Joshua 11:19

19 There was not a city that made peace with the {Israelites} besides the Hivites and the inhabitants of Gibeon--{all were taken in battle}.

Joshua 11:19 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:19

There was not a city that made peace with the children of
Israel
Though, according to the Jews, Joshua, upon his first landing in Canaan, sent letters and messages to all the inhabitants of the land, offering them peace on certain terms; particularly that he sent three messages, or proposed three things to them; that those who had a mind to flee might flee; that those who were desirous of making peace might make it; and they that were for war, let them fight; all were for the last, and so perished F5:

save the Hivites and the inhabitants of Gibeon;
these, some have thought, did not hear of the offers of peace, others think they did, and at first rejected them, but repenting were obliged to take the crafty methods they did to obtain it, of which see ( Joshua 9:1-5 ) ;

all [other] they took in battle;
refusing to submit to them and make peace with them.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 37. 3.

Joshua 11:19 In-Context

17 from Mount Halak [that] rises to Seir and to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon {at the foot of} Mount Hermon; he captured all their kings, struck them, and killed them.
18 [For] many days Joshua made war with all these kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the {Israelites} besides the Hivites and the inhabitants of Gibeon--{all were taken in battle}.
20 For it was Yahweh that {hardened their hearts}, to meet Israel in war in order to utterly destroy them without mercy, that they would destroy them just as Yahweh commanded Moses.
21 At that time Joshua came and exterminated the Anakites from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [b]. Hebrew "Hivite"
  • [c]. Literally "the all they took in the battle"
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