Joshua 11:18

18 waging war for a long time to accomplish this.

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.


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 So Joshua conquered the entire region—the hill country, the entire Negev, the whole area around the town of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountains of Israel, and the Galilean foothills.
17 The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir in the south, as far north as Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories,
18 waging war for a long time to accomplish this.
19 No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated.
20 For the LORD hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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