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Joshua
Chapter
11
{Note:
Starting in Chapter 9, Jews are cutting across cutting the Canaanite
land in two. Then in Chapter 10 there will be a Southern Campaign.
And, in Chapter 11 & 12 will be the Northern Campaign.}
1-4~~And
it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor
{leader of the northern coalition}
had
heard those things,
that
he sent to Jobab king of Madon,
and
to the king of Shimron,
and
to the king of Achshaph
{northern Palestine city states}, 2~~
and
to the kings that were on the north of the mountains,
and
of the plains south of Chinneroth,
and
in the valley,
and
in the borders of Dor on the west, 3~~
and
to the Canaanite on the east and on the west,
and
to the Amorite, and the Hittite,
and
the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains,
and
to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.4~~
and
they went out,
they
and all their armies/hosts with them,
many
people,
even
as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude,
with
horses and chariots very many.
{Note: RBT quotes the Historian Josephus as saying that Jabin king of Hazor raised 300,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and 20,000 war-chariots. In the last 75 years, archeologists have found that the Hittites and the Canaanites actually used chariots. Until then, so called scholars scoffed at this verse.}
5~~And
when all these kings were met together,
they
came and pitched together at the waters of Merom,
to
fight against Israel.
{Note: Joshua must have done a reconnaissance and was a little concerned over the size of the foe's huge army. And, as far as we know he only had infantry. So the cavalry and chariots was a real problem. Mobility, firepower and shock are three of the greatest weapons in war even today. The enemy had all three. Apparently he took his concern to the Lord. A good thing to do!}
{Destruction
of their Mobility and 'Super Weapons'}
6~~And
the Jehovah/God said unto Joshua,
"Be
not afraid {saying 'Trust Me'}
because
of them
for
tomorrow about this time
will
I deliver them up all slain before Israel.
You
shall hough/'cut the hamstrings of' their horses,
{idiom meaning to disable the horses from running}
and
burn their chariots with fire."
7~~So
Joshua came, and all the people of war with him,
against
them by the waters of Merom suddenly
{Joshua believed the promises of God and attacked THEM
Surprise even by an inferior force is a good tactic};
and
they {the Jews} fell upon them.
8~~And
the Jehovah/God delivered them into the hand of Israel,
who
smote them,
and
chased them unto great Zidon,
and
unto Misrephothmaim,
and
unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward;
and
they smote them,
until
they left them none remaining.
9~~And
Joshua did unto them as the Jehovah/God commanded him.
He
houghed/'cut the hamstrings on' their horses,
and
burnt their chariots with fire.
10~~And
Joshua at that time turned back and took Hazor,
and
smote the king thereof with the sword
for
Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
11~~And
they smote all the souls that were therein
with
the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them.
There
was not any left to breathe
and
he burnt Hazor with fire.
12~~And
all the cities of those kings,
and
all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them
with
the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them,
as
Moses the servant of the Jehovah/God commanded.
13~~But
as for the cities that stood still on their mounds
{in
their strength},
Israel
burned none of them,
except
Hazor only;
that
did Joshua burn.
{Note: All but Hazor, Joshua left the mounds so the cities could be rebuilt. But Hazor was taken all the way down to flat ground.}
14~~And
all the spoil of these cities,and the cattle,
the
children of Israel took for a prey/booty unto themselves;
but
every man they smote with the edge of the sword,
until
they had destroyed them,
neither
left they any to breathe.
15~~As
the Jehovah/God commanded Moses his servant,
so
did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua;
he
left nothing undone of all
that
the Jehovah/God commanded Moses.
16-18~~
So Joshua took all that land,
the
hills, and all the south country,
and
all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain,
and
the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; 17~~
even
from the mount Halak, that goes up to Seir,
even
unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon
and
all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. 18~~
Joshua
made war a long time with all those kings.
{Note: This did not happen overnight. These few verses cover two or three years of fighting.}
19~~There
was not a city that made peace
with
the children of Israel,
save
the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon.
All
other they took in battle.
20~~For
it was of Jehovah/God to harden their hearts,
that
they should come against Israel in battle,
that
he might destroy them utterly,
and
that they might have no favor/grace,
but
that he might destroy them,
as
Jehovah/God commanded Moses.
{Note: The phrase 'hardened their hearts' means that - by their own volition - they were negative, negative, negative - so many times that they get to the point where they can NOT even consider being positive anymore. At that point, God will take the person out by death or use the individual's decisions to punish him in time.}
21~~And
at that time came Joshua,
and
cut off the Anakim from the mountains
{the Anakim are a race of giants - the ones who frightened 10 of
the 12 spies (with Caleb and Joshua the only ones not afraid)
sent by the Exodus generation to reconnaissance the land},
from
Hebron, from Debir, from Anab,
and
from all the mountains of Judah,
and
from all the mountains of Israel;
Joshua
destroyed them utterly with their cities.
{Note: There were 4 races of giants: 1) Emim (we would pronounce the M's) - giant aborigines who lived on the East side of the Jordan and were driven out by the Moabites. They were famous for demon possession. Their cousins were the 2) Zan-zu-mim and they were driven out by the Amorites. The 3) Rephaim. who lived east of Jordan. Their last king was Og King of Bashan was destroyed by Moses. The fourth race were the Anakim here in context. }
22~~There
was none of the Anakims
left
in the land of the children of Israel . . .
only
in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
{Note: Goliath was from Gath a few hundred years later. His cousins and brothers were giants. The Philistines were a combination of Greeks and giants. Goliath was 9 feet 2 inches tall.}
23~~So
Joshua took the whole land,
according
to all that Jehovah/God said unto Moses
and
Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel
according
to their divisions by their tribes.
And
the land rested from war.
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