Yehoshua 11:20

20 For it was of Hashem to harden their hearts, that they should come against Yisroel in milchamah, that he might destroy them utterly, that there might be to them no techinnah (mercy plea), but that he might destroy them, just as Hashem commanded Moshe.

Yehoshua 11:20 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:20

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts
As he hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, that his power might be displayed in their destruction:

that they should come against Israel battle;
and so fall in it:

that he might destroy them utterly;
for their abominable wickedness, idolatry, incest they had been guilty of:

[and] that they might have no favour;
which they would have had, had they made peace as the Gibeonites did; or that they might not pray and make supplication, the Lord not giving them a spirit of supplication, but an hard heart, as Gussetius ^F6 observes the words may be interpreted, though he seems to prefer the former, sense:

but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses;
( Deuteronomy 7:1 Deuteronomy 7:2 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Comment. Ebr. p. 272.

Yehoshua 11:20 In-Context

18 Yehoshua made milchamah yamim rabbim with all those melachim.

19 There was not an ir that made terms of shalom with the Bnei Yisroel, except Chivi the inhabitants of Giv’on; all others they took in milchamah.

20 For it was of Hashem to harden their hearts, that they should come against Yisroel in milchamah, that he might destroy them utterly, that there might be to them no techinnah (mercy plea), but that he might destroy them, just as Hashem commanded Moshe.

21 And at that time came Yehoshua, and cut off the Anakim from the har, from Chevron, from Devir, from Anav, from kol har Yehudah, from kol har Yisroel; Yehoshua destroyed them utterly with their towns.

22 There were none of the Anakim left in the Eretz Bnei Yisroel; only in Azah (Gaza), in Gat, and in Ashdod, there remained.