Joshua 11:1-15

Joshua’s Conquest of the North

1 And it happened, when Jabin king of Hazor heard [this], he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Acshaph,

2 and to the kings who [were] in the north in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the Shephelah, and in Naphoth Dor in [the] west,

3 to the Canaanites in [the] east and [west], the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites {at the foot of} Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

4 They came out, they and all their armies with them, [as] a great army like the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.

5 And all these kings joined forces, and they came and camped together by the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.

6 And Yahweh said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of their presence, for tomorrow at this time I [will] hand them over slain to Israel; you will hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."

7 So Joshua, and {all the fighting men} with him, came against them suddenly at the waters of Merom, and {they attacked them}.

8 And Yahweh gave them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them and pursued them up to Great Sidon and Misrephoth Maim, and eastward up to the valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until they left behind no survivor.

9 And Joshua did to them as Yahweh commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

10 Then Joshua turned back at that time, and he captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, because Hazor formerly [was] the head of all these kingdoms.

11 He struck all the people that [were] in it with {the edge of the sword}, utterly destroying them. {There was no one left who breathed}, and he burned Hazor with fire.

12 And Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he utterly destroyed them with {the edge of the sword}, as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded.

13 Israel did not burn the cities standing on their mounds, except Hazor alone, [which] Joshua burned.

14 And all the spoil and livestock of these cities the {Israelites} took as booty; they struck the people with {the edge of the sword}, until they had destroyed them--they left behind no one who breathed.

15 Just as Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did; he left nothing undone that Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Joshua 11:1-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 11

This chapter relates how that the kings of the northern parts of Canaan combine together against Joshua, Jos 11:1-5; and that the Lord encouraged him to fight with them, and did deliver them into his hands, who, with all their people, were smitten by him, Jos 11:6-11; and how that he took their cities, and destroyed the inhabitants of them, and took the spoil of them for a prey, Jos 11:12-15; and so became master of the whole country, both southern and northern, which is described Jos 11:16-20; and the chapter is concluded with an account of his cutting off the Anakim from various parts, which finished the conquest of the whole land, Jos 10:21-23.

Footnotes

• [a]. A dry region that runs south of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan valley
• [b]. That is, the Sea of Galilee
• [c]. Or "lowlands"; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
• [d]. Or "the heights of Dor"
• [e]. Hebrew "Canaanite"
• [f]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [g]. Hebrew "Hittite"
• [h]. Hebrew "Perizzite"
• [i]. Hebrew "Jebusite"
• [j]. Hebrew "Hivite"
• [k]. Literally "under"
• [l]. Literally "all the people of war"
• [m]. Literally "they fell upon them"
• [n]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [o]. Literally "No one was left over of any breath"
• [p]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [q]. Hebrew "mound"
• [r]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"