Joshua 11:18

18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

Joshua 11:18 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:18

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 10:10-14 ) ; but were the work of some years; Josephus ^F2 says five years, but the common notion of the Jews is, that Joshua was seven years in subduing the land of Canaan ^F3; our Bishop Usher ^F4 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 19.
F3 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31.
F4 Annal. Vet. Test. p. 39, 40.

Joshua 11:18 In-Context

16 And Joshua took all that land, the mountain and all the south, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and its lowland;

17 from the smooth mountain, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-Gad in the valley of Lebanon, at the foot of mount Hermon; and he took all their kings, and smote them, and put them to death.

18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites who dwelt at Gibeon; they took all in battle.

20 For it was of Jehovah that their heart was hardened, to meet Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed, and that there might be no favour shewn to them, but that they might be destroyed, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.