Joshua 11

Joshua 11:1 When King Jabin of Hazor happened to hear this news, he sent a message to King Jobab of Madon, the kings of Shimron and Achshaph,

Joshua 11:2 and the kings of the north in the hill country, the Arabah south of Chinnereth, the Judean foothills, and the Slopes of Dor to the west,

Joshua 11:3 the Canaanites in the east and west, the Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

Joshua 11:4 They went out with all their armies – a crowd as numerous as the sand on the seashore – along with a vast number of horses and chariots.

Joshua 11:5 All these kings joined forces; they came and camped together at the Waters of Merom to attack Israel.

Joshua 11:6 Yahveh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for at this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to be killed in front of Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”

Joshua 11:7 So Joshua and all his troops surprised them at the Waters of Merom and attacked them.

Joshua 11:8 Yahveh handed them over to Israel, and they struck them down, pursuing them as far as greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and to the east as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors.

Joshua 11:9 Joshua treated them as Yahveh had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

Joshua 11:10 At that time, Joshua turned back, captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword because Hazor had formerly been the leader of all these kingdoms.

Joshua 11:11 They struck down everyone in it with the sword, setting them apart for destruction; he left no one breathing. Then he burned Hazor.

Joshua 11:12 Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and struck them down with the sword. He set them apart for destruction, as Moses Yahveh’s slave had commanded.

Joshua 11:13 However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on their mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned.

Joshua 11:14 The Israelites plundered all the spoils and cattle of these cities for themselves. But they struck down every person with the sword until they had annihilated them, leaving no one breathing.

Joshua 11:15 just like Yahveh had commanded his slave Moses, Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that Yahveh had commanded Moses.

Joshua 11:16 So Joshua took all this land – the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel with its foothills – Joshua 11:17 from Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death.

Joshua 11:18 Joshua waged war with all these kings for a long time.

Joshua 11:19 No city made a peace treaty with the Israelites except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon; all of them were taken in battle.

Joshua 11:20 You see, Yahveh intended to harden their hearts so that they would engage Israel in battle, be set apart for destruction without mercy, and be annihilated, just like Yahveh had commanded Moses.

Joshua 11:21 At that time, Joshua proceeded to exterminate the Anakim from the hill country—Hebron, Debir, Anab—all the hill country of Judah and Israel. Joshua set them apart for destruction with their cities.

Joshua 11:22 No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites, except for some remaining in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Joshua 11:23 So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that Yahveh had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war.

Joshua 11 quotes:

“Joshua 11 begins as Joshua 10 did (10:1). When Jabin king of Hazor hears of the destruction of Jericho, Ai, and the coalition of the five kings, he sends word to other kings (cf. 10:3—-4) in the region to make war on Joshua and Israel. As the king of Jerusalem rallied the kings of the south, so Jabin calls out the northern coalition forces. They respond with their might: They come out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots— a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore (11:4). The added dimension in the north is horses and chariots, which strike fear in the tribal forces from the highlands. Chariots were the ultimate fighting machines of that era, and only wealthy and powerful kings possessed them. These weapons reminded the tribes of their weaknesses.”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 68.

“This chapter reports Joshua’s campaign in the northern part of the country (verses 1-15). The narrative is very brief and leaves the impression that the whole territory was conquered quickly and easily.”

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 157.