Joshua 11

In Joshua 11, we see another major battle in the conquest of Canaan. A coalition of northern kings forms to fight against Israel. The Lord again encourages Joshua, and the Israelite forces destroy their enemies. This chapter emphasizes Joshua’s obedience to God’s commands and the thoroughness with which he carried out the conquest. The chapter ends with a summary of the conquest of the northern regions.

Joshua 11:1-5 (NKJV):

1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
2 and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
3 to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4 So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
5 And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

The northern kings, led by Jabin of Hazor, form a massive coalition to resist the Israelites. These kings represent the various tribes and cities across Canaan, from the mountains to the plains. Their forces are vast, likened to the "sand on the seashore," and they have the military advantage of horses and chariots. Gathering at the waters of Merom, this united force prepares for a significant confrontation with Israel. The sheer number of their forces indicates the magnitude of the threat to Joshua and his army.

Joshua 11:6 (NKJV):

6 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”

God reassures Joshua not to fear the overwhelming enemy, promising a decisive victory. Despite the vast numbers and superior technology of the northern coalition, the Lord's promise is clear: He will hand them over to Israel. God instructs Joshua to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots, ensuring the enemy's military advantage is nullified and preventing future threats from their war machinery.

Joshua 11:7-9 (NKJV):

7 So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.
8 And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining.
9 So Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

Joshua leads a surprise attack on the coalition forces by the waters of Merom. The Lord delivers the enemy into Israel's hands, allowing them to defeat and pursue the enemy across a wide region, from Greater Sidon to the Valley of Mizpah. Joshua faithfully carries out the Lord’s command by hamstringing the horses and burning the chariots, ensuring that Israel would not rely on human strength or military power but continue trusting in God's provision.

Joshua 11:10-11 (NKJV):

10 Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.

After defeating the coalition, Joshua targets Hazor, the leading city of the northern coalition. Hazor’s king is killed, and the city is completely destroyed, including its inhabitants. Joshua’s actions fulfill God’s command for the complete destruction of the Canaanite cities that resisted Israel. The burning of Hazor symbolizes the end of its dominance and the elimination of a major threat to Israel’s future in the land.

Joshua 11:12-15 (NKJV):

12 So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.
14 And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing.
15 As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Joshua systematically defeats the kings and their cities, fulfilling the commands given by God through Moses. Hazor alone is burned, while other cities are left intact on their mounds. The Israelites take the spoils of war but carry out God’s command to destroy all the inhabitants. This passage emphasizes Joshua’s complete obedience to God, mirroring Moses’ faithfulness and demonstrating his role as a faithful leader in the conquest of Canaan.

Joshua 11:16-20 (NKJV):

16 Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands,
17 from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down and killed 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, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others 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 utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Joshua’s conquest extends across various regions, from the mountains to the lowlands, and continues for a considerable time. The cities, except for Gibeon, refused peace, leading to their destruction. This is attributed to God's will, as He hardened their hearts to bring them to battle, ensuring their defeat. This emphasizes divine sovereignty in the conquest, as the destruction of these nations was part of God’s judgment against their wickedness and His fulfillment of promises to Israel.

Joshua 11:21-23 (NKJV):

21 And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.

Joshua completes the conquest by eliminating the Anakim, a race of giants who had previously terrified the Israelites. The destruction of these powerful enemies solidifies Israel's control over the land. Only a few Anakim remain in the Philistine cities. Joshua’s successful campaign fulfills God’s promises to Moses, and the land is divided among the tribes of Israel. With the conquest finished, the land finally enjoys rest from war, signaling a period of peace and settlement for the Israelites.