exodus 4:21The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
it leads to
- Romans 9:18
Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
- Isaiah 63:17
Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
- Romans 9:18
Through
Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as…
it leads to
- Numbers 21:23
But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.
- Numbers 21:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Questions on Joshua 18; Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS ON JOSHUA 18; Jerome, Against the Pelagians 1.33; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 15.5.