Joshua 11:21

21 And Joshua came at that time, and utterly destroyed the Enakim out of the hill country, from Chebron and from Dabir, and from Anaboth, and from all the race of Israel, and from all the mountain of Juda with their cities; and Joshua utterly destroyed them.

Joshua 11:21 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:21

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 10:36-39 ) ;

from Anab;
a city which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah, ( Joshua 15:50 ) . Jerom F7 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. C.

Joshua 11:21 In-Context

19 And there was no city which Israel took not; they took all in war.
20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts to go forth to war against Israel, that they might be utterly destroyed, that mercy should not be granted to them, but that they should be utterly destroyed, as the Lord said to Moses.
21 And Joshua came at that time, and utterly destroyed the Enakim out of the hill country, from Chebron and from Dabir, and from Anaboth, and from all the race of Israel, and from all the mountain of Juda with their cities; and Joshua utterly destroyed them.
22 There was not left of the Enakim by the children of Israel, only there was left of them in Gaza, and in Gath, and in Aseldo.
23 And Joshua took all the land, as the Lord commanded Moses; and Joshua gave them for an inheritance to Israel by division according to their tribes; and the land ceased from war.

Footnotes 1

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.