Conquest of the Northern Cities
Through the more detailed accounts of Joshua’s campaign...
Through the more detailed accounts of Joshua’s campaign in southern Canaan (chs 6–10), the narrator established firmly that the Israelites needed God’s help to succeed. Because what had been true in the southern campaign would also be true in the northern campaign (ch 11), those details were unnecessary here.
Hazor lay along the international trade route and...
- Hazor lay along the international trade route and was by far the largest and most important inland city of Canaan (see 11:10).
- Virtually all of northern Canaan joined the coalition of King Jabin against Israel. This region stretched from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the desert in the east and from the borders of Phoenicia in the north to the hill country and the Jordan Valley in the south.
- The term Jebusites typically refers to the people of Jerusalem and surrounding towns under its control. Perhaps men from Jebus were mercenaries to Jabin.
- Mizpah means “watchtower” or “lookout.” Several places had this name; this one was the extensive region of the lower slopes of Mount Hermon, the highest peak of the Promised Land.
1Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph; 2to the kings of the north in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the foothills,† and in Naphoth-dor† to the west; 3to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots. 5All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.”
7So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them, 8and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors. 9Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.
10At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword, because Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. 11The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction.† Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.
12Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded. 13Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
14The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed. 15As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
Joshua Takes the Whole Land
16So Joshua took this entire region: the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah, and the mountains of Israel and their foothills, 17from Mount Halak, which rises toward 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.
18Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long period of time.
The judgment on Canaan was God’s, not Israel’s....
The judgment on Canaan was God’s, not Israel’s. God had extended mercy to the Canaanites for several generations. However, God determined that “the sins of the Amorites” now “warrant their destruction” (Gen 15:16), and he hardened their hearts. God used Israel as the instrument and agent of his judgment, just as in later centuries God used other nations to execute judgment upon Israel and Judah for their sins.
19No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle. 20For it was of the LORD to harden† their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.
21At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities. 22No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.
23So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to the allotments to their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.