Joshua 11:12-22

12 And all the cities of those kings and all their kings did Joshua take; and he smote them with the edge of the sword, destroying them utterly, as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded.
13 Only, all the cities that stood still upon their hills Israel did not burn, save Hazor alone, [which] Joshua burned.
14 And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle the children of Israel took as prey to themselves; only, they smote all the men with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them: they left none that breathed.
15 As Jehovah had commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua: he let nothing fail of all that Jehovah had commanded Moses.
16 And Joshua took all that land, the mountain and all the south, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and its lowland;
17 from the smooth mountain, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-Gad in the valley of Lebanon, at the foot of mount Hermon; and he took all their kings, and smote them, and put them to death.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites who dwelt at Gibeon; they took all in battle.
20 For it was of Jehovah that their heart was hardened, to meet Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed, and that there might be no favour shewn to them, but that they might be destroyed, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
21 And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountain of Judah, and from all the mountain of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly, with their cities.
22 There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only at Gazah, at Gath, and at Ashdod there remained.

Joshua 11:12-22 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 7

  • [a]. Or 'mounds:' see Jer. 30.18.
  • [b]. Lit. 'The Adam' -- man as a race.
  • [c]. Or 'not a word.'
  • [d]. The Negeb: see ch. 10.40
  • [e]. The Shephelah: see ch. 9.1; Deut. 1.7.
  • [f]. The Arabah: so ch. 12.8, &c.: see ch. 3.16.
  • [g]. Or 'hill-country.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.