Joshua 11

Joshua 11:1

jnLNDit came to pass, that when Jabin king of Hazor. This city was the metropolis of the northerly part of Canaan, (ver. 10.) and fell to the share of the tribe of Naphtali in the division of the land, (xix. 36.) Jabin was the name of the king of the Canaanites in this part of the country in future times, and reigned in this very city, (Judg. iv.2.) Heard of these things.] Of the conquest Joshua had made of so many kings, and their kingdoms, in the south and the west part of the land. That he sent to Jobab king ofMadgn.] This is the namq of a place we read of no where else, but was subject, no doubt, unto Hazor, as the rest were. And to the king of Shimron.] A place afterward in the tribe of Zebulun, near to the countryof Naphtali, (xix. 15.) And to the king ofAchshaph.] In the tribe of Asher, (xix. 25.) These two last places Arius Montanus thinks were more remote from Hazor than Madon,and lay towards the south near Mount Tabor, being the only southern people that remained after the five kings were destroyed. But towards the north, and the east, and the west, there.were many still left, whom Jabin now gathered together.

Joshua 11:2

And to the kings that were in the north of the mountains. Or, mountainous country, near Lebanon; for that was in the north part of Canaan. And in the plains south of dnneroth.] In the flat country, which lay south of the lake called afterward Gennesaret, now Cinncroth. (Sec Numb, xxxiv. 11.) And in the valley.] Some conjecture he means that pleasant valley between Mount Hennon and Mount Gilboa, called the valley of Jezreel. • And the borders of Dor.] A city, with a qountry belonging to it, in the tribe of Manasseh, (xvii. 11.) On the west.] Upon the midland sea. Where Josephus mentions (in his second book against Appion) a city called Dora, near Mount Camel. (See Bochartus in his Canaan, lib. i. cap. 41. p. 752.)

Joshua 11:3

And to the Canaanite. The people.peculiarly so called. On the east, and on tlie west.] It hath been noted before, that some of this people lived in the cast near Jordan; and other of them in the west, near. the midland sea. (See Numb, xiii. 29.) And to theAmorite, and the Hittite, and. the Perizzite.] There were other.Amorites scattered up and down the country, besides those who were subject to. the five kings mentioned in the foregoing chapter, ver. 5. who were all now assembled together by Jabin, with the rest of the Hittites and Perizzites (who were in several parts of the country), that they might make as powerful an army as could be raised. And the Jebusite, in the mountains.] About Jerusalem, where they kept a strong hold till the time of David; as the “Perizzites lived in other mountainous and woody countries, as Bochartus observes. And to the Hivite under Hermon.] This was a mountain in the north-east part of the country, where some Hivites were settled, as others were about Gibeon. That Hermon AyaS easterly, appears from Psal. lxxxix. 12. whence it is that the Hivites are called Kadmonites, that is, easterlivgs, (Gen. xv. 19.) as Bochart hath observed in hisPhaleg. lib. iv. cap. 36. and in his Canaan, lib. i. cap. 19.’. In the land ofMizpeh.] There were several cities of this name; one in the tribe of Judah, (xv. 38.) another belongr jng to Benjamin, (xviii. 26.) and two more beyond Jordan in the land of Gilead; one in the tribe of Gad, the other in the tribe of Manasseh, or very near it; which gave name to the country about it, and seems to be here intended.’ •

Joshua 11:4

And they went out. The kings of all.these people. Tliey and oil their hosts with them, much people, eyen as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude.] A vast army, which could not easily be numbered; or, which covered the place where they were encamped, as sand doth the sea-shore; so that nothing could be seen but armed men, ^horses, and -chariots, &c. It is a proverbial speech in.Scripture, for vast numbers of men, or great quantities of corn; or, exceeding much knowledge and wisdom, as every one knows.. - w - >’ With horses and chariots very many 7] This made them the more formidable, because the Israelites were all footmen: who might easily be beaten by a strong body of horse; especially when they had chariots also, which carried men in them, (see upon Deut. xx. 1.) and they had great numbers also of them, as these words intimate. Josephus makes their chariots alone to have been twenty thousand. The land of Canaan, indeed, did not breed horses (as I have often observed), but they might easily procure them out of Egypt, and they trusted much to this kind of forces, wherein the Egyptians excelled most people. (See Deut. xvii. 16.) Ver.” 5. And when all these kings were met together.] In some place which the king of Hazor appointed for a general rendezvous. For though this multitude were of different nations, yet they all now combined against the Israelites. But it was a great providence of God, that as all this country was not united under one head, but divided into several petty kingdoms; so they did not all enter into a confederacy at the first against Joshua, but fought severally; only five of their kings joining together. Though now they seem to have seen their error; and therefore,, all that remained, joined, as one man, to oppose Joshua’s further proceeding. Tliey came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.] They marched to these waters, and there formed a camp, to prepare, arid set themselves in order, to give Israel battle. These waters, all agree, were that lake which Josephus calls Sajua x<*>vfnSa, from the abundance of fishes that >vere in it: for Samachon, or Semechon, in the Arabic language, signifies a fish, (as Bochart observes in his Hierozoicon, par. i. lib. i. cap. 6.) and Joshua here calls the waters of Merom; that is, the upper waters; for this lake was near the fountain of Jordan, which ran’through the lake of Tiberias, and fell into the lake Asphaltites, or the Dead Sea. With respect to which waters, these were called the upper, they being lower. And here they pitched rather than any other place, Microsoft® N2 A COMxMENTAllY [CHAP. XI. being under the jurisdiction of Jabin, who had called them together: for Hazor, where he reigned, was situato upon this lake, as Josephus tells us, lib. v. Antiq. cap. G. Vcr. G. And (he Lord said unto Joshua.] Who went, it is probable, (as ho had done formerly, x. 8.) to consult the •Divine Majesty, how he should manage himself upon this great occasion. Be not afraid of them.] Some collect from hence (even Josephus himself) that Joshua was possessed with some fear, when he heard of such a numerous army, and so well appointed, coming against him. But I do not think it at all probable, that after so many late assurances and signal demonstrations, as God had given him of his presence with him in this war, he should be capable of this passion. (See the first chapter of this book, ver. 2, 3. G, 7. 9. iii. 7. 9, 10. v. 13—15. x. 8.) Therefore these words were spoken to him, that he might animate the people, whose hearts were apt to fail them, when they saw such terrible enemies, f L For to-morrow, about this time.] It is not certain what this time was; but it is likely in the morning after he had marched all night, (as he did against the five kings, x. 9.) that he might fall upon them unexpectedly. J will deliver them up all slain before Israel.] Tho LXX. translate it TErpoTrwfiivovg, put to flight. Which -agrees < with what follows; for it is cortain they were not’all s/ain,‘but many of them fled, and the Israelites pursued them: and therefore other copies of the LXX. have it TeTQwjihovg, wounded; so broken and shattered, that they were all in effect dead men. Thou shalt hough their horses.] Cut their hamstrings, and thereby render them unfit for future service. t And bum their chariots with fire.] That they might be no more used; no, not by the Israelites themselves., •

Joshua 11:7

And Joshua came, and all tlce people of war with him, against them, to the waters of Merom. He did not wait for their motion; but attacked them as they lay in their quarters; for that is signified by the next word. Suddenly.’] Whenthey thought not of an enemy near them; but were consulting, perhaps, how to manage the war against the Israelites. And they fell upon them.] When they were unprovided to make such resistance as they would have done, if they had been ready to receive them.

Joshua 11:8

And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who mxote them. Routed and killed a great many • of them. And chased them to great Zidon.] This, it seems, was a large city, and of great note in these days (for there was no Zidon the less), built by the eldest son of Canaan (as Josephus thinks), from whom it had its name. (See Gen. x. 15.) It lay in the north-west part of Canaan, upon the. sea.. And unto Misreplwth-maim.] It is thought by some that this was a place where there were hot waters, which I shall not examine, but only note it is. a probable conjecture, from xiii. G. that it was a place in the country of Zidon where they made salt. t’ Unto the valley of Mizpeh eastivard.] See ver. 3..This signifies, that,. in their confusion, some of them fled west- • ward to Zidon and Misrephoth-maiin, and others eastward towards’ Mizpeh. Digitize^ And they smote them, till they left them none remaining.] As they divided themselves, and fled several ways; so did the Israelites send out several parties, both to the west and to tho cast, who pursued them so close, that they let not a man of them escape.

Joshua 11:9

And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots ivithftre. We do not read, as Kimchi notes upon this place, of any horses or chariots which the five kings, mentioned in the foregoing chapter, brought into the field; because they w r cnt only to besiege Gibeon, and hoped to take it prescntly by an assault, in which there was no use of horses and chariots; which they did not want, no more than these kings, who abounded in them, and placed their principal confidence in their horsemen and chariots. Which was the reason God commanded them to hough their horses; that is, to cut their nerves and sinews in their hams, which Josephus translates axpvvrovg Troiziv, to make them useless and unprofitable: for God would not have his people place their safety and security in this, but in himself alone, as good people always did, (Psal. xx. 7.) Accordingly, when David had conquered Hadedezar, and taken from him a great number of horses and chariots, he disabled all the horses, after this example of Joshua (as if God intended by him to teach all future rulers of his people what to do), reserving only as many as would servo for a hundred chariots, (2 Sam. viii. 4.) And Schickardus observes, out of the Jewish authors, that they were wont thus to enervate all the horses they found in the king’s stables after his death, that they might not be of use to his successor. (See his Mischpat Hammelech, cap. 6. Theor. 19. and Bochart’s Hierozoicon, par. i. lib. ii. cap. 11.) «

Joshua 11:10

And Joshua at that time. Before ho thought of returning to his camp at Gilgal. Turned back.] From pursuing those that fled towards the ^western coast. And took Razor.] Which was in tho eastern part of the country, upon the lake beforementioncd. And smote the king thereof with the sword.] This was one reason, it is likely, why he made haste to invest Hazor; becauso the king thcroof, who was tho chief author of this war, had escaped out of the battle/ and thought to defend himself there. For Hazor before-time was the head of all those kingdoms.] Not of all the kingdoms of Canaan; but of all those mentioned in tho beginning of this chapter. Which was another reason why he fell upon it at this time; that by taking the most considerable city of this part of Canaan, all the rest might be disheartened to hold out against him.

Joshua 11:11

And they smote all the sotds that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was not any left to breathe. See x. 40. And he burnt Hazor with fire.] Which the Canaanites afterward rebuilt, and possessed it for some time; another king of the same name reigning in it, (Judg. iv. 2.) For the: kings of this city were called Jabin in many successions,;as the Egyptian kings were called Pharaoh, and the kings of tho Philistines Abimelcch, &c.,<

Joshua 11:12

And the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take. viz. Those mentioned ver. 2, 3. whom Jabin drew into confederacy with him; and perhaps were his dependents. fflrffw/ vOvl f ^GS CHAP. XI.] UPON JOSHUA. And smote them ivith the edge of the sivord; and he utterly destroyed them.’] That is, all their inhabitants. As Moses, the sewant of the Lord, commanded.’] Deut. vii. 2. and many other places.

Joshua 11:13

But as for the cities that stood still in their strength. The Hebrew words all thillam (which we translate in their strength) literally signify on their heap, as is noted in the margin of our Bibles; that is, were seated in an eminent place, and therefore of greater strength than those that stood in the plain. Thus Bochart interprets it in his Canaan, lib. i. cap. 29. from whence ho thinks came the names of Thelasar, (2 Kings xix. 12.) and of Thelabib, (Ezek. iii. 15.) And thus I observe the prophet Jeremiah •speaks, xxx.18. Jerusalem shall be built on her oivn heap, or high hill. But the meaning may be, according to our translation, the cities whose walls were not battered down in the taking of them. * Israel burnt none of them.] Because. they intended to dwell in them; and would not be at the charge and pains of building new walls for their safety. But Hazoronly; that did Joshua burn.] Because it was the capital city, and began this “war against them; which’being laid desolate by the Israelites, without inhabitant,.the Canaanites took their opportunity to rebuild it, and settle themselves there again.

Joshua 11:14

And all the sjwil of these cities, and the cattle, the children oflwael took for a prey unto themselves. As the Lord allowed them to do at Ai, (viii. 2.) But every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, &c] Because God had often commanded these nations should be rooted out for their • abominable Avickcdness; lest the Israelites should be drawn in to imitate them in their filthy lewdness, as I observed from Lev. xviii. 24— 2G, &c. See also xx. 22, 23, &c.

Joshua 11:15

As the Lord’ commanded Moses his servant. See Exod. xxxiv. 11, 12, &c. So did Moses command Joshua.] See Numb. xxvi. 19. Deut. xxxi. 7. And so did Joshua: he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.] Which is’a demonstration that Moses left in writing what we read the Lord commanded in the foregoing books, and that they were not written (as some pretend) in later times: for then it would have been impossible for Joshua to have executed every thing that he commanded, unless he had had the book of the law before him for his direction. But so desirous arc some men to weaken the authority of these holy books, that from hence they argue this book of Joshua could not be written by himself, but some other; because he gives himself this high commendation. So the author of Theolog. Polit. who by the same reason might have rejected St. Paul’s Epistles •as none of his, and Caesar’s Commentaries; for both of them relate their own virtues, and the noble things they did. Ver. 1G. And Joshua took all that, land.] Belonging to the kings beforementioncd. The hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goslien, and the valley, and the plain.] This is a description of his whole conquest, as appears from x. 40. The mountain of Israel.] It is very uncertain what place this was; but many think it probable to be Beth-el: where.Gpdappcared to Jacob as he went to Padan-Aram, and promised to give him this land, (Gen. xxviii. 12, 13.) and where he dwelt, by God’s direction, after he came from Padan-Aram, and God appeared again to him there, and made him the same promise, and changed his name from Jacob to Israel, (Gen. xxxv. 1. 9, 10, &c.) And the valley of the same.] Belonging to the same mountain. But Conradus Pellicanus thinks the singular number is put for the plural, and thus explains the whole verse: The land of Israel was partly in the hill-country, partly in the south towards Egypt, partly in the plain near the great sea, and the sea of Sodom, and the spring of Jordan, near Tabor, in Galilee. And moreover, the mountains of Israel <were the two Carmels, Hermon, Gilead, Lcbanus, those about Jerusalem, and many other.

Joshua 11:17

Even from the Mount Halak. Or the stony mountain, as Bochart interprets it, lib. i. Canaan, cap. 5. TJiat goeth up to Mount Seir.] Which was the bounds of the country of Edom. Even unto Baal- Gad, in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount Hermon.] As in the foregoing words he expresses the bounds of Joshua’s conquest southward; so hither they reached northward. And this seems to be a description of the length of the country which he took from the king of Hazor, and all those that joined with him, as Archbishop Usher understands it. And all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.] So that none appeared to make head against him.

Joshua 11:18

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. But those kings were so many, and made such great opposition, that he spent six years (as the forenamed great person computes) in this war before he could finish it.

Joshua 11:19

There was not a city that made peace ivith the children of Israel. This is the reason the war continued so long, because there was but one city that surrendered on such terms as had been ofFered them; but all the rest obstinately refused to yield unto Joshua. Save only the Ilivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.] See viii. 3. Who, if they had truly discovered who they were (which out of fear they concealed), and begged peace, they might have obtained it on such conditions as were proposed to all. Allother they took in battle.] By force of arms.

Joshua 11:20

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, „ that they should come against Israel in battle. Being a people obstinately wicked, God ordered thingfe so in his providence, t that they were emboldened (notwithstanding the wonders they had certainly heard were done for Israel) to fight with them. By which it appears the Gibeonites were a better sort of people, who considered what God had done in favour of the. Israelites. That he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour.] Which they might have found, if they had not been so fool-hardy (as we speak) as to imagine they could withstand those before whom the river Jordan fled, and the walls of Jericho fell down flat. But that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.] In many places, particularly in Deut. vii. 2. xx. 1G, 17.

Joshua 11:21

And at that time. That is, in the war beforementioned, and perhaps in the conclusion of it; after he had left none to oppose him in other places, but only in those mountainous countries which were of difficult acqess. - Came Joshua.] Either from the camp. at Gilgal, or from Digitized by Microso [CJIAP. XII.‘destroying the kings and their countries, of which he had been speaking in this chapter. And cut off the Anakims.] Who were a distinct people (Arins Montanus thinks) from the Canaanitcs; of a fierce, cruel, and tyrannical disposition, who oppressed all their neighbours. From the mountains.’] Where they had settled, and, it is likely, strongly fortified themselves: which moved Joshua to let them alone till he had finished.his other conqnests. Concerning these Anakims, see Numb. xiii. 22, 23. From Hebron.’] Called also Kiriath-Arba, the city of Arba, who was a great man among the Anakims. (See Bochartus, in his Canaan, lib. i. cap. 1. p. 3C3.) And Debir.] Called also Kiriath-Sepher,as I noted before. And Aiiah.] This, as well as the two forenamed cities, fell to the tribe of Judah, (xv. 50.) And from all the mountains of Judah.] All the mountainous country which afterward fell by lot to that tribe. And from all tlie mountains of Israel] All the mountainous country which was in the rest of the tribes of Israel, where these people, it’is likely, fled for safety. Joshua destroyed them utterly, with their cities.]‘Which it’seems they had in those mountainous countries of Israel; besides Hebron, Debir, and Anab, in the tribe of Judah.

Joshua 11:22

Tfiere were none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel. He rooted them out of the whole country which the Israelites conquered. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remai?ted.] Three cities of the Philistines; unto which either some of them escaped, and there took shelter, or they had been there from ancient time, and the Israelites could not yet expel them. For they did not possess themselves of the country of the Philistines till the time of David; when we find some of these giants still there; particularly in Gath. But, that there were any of them at Ascalon, the famous Bochart shews to be an error* in the place beforementioned, (lib. i. Canaan, cap. 1.)

Joshua 11:23

So Joshua took the whole land. Which either the Canaanites or the Anakims possessed; that is, subdued it so that none rose up against him, though many -places were not yet inthe possession of the Israelites. (See xiii. 1, 2, &c.) -For which were many reasons; one of which was, because the Israelites were not yet so many as to be able to people the whole country, and keep the beasts of the field from multiplying upon them: (Exod.xxiii. 29.) and two more reasons are added, Judg. iii. 1. 4. According to all that the Lord said tint o Moses.] Dcut. xxxi. 7~, 8. A7id Joshua gave it for an inlieritance unto Israel] Deut. Ki.28. According to their division by their tribes.] Numb. xxvi. 53. xxxiii. 54. And the land rested from war.] None of the lords of the Philistines, or any other, adventured to give any disturbance to the Israelites in their possessions; but they enjoyed them quietly: and thereby had liberty to make a division of the country; which God ordered them to go about, chap. xiii. Now began the seventh year from the time the Israelites first ploughed and sowed in the land: and therefore was the first sabbatical year that they observed after Joshua had •brought them totheir rest in the land of promise. * An emblem (as our great primate of Ireland observes) of that eternal sabbatism, or rest, unto which the true Jesus will bring his people, (Heb. iv. 8, 9.) And from this they were to reckon unto their jubilee, mentioned Lev. xxv. 8. 13. But that was not from their entrance into Canaan, but from the seventh year after the division of the land, as I observe^ before upon the last verse of the tenth chapter.