Joshua 11
11
Conquering the North
1Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about it, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
2and to the kings in the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland and in the regions of Dor to the west,
3the Canaanites in the east and west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country and the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4So they came out, they and all their armies with them, a multitude with as many people as the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
5All these kings joined forces, came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.
6But Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7So Joshua and all the people of war with him attacked them suddenly at the waters of Merom and fell upon them.
8Then Adonai gave them into the hand of Israel, so they defeated them and chased them as far as Great Zidon and Misrephoth-maim, and up to the Valley of Mizpeh eastward. They struck them down until they left them no survivors.
9Joshua did to them as Adonai had instructed him—he hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.
10At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the head of all those kingdoms.
11They struck down every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, putting them to the ban. There was none left that breathed after he burned Hazor with fire.
12Thus Joshua captured all the cities of those kings and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, putting them to the ban, just as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded.
13But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel did not burn any of them, except Hazor alone, which Joshua did burn.
14All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, Bnei-Yisrael took as their plunder, but they struck down every person with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.
15Just as Adonai had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that Adonai had commanded Moses.
16So Joshua captured all this land: the hill country, the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland,
17from the Mount Halak that ascends to Seir all the way to Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, struck them down and put them to death.
18For a long time Joshua made war with all those kings.
19There was not a city that made peace with Bnei-Yisrael except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon. All the rest they took in battle.
20For it was of Adonai to harden their hearts to encounter Israel in battle, that they might be put to the ban, that they might receive no mercy, in order to destroy them as Adonai had commanded Moses.
21At that time Joshua went and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from the entire hill country of Judah and from the entire hill country of Israel. Joshua put a ban on them with their cities.
22There was none of the Anakim left in the land of Bnei-Yisrael, except some were left in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.
23So Joshua captured the whole country, according to all that Adonai had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.
Currently Selected:
Joshua 11: TLV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Joshua 11
11
Joshua’s Northern Conquest
1When the news of Israel’s southern victories reached King Jabin # 11:1 Jabin means “discerner” or “wise one.” of Hazor, # 11:1 Hazor means “fortified” or “castle.” It was a major city-state that lay about nine miles north of Lake Galilee. he organized a massive coalition to fight against Israel. He sent messages to:
King Jobab of Merom, # 11:1 Or “Madon.” Madon means “strife.” Some scholars, because of historical and archaeological evidence, prefer to read “Merom” (v. 5) here and in 12:9–24. Merom was three miles west of Lake Galilee.
the king of Shimron, # 11:1 Shimron means “extreme vigilance.” It was a city-state of the Lower Galilee region and the Jezreel Valley. It is identified today as Tell Samunia or Tell Shimron.
the king of Achshaph, # 11:1 Achshaph means “incantation” or “sorcery.” The exact location of Achshaph is unknown, but it is believed to be about thirty miles from Hazor.
2the kings of the northern hill country, # 11:2 The northern hill country would be the modern district of Galilee.
the kings of the Jordan Valley south of Lake Galilee, # 11:2 Or “Arabah south of Chinneroth [Galilee].” In biblical times, Arabah referred both to the Jordan Valley between Lake Galilee and the Dead Sea, and also to an area south of Judah.
the kings of the foothills,
the western kings in the heights of Dor, # 11:2 Or “the foothills of the Carmel range.” This was the region west of Lake Galilee toward the Mediterranean coastal plains south of Mount Carmel. Dor means “lofty place”; it was the chief city.
3the eastern and western Canaanite kings,
the Amorite kings,
the Hittite kings,
the Perizzite kings,
the Jebusite kings in the highlands,
and the Hivite kings who lived near Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. # 11:3 Mizpah means “watchtower.”
4They came out in full force with a multitude of horses and chariots. Their vast armies were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. # 11:4 According to Josephus, the armies of these ten kingdoms were more than three hundred thousand foot soldiers, ten thousand horses, and twenty thousand chariots (see Ant. 5.1.18). Joshua confronted these armies and defeated them all with only an infantry and Yahweh! 5All these kings and their enormous armies joined forces # 11:5 Or “met by appointment.” and encamped at Lake Merom # 11:5 Or “the waters of Merom,” most likely modern Lake Huleh. Josephus called it “the lake of Semechonitis” (see Ant. 5.5.1). to fight against Israel.
6Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, “Don’t be afraid of them; by this time tomorrow, I, Yahweh, will have them all lying slain before Israel. After the battle, cripple their horses and burn their chariots.” # 11:6 Yahweh did not want Israel to trust in the might of horses or chariots but in him alone. See Ps. 20:7; 33:17.
7Joshua launched his surprise attack, and all his army pounced on them at their camp at Lake Merom. 8Yahweh fought # 11:8 Or “Yahweh delivered them into their hands.” alongside Joshua’s fighting men to defeat them. Part of the Israelite army attacked and pursued the retreating forces as far north as the cities of Misrephoth Maim # 11:8 Misrephoth Maim means “lime kilns by the waters.” It was a city on the border of Israel and Lebanon. and Sidon. # 11:8 Or “Great Sidon,” an important Phoenician city north of Israel on the Mediterranean coast. Another part of the Israelite army pursued the enemy as far east as the valley of Mizpah and crushed them all, leaving no survivors. 9Afterward, Joshua crippled their horses and burned their chariots as Yahweh had commanded.
10Because Hazor at that time was the most powerful of all these kingdoms, Joshua circled back after the battle and conquered it. # 11:10 Or “struck them down with the mouth of the sword.” 11They killed the king, burned Hazor # 11:11 The destruction of Hazor has been dated by recent excavations to around 1225 BC. Solomon later rebuilt the city (see 1 Kings 9:15). to the ground, and annihilated all its inhabitants. They spared not one breathing thing, leaving no survivors.
12Joshua conquered all those royal cities and their kings. He destroyed them all, as Yahweh’s servant Moses had commanded. 13However, of all the cities built on mounds, # 11:13 That is, cities that were rebuilt on the ruins of earlier settlements. Joshua burned down only Hazor. 14The Israelites kept all the spoils of these towns, including the livestock, but the inhabitants they killed with the sword. There were no survivors. 15Just as Yahweh commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua obeyed everything # 11:15 The words “obeyed everything” should be the goal and ambition of our lives. Our calling is not simply to be successful but also to be obedient. See Luke 1:38; John 2:5. that Yahweh commanded Moses.
The Territory Taken by Joshua
16So Joshua conquered the entire region: the Judean hills, the southern desert, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the lowlands of the Jordan Valley, the northern hill country of Israel including its lowlands—17everything from Mount Halak, # 11:17 Mount Halak means “bare mountain”; it is likely Jebel Halaq. which rises toward Seir, all the way to Baal-Gad # 11:17 Baal-Gad means “the god of fortune.” in the Lebanon Valley below Mount Hermon. # 11:17 The southern limit of Joshua’s conquest was Mount Halak, near Edom, south of the Dead Sea; the northern limit was the town of Baal-Gad, not far from Mount Hermon. Joshua captured all their kings and executed them.
18Joshua waged war with all those kings over a long period. # 11:18 The “long period” was about seven years. There are spiritual battles we fight that we do not win easily or quickly. Thankfully, God will ultimately make us victorious in all things. See 1 Sam. 17:47; 1 Cor. 15:57; Gal. 6:9; Eph. 6:10–13. 19Apart from the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made peace with Israel. By the power of Yahweh, Joshua conquered them all. 20Yahweh himself hardened their hearts and made them obstinate so they would attack Israel. Yahweh had determined to wipe them out and condemn them to destruction without mercy, just as he had commanded Moses.
21Joshua also drove out the Anakim, # 11:21 The Anakim were descendants of Anak. They are mentioned in Num. 13 as intimidating giants that kept the Israelites fearful in unbelief, which led to their wandering in the wilderness. Here we read that Joshua eliminated these giants and enabled the tribes of Israel to possess their inheritance, just as Jesus does today to the giants keeping us from full faith. Giants are nothing compared to God’s omnipotence. a race of giants, from the hill country (including the cities of Hebron, Debir, and Anab)—from the entire hill country of Judah and Israel. Joshua destroyed the Anakim and their towns 22so that there were no surviving Anakim in Israelite territory. Some survived but only in the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. # 11:22 Gaza means “fortified” or “strength,” Gath means “wine press,” and Ashdod means “stronghold.” These three cities were Philistine cities. The giant Goliath was from Gath (see 1 Sam. 17:23). 23Joshua conquered the whole land, just as Yahweh had promised Moses. Joshua assigned portions of the land to each of the tribes of Israel, and the Israelites lived in peace throughout the land. # 11:23 Or “the land had rest from war.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Passion Translation® is a registered trademark of Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Learn More About The Passion Translation