Joshua 11:18

18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.

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 took this whole land: the highlands, the whole arid southern plain, the whole land of Goshen, the lowlands, the desert plain, and both the highlands and the lowlands of Israel.

17 He took land stretching from Mount Halak, which goes up toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Lebanon Valley. He captured all their kings. He struck them down and killed them.

18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.

19 There wasn't one city that made peace with the Israelites, except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. They captured every single one in battle.

20 Their stubborn resistance came from the LORD and led them to wage war against Israel. Israel was then able to wipe them out as something reserved for God, without showing them any mercy. This was exactly what the LORD had commanded Moses.