Joshua 11: The kings of the north are defeated, and the land has rest
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What happens?
Jabin king of Hazor gathers the kings of the north, an army as many as the sand on the seashore, with many horses and chariots, at the waters of Merom. Yahweh tells Joshua not to be afraid and to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots, and Israel attacks suddenly and defeats them. Joshua takes Hazor and burns it, and takes all the cities of those kings, and the text says he left no one who breathed, as Moses had commanded. The chapter sums up the whole war: only Gibeon made peace, the Anakim were cut off except in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod, Joshua took the whole land and gave it to the tribes, and the land had rest from war.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 1 of the 23 verses: his promise and command to Joshua in verse 6. No one else speaks. Verses 15, 20 and 23 tell what Yahweh commanded or spoke to Moses, in the narrator's words, so they are not in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
In plain English: When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
Good to know: The dictionary gives Jabin as "the name of two Canaanitish kings". names a later "Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor".
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2and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
In plain English: and to the kings in the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
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3to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
In plain English: to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
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4They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
In plain English: They came out, they and all their armies with them, a great many people, as many as the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
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5All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
In plain English: All these kings met together. They came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight Israel.
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6Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because tomorrow at this time I will hand them all over to Israel, killed (this Bible: slain). You are to hamstring their horses (cut the tendons of their legs) and burn their chariots with fire."
The Hebrew word: "Hamstring" is aqar, which the dictionary gives as "to pluck up (especially by the roots); specifically, to hamstring". This Bible says "hamstring" or "hamstrung" in 5 of the 7 verses that use aqar.
Good to know: The text does not give a reason for the command. Later, says David "hamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for one hundred chariots".
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7So Joshua came suddenly, with all the warriors, against them by the waters of Merom, and attacked them.
In plain English: So Joshua and all the fighting men with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom and fell on them.
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8Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the valley of Mizpah eastward. They struck them until they left them no one remaining.
In plain English: Yahweh gave them into Israel's hand. They struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon, Misrephoth Maim, and the valley of Mizpah to the east. They struck them until no one was left alive.
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9Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
In plain English: Joshua did to them as Yahweh had told him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
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10Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor used to be the head of all those kingdoms.
In plain English: At that time Joshua turned back and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword, because Hazor had once been the head of all those kingdoms.
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11They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burned Hazor with fire.
In plain English: They struck every person in it with the sword, completely destroying them (this Bible: utterly destroying them). No one who breathed was left. And he burned Hazor with fire.
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12Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded.
In plain English: Joshua took all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, and struck them with the sword. He completely destroyed them, as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded.
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13But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that.
In plain English: But Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone. Joshua burned that.
Good to know: "Mounds" is tel, the word for the "heap" Ai was made into in (see the note there).
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14The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed.
In plain English: The Israelites took all the plunder of these cities and the livestock for themselves. But they struck every person (literally: every human) with the sword until they had destroyed them. They left no one who breathed.
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15As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses.
In plain English: As Yahweh had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone (literally: did not set aside a word) of all that Yahweh had commanded Moses.
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16So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same,
In plain English: So Joshua took all that land: the hill country, all the Negev (this Bible: the South), all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel with its lowland,
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17from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death.
In plain English: from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, struck them, and put them to death.
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18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
In plain English: Joshua made war with all those kings for a long time (literally: many days).
Good to know: says Joshua took "all these kings and their land at one time". Here the war with "all those kings" took "a long time". The text does not say how long.
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19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle.
In plain English: Not one city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. They took all the others in battle.
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20For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
In plain English: For it was Yahweh's doing to harden their hearts (literally: to make their hearts strong) so that they would come against Israel in battle, so that they would be completely destroyed (this Bible: that he might utterly destroy them) and be shown no mercy (this Bible: have no favor), but be wiped out, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
The Hebrew word: "Harden" is chazaq, which the dictionary gives as "to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous ...), obstinate".
How it is translated: In Joshua this Bible says "strong" or a longer form in 6 of the 8 verses that use chazaq, as in "Be strong and courageous" (), and "harden" only here. In Exodus it says "harden" or a longer form in 12 of its 15 verses, for Pharaoh's heart (as in ).
What changes: Read as "harden", Yahweh made their hearts stubborn, as he did Pharaoh's. Read as "make strong", he made them bold enough to come out and fight. Either way, the verse says it was from Yahweh.
Good to know: Verses 11 to 20 say plainly what was done in the north: every person in the cities was struck with the sword, and "there was no one left who breathed" (verse 11; verse 14 says the same). Verse 12 says this was as Moses commanded ( and ), and verse 20 that it came from Yahweh. It is the war law of that time as the text records it, and Jewish and Christian readers differ on how to read it now.
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21Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
In plain English: At that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the hill country: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities.
Good to know: The Anakim are the "sons of Anak" the spies saw in . calls them "a people great and tall", of whom it was said, "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?"
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22There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
In plain English: No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.
Good to know: The people of Gaza, Ashdod and Gath are named under "the five lords of the Philistines" in , and the three towns among the Philistine towns in . Goliath, who fights Israel in , is from Gath.
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23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke 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.
In plain English: So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh had told Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel, divided by their tribes. Then the land had rest (or: was at peace) from war.
Good to know: The same words, "Then the land had rest from war", end . In Yahweh tells Joshua that "there remains yet very much land to be possessed". The text says both, and does not explain how they fit together.
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