Joshua 11:18

18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

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.

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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 all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;

17 [Even] from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even to Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.

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 the inhabitants of Gibeon: all [other] they took in battle.

20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, [and] that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.