Joshua 11 Study Notes: The Northern Kings Defeated
Jabin, ruler of Hazor, gathers a vast northern alliance against Israel, but the LORD promises victory, and Joshua routs the kings at Merom and burns Hazor. Joshua carries out all that Moses commanded, the LORD hardens the kings so that only Gibeon makes peace, the Anakim are destroyed, and the fighting comes to an end.
General
What happened to the Anakim, the tall and powerful people Israel had once feared (11:21-22)?
Answer: Joshua destroyed them, except in Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath
The Anakim were Anak’s descendants, whose size and strength had terrified the spies a generation earlier, so that the spies felt like grasshoppers beside them (Numbers 13:28, 33). Moses had told the next generation that the LORD would go ahead of them like a consuming fire and destroy these very people (Deuteronomy 9:2-3). Now Joshua cut them off from the highlands and destroyed their towns; none were left in Israel’s land except in Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath (11:21-22). The people the first generation feared most fell before the generation that trusted God’s promise.
- Joshua 11:21-22 (BSB)“At 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. No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.”Joshua destroys the Anakim of the hill country; a remnant survives only in three cities.
- Numbers 13:28 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.”The spies had reported that the descendants of Anak lived in the land’s fortified cities.
- Numbers 13:33 (BSB)“We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!””The spies said they felt like grasshoppers beside these people.
- Deuteronomy 9:2-3 (BSB)“The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?” But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.”Moses promised that the LORD would go ahead as a consuming fire and destroy the Anakim.
Theological
What does 11:21-22 record about Joshua’s campaign against the Anakim?
Answer: Joshua destroyed them, except in Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath
The Anakim had been a chief cause of the first generation’s unbelief, the spies reporting them as overwhelming and themselves as grasshoppers (Numbers 13:28, 33). Moses answered that fear with the promise that the LORD would cross ahead like a devouring fire and subdue them (Deuteronomy 9:2-3). Joshua now eliminates them from the highlands and devotes their towns to destruction, leaving survivors only in Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath (11:21-22). The enemy that once barred the way falls before the generation that believed the promise.
- Joshua 11:21-22 (BSB)“At 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. No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.”Joshua destroys the Anakim of the hill country; a remnant survives only in three cities.
- Numbers 13:28 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.”The spies had reported that the descendants of Anak lived in the land’s fortified cities.
- Numbers 13:33 (BSB)“We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!””The spies said they felt like grasshoppers beside these people.
- Deuteronomy 9:2-3 (BSB)“The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?” But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.”Moses promised that the LORD would go ahead as a consuming fire and destroy the Anakim.
General
What did the LORD command Joshua to do with the enemy’s horses and chariots (11:6, 9)?
Answer: Hamstring the horses and burn the chariots
Along with the promise of victory, the LORD ordered Joshua to hamstring the captured horses (cut the tendons in their legs so they could no longer be used in war) and to set the chariots on fire (11:6). After the battle Joshua did exactly as he was told (11:9). The verse does not give a reason for the order, but elsewhere Scripture warns against relying on horses: Israel’s future king was forbidden to gather many of them (Deuteronomy 17:16), and the psalms set trust in the LORD’s name against trust in horses and chariots (Psalm 20:7; Psalm 33:17). Israel did not keep these weapons for its own use.
- Joshua 11:6 (BSB)“Then 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.””Along with the promise of victory, the LORD gives an order about the enemy’s horses and chariots.
- Joshua 11:9 (BSB)“Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.”Joshua carries out the order exactly as the LORD gave it.
- Deuteronomy 17:16 (BSB)“But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’”The law forbade Israel’s future king to build up many horses for himself.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people are to trust in the LORD’s name rather than in chariots and horses.
- Psalm 33:17 (BSB)“A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”A horse cannot bring rescue, however strong it is.
Theological
What command regarding the coalition’s horses and chariots did Joshua receive and carry out (11:6, 9)?
Answer: Hamstring the horses and burn the chariots
With the promise of victory came an order to disable the horses by hamstringing them and to burn the chariots (11:6), and Joshua obeyed to the letter (11:9). The verse gives no stated rationale, but the wider canon consistently warns against confidence in military horsepower: the king was not to multiply horses (Deuteronomy 17:16), and Israel’s worship contrasts trust in chariots with trust in the LORD’s name (Psalm 20:7; Psalm 33:17). Israel did not add these weapons to its own arsenal.
- Joshua 11:6 (BSB)“Then 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.””Along with the promise of victory, the LORD gives an order about the enemy’s horses and chariots.
- Joshua 11:9 (BSB)“Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.”Joshua carries out the order exactly as the LORD gave it.
- Deuteronomy 17:16 (BSB)“But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’”The law forbade Israel’s future king to build up many horses for himself.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people are to trust in the LORD’s name rather than in chariots and horses.
- Psalm 33:17 (BSB)“A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”A horse cannot bring rescue, however strong it is.
General
What reason does the text give for Joshua capturing Hazor and singling it out (11:10)?
Answer: It had once been the leading city over all those kingdoms
After the battle, Joshua turned back, captured Hazor, and killed its king, because Hazor had once ruled over all the other kingdoms in the alliance (11:10); its king Jabin was the one who had called the coalition together (11:1). Israel devoted Hazor’s people to destruction, meaning they were handed over completely to God’s judgment with no one spared, and Joshua set the city on fire (11:11). The other cities standing on their mounds were not burned; Hazor alone was (11:13), as Jericho (6:24) and Ai (8:28) had been earlier. The cities left standing became homes for Israel, which later lived in cities it had not built (24:13).
- Joshua 11:10 (BSB)“At 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.”Joshua returns, captures Hazor, and kills its king, and the verse gives the reason.
- Joshua 11:11 (BSB)“The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.”Hazor’s people are devoted to destruction and the city is burned.
- Joshua 11:13 (BSB)“Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.”The other cities on their mounds are left unburned; Hazor alone is burned.
- Joshua 6:24 (BSB)“Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.”Jericho had also been burned.
- Joshua 8:28 (BSB)“So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.”Ai had also been burned and left a ruin.
- Joshua 24:13 (BSB)“So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’”The LORD later reminds Israel that they live in cities they did not build.
Theological
Joshua 11:10 explains why Hazor was singled out. What reason does it give?
Answer: It had once been the leading city over all those kingdoms
Hazor is singled out because it had formerly stood at the head of the confederated kingdoms (11:10), its king Jabin having organized the alliance (11:1). Its population was devoted to destruction, wholly given over to divine judgment, and the city was burned (11:11). Unlike the other cities on their mounds, which were left standing, Hazor was burned (11:13), sharing the fate of Jericho (6:24) and Ai (8:28). The preserved cities became Israel’s inheritance, so that Israel dwelt in cities it had not built (24:13).
- Joshua 11:10 (BSB)“At 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.”Joshua returns, captures Hazor, and kills its king, and the verse gives the reason.
- Joshua 11:11 (BSB)“The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.”Hazor’s people are devoted to destruction and the city is burned.
- Joshua 11:13 (BSB)“Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.”The other cities on their mounds are left unburned; Hazor alone is burned.
- Joshua 6:24 (BSB)“Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.”Jericho had also been burned.
- Joshua 8:28 (BSB)“So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.”Ai had also been burned and left a ruin.
- Joshua 24:13 (BSB)“So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’”The LORD later reminds Israel that they live in cities they did not build.
General
Who gathered the large northern alliance of kings to make war on Israel (Joshua 11:1-5)?
Answer: Jabin, the king of Hazor
When Jabin, the ruler of Hazor, learned of Israel’s victories, he sent messengers to kings and peoples all across the north of Canaan (11:1-3). Their combined armies were so large that they were compared to the countless grains of sand by the sea, and they brought many horses and chariots, camping together at Merom to make war on Israel (11:4-5). This mirrors the southern alliance led by Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem in the previous chapter (10:3-5). Psalm 2:2 pictures earthly rulers joining forces to oppose the LORD, and Moses had already told Israel not to be afraid of chariots or a bigger army, because the God who rescued them from Egypt was with them (Deuteronomy 20:1).
- Joshua 11:1 (BSB)“Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;”Jabin king of Hazor hears of Israel’s victories and sends for the kings and peoples of the north.
- Joshua 11:4-5 (BSB)“So 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. All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.”The allied armies, with their horses and chariots, camp together at Merom to fight Israel.
- Joshua 10:3-5 (BSB)“Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.”The southern kings had likewise banded together under one king, Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem.
- Psalm 2:2 (BSB)“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:”The psalm describes earthly kings joining forces against the LORD Himself, the pattern seen in Canaan’s alliances.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”Moses had told Israel not to fear an enemy with horses, chariots, and a larger army, because the LORD was with them.
Theological
Which king took the initiative in forming the northern coalition against Israel in Joshua 11:1-5?
Answer: Jabin, the king of Hazor
Jabin of Hazor, hearing of Israel’s successes, summoned a broad confederation from across northern Canaan (11:1-3). Its forces were numberless as the sand of the shore and well equipped with horses and chariots, and they massed at Merom for war (11:4-5). The scene parallels the southern league under Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem (10:3-5) and fits the psalmist’s picture of earthly kings banding together to oppose the LORD (Psalm 2:2). Israel had already been told that superior numbers and chariotry were no reason for fear, since the LORD who brought them out of Egypt was with them (Deuteronomy 20:1).
- Joshua 11:1 (BSB)“Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;”Jabin king of Hazor hears of Israel’s victories and sends for the kings and peoples of the north.
- Joshua 11:4-5 (BSB)“So 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. All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.”The allied armies, with their horses and chariots, camp together at Merom to fight Israel.
- Joshua 10:3-5 (BSB)“Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.”The southern kings had likewise banded together under one king, Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem.
- Psalm 2:2 (BSB)“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:”The psalm describes earthly kings joining forces against the LORD Himself, the pattern seen in Canaan’s alliances.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”Moses had told Israel not to fear an enemy with horses, chariots, and a larger army, because the LORD was with them.
General
How does 11:15 describe Joshua’s obedience?
Answer: He left no part of the LORD’s command to Moses unfinished
The chapter stresses that the LORD gave His orders to Moses, Moses passed them on to Joshua, and Joshua carried out every one of them (11:15; see also 11:12). Before Moses died, the LORD told him to commission Joshua to lead the people into the land (Deuteronomy 3:28), and at the start of the book the LORD charged Joshua to keep all the law Moses had given, turning neither right nor left (1:7). Among those commands was the order to devote the nations of Canaan to destruction, which meant giving them over completely to God’s judgment (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). Joshua’s full obedience marks him as a faithful servant who received and kept what Moses handed on.
- Joshua 11:15 (BSB)“As 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.”The LORD’s command passes from Moses to Joshua, and Joshua carries out every part of it.
- Joshua 11:12 (BSB)“Joshua 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.”Joshua deals with the kings and their cities just as Moses had commanded.
- Deuteronomy 3:28 (BSB)“But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””The LORD told Moses to commission Joshua to lead the people into their inheritance.
- Joshua 1:7 (BSB)“Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.”The LORD charged Joshua to obey all the law Moses had given without turning aside.
- Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (BSB)“When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.”Moses’ command included devoting the nations of Canaan to destruction.
Theological
How does 11:15 sum up Joshua’s obedience to the command passed down from the LORD through Moses?
Answer: He left no part of the LORD’s command to Moses unfinished
Verse 15 traces a line of authority from the LORD to Moses to Joshua and states that Joshua fulfilled the whole of it (11:15; cf. 11:12). Joshua had been commissioned through Moses at the LORD’s direction (Deuteronomy 3:28) and charged to keep the entire Mosaic law without deviation (1:7), including the command to devote Canaan’s nations to destruction (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). Joshua thus appears as the faithful successor who fell short in nothing that was handed down.
- Joshua 11:15 (BSB)“As 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.”The LORD’s command passes from Moses to Joshua, and Joshua carries out every part of it.
- Joshua 11:12 (BSB)“Joshua 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.”Joshua deals with the kings and their cities just as Moses had commanded.
- Deuteronomy 3:28 (BSB)“But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””The LORD told Moses to commission Joshua to lead the people into their inheritance.
- Joshua 1:7 (BSB)“Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.”The LORD charged Joshua to obey all the law Moses had given without turning aside.
- Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (BSB)“When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.”Moses’ command included devoting the nations of Canaan to destruction.
General
How does chapter 11 close (11:23)?
Answer: Joshua takes the land, gives it to the tribes, and war ceases
The chapter ends by saying Joshua took the whole land, in line with the LORD’s word to Moses, and gave it to Israel as an inheritance (a lasting family share of land) by tribes, after which the land was at rest from war (11:23). This carries out the LORD’s word that the land would be shared out tribe by tribe (Numbers 26:53) and looks ahead to the later summary that God gave Israel rest all around (21:44). Later chapters also say that much land was still to be possessed (13:1) and that God would yet drive out the remaining peoples (23:5). God had given the land as He promised and broken the power of its kings, while the tribes’ full possession was still to be completed.
- Joshua 11:23 (BSB)“So 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.”Joshua takes the land as the LORD told Moses, gives it to the tribes, and the land rests from war.
- Numbers 26:53 (BSB)““The land is to be divided among the tribes as an inheritance, according to the number of names.”The LORD had said the land would be shared out among the tribes as their inheritance.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The book later sums up that the LORD gave Israel rest and delivered all their enemies to them.
- Joshua 13:1 (BSB)“Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.”Even so, the LORD tells Joshua that much land still remains to be taken.
- Joshua 23:5 (BSB)“The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.”The LORD promises He will still drive out the remaining peoples.
Theological
Which summary does 11:23 give of the outcome of Joshua’s campaigns?
Answer: Joshua takes the land, gives it to the tribes, and war ceases
Verse 23 summarizes: Joshua took the whole land in accordance with the LORD’s word to Moses, distributed it as Israel’s inheritance by tribal allotment, and the land had peace (11:23). This fulfills the command to apportion the land among the tribes (Numbers 26:53) and anticipates the climactic statement of rest in 21:44. The text also records that much territory still remained (13:1) and that the LORD would yet expel the remaining peoples (23:5): the land was truly given and its kings broken, while the tribes’ full occupation remained to be completed.
- Joshua 11:23 (BSB)“So 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.”Joshua takes the land as the LORD told Moses, gives it to the tribes, and the land rests from war.
- Numbers 26:53 (BSB)““The land is to be divided among the tribes as an inheritance, according to the number of names.”The LORD had said the land would be shared out among the tribes as their inheritance.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The book later sums up that the LORD gave Israel rest and delivered all their enemies to them.
- Joshua 13:1 (BSB)“Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.”Even so, the LORD tells Joshua that much land still remains to be taken.
- Joshua 23:5 (BSB)“The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.”The LORD promises He will still drive out the remaining peoples.
General
According to 11:18-19, how did Joshua’s war against these kings unfold?
Answer: It lasted a long time, and only Gibeon made peace with Israel
Joshua fought these kings over a long period (11:18), not in a single battle. No city sought peace with Israel except the Hivites of Gibeon, who had tricked Israel into a treaty in chapter 9 (9:15); every other city was captured in war (11:19). The long campaign matches what God had said through Moses: He would drive the nations out gradually, not in one year, so that the land would not be left empty and overrun by wild animals (Exodus 23:29-30; Deuteronomy 7:22).
- Joshua 11:18-19 (BSB)“Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long period of time. No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle.”Joshua’s war with these kings lasts a long time, and only Gibeon makes peace with Israel.
- Joshua 9:15 (BSB)“And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.”Joshua and the leaders had made a treaty with the Gibeonites and sworn an oath to them.
- Exodus 23:29-30 (BSB)“I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.”God had said He would not drive the nations out in a single year but gradually.
- Deuteronomy 7:22 (BSB)“The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.”Moses repeated that the nations would be driven out little by little, not all at once.
Theological
What do 11:18-19 report about the length of the campaign and the cities that made peace?
Answer: It lasted a long time, and only Gibeon made peace with Israel
The war was protracted (11:18), and apart from the Hivites of Gibeon, bound to Israel by the treaty obtained through deception (9:15), no city sued for peace; all the rest were taken by force (11:19). The gradual pace accords with the LORD’s stated plan to expel the nations progressively rather than in one year, lest the land be emptied and overrun by beasts (Exodus 23:29-30; Deuteronomy 7:22).
- Joshua 11:18-19 (BSB)“Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long period of time. No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle.”Joshua’s war with these kings lasts a long time, and only Gibeon makes peace with Israel.
- Joshua 9:15 (BSB)“And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.”Joshua and the leaders had made a treaty with the Gibeonites and sworn an oath to them.
- Exodus 23:29-30 (BSB)“I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.”God had said He would not drive the nations out in a single year but gradually.
- Deuteronomy 7:22 (BSB)“The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.”Moses repeated that the nations would be driven out little by little, not all at once.
General
What did the LORD promise Joshua about the northern armies (11:6)?
Answer: Within a day they would be handed over, slain, to Israel
The LORD told Joshua not to fear the huge army, promising that by the same time the next day He would hand every one of them over to Israel, slain (11:6). Joshua then launched a sudden attack, and God gave the enemy into Israel’s hand; Israel chased them as far as Greater Sidon and beyond (11:7-8). The promise echoes the LORD’s word before the battle for Gibeon (10:8) and His charge at the beginning of the book that Joshua need not fear, because God would be with him everywhere (1:9). Israel won because the LORD fought for them (10:42), not because of greater numbers.
- Joshua 11:6 (BSB)“Then 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.””The LORD tells Joshua not to fear and promises the enemy will lie slain before Israel within a day.
- Joshua 11:7-8 (BSB)“So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them, and 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.”Joshua attacks suddenly, and the LORD gives the coalition into Israel’s hand.
- Joshua 10:8 (BSB)“The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.””Before the battle for Gibeon the LORD had given Joshua the same kind of assurance.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””At the start of the book the LORD told Joshua not to fear because He would be with him wherever he went.
- Joshua 10:42 (BSB)“And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.”The victories came because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
Theological
What specific assurance did the LORD give Joshua before the battle at Merom (11:6)?
Answer: Within a day they would be handed over, slain, to Israel
The LORD forbade fear and fixed the time of deliverance: within a day the whole coalition would be handed over, slain, to Israel (11:6). Joshua’s surprise attack followed, and God gave the enemy into Israel’s hand, with pursuit as far as Greater Sidon (11:7-8). The assurance repeats the divine word given before Gibeon (10:8) and the original commissioning promise of God’s presence (1:9). The outcome is credited to the LORD as the one who fought for Israel (10:42), so the victory rests on His word, not on Israel’s strength.
- Joshua 11:6 (BSB)“Then 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.””The LORD tells Joshua not to fear and promises the enemy will lie slain before Israel within a day.
- Joshua 11:7-8 (BSB)“So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them, and 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.”Joshua attacks suddenly, and the LORD gives the coalition into Israel’s hand.
- Joshua 10:8 (BSB)“The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.””Before the battle for Gibeon the LORD had given Joshua the same kind of assurance.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””At the start of the book the LORD told Joshua not to fear because He would be with him wherever he went.
- Joshua 10:42 (BSB)“And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.”The victories came because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
General
True or False: Israel was allowed to keep the animals and goods captured from the northern cities.
Answer: True
This is true. Israel took the goods and animals of these cities for themselves, while the people were put to death (11:14). This differed from Jericho, where everything was devoted to the LORD: the silver, gold, and metal objects went into His treasury, and Israel was warned not to take anything for themselves (6:18-19). At Ai the LORD had already allowed Israel to keep the animals and goods (8:2), just as Israel had done with the cities of Sihon east of the Jordan under Moses (Deuteronomy 2:35).
- Joshua 11:14 (BSB)“The 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.”Israel keeps the goods and animals of the northern cities, while the people are put to death.
- Joshua 6:18-19 (BSB)“But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it. For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.””At Jericho Israel was warned to keep away from the devoted things, and the precious metals went to the LORD’s treasury.
- Joshua 8:2 (BSB)“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.””At Ai the LORD first permitted Israel to carry off plunder and livestock.
- Deuteronomy 2:35 (BSB)“We carried off for ourselves only the livestock and the plunder from the cities we captured.”Under Moses, Israel had kept the livestock and plunder of Sihon’s cities.
Theological
True or False: Unlike at Jericho, Israel kept the spoil and animals of the northern cities for itself (11:14).
Answer: True
This is true. The goods and animals of the northern cities became Israel’s, though the inhabitants were put to death (11:14). Jericho had been different: it was wholly devoted, its precious metals consecrated to the LORD’s treasury, and Israel was forbidden to take any of it (6:18-19). From Ai onward the LORD permitted Israel to keep the spoil (8:2), the same practice followed with Sihon’s cities under Moses (Deuteronomy 2:35).
- Joshua 11:14 (BSB)“The 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.”Israel keeps the goods and animals of the northern cities, while the people are put to death.
- Joshua 6:18-19 (BSB)“But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it. For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.””At Jericho Israel was warned to keep away from the devoted things, and the precious metals went to the LORD’s treasury.
- Joshua 8:2 (BSB)“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.””At Ai the LORD first permitted Israel to carry off plunder and livestock.
- Deuteronomy 2:35 (BSB)“We carried off for ourselves only the livestock and the plunder from the cities we captured.”Under Moses, Israel had kept the livestock and plunder of Sihon’s cities.
General
According to 11:20, why did the kings of Canaan go to war against Israel instead of seeking peace?
Answer: The LORD hardened their hearts so they would fight and be destroyed
The verse says the hardening of the kings’ hearts came from the LORD. Hardening a heart means making it stubborn and unwilling to yield. The LORD made them unyielding, leading them to fight Israel and so to be marked out for judgment, shown no mercy, and wiped out in keeping with God’s command through Moses (11:20). God had done the same with Sihon, making him stubborn so that He could give him into Israel’s hand (Deuteronomy 2:30). Yet the kings were not innocent. God had held back His judgment until the sin of the Amorites had reached its full measure (Genesis 15:16), and Moses told Israel the land was given because of these nations’ wickedness, not because of Israel’s goodness (Deuteronomy 9:5). Scripture holds both truths together: God rules over all things, even hardened hearts, and the kings remained fully responsible for their own hostility toward Him. God is never the one who does evil; He was justly judging rulers already set against Him. Paul states the same principle, that God shows mercy and hardens as He chooses (Romans 9:18). This judgment belonged to a unique moment in God’s plan, carried out at His direct command, and is no pattern for any later people.
- Joshua 11:20 (BSB)“For 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.”The verse explains why the kings went to war instead of seeking peace.
- Deuteronomy 2:30 (BSB)“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.”The LORD had made Sihon stubborn in the same way, so that He might give him into Israel’s hand.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God waited until the Amorites’ sin had reached its full measure before Israel returned.
- Deuteronomy 9:5 (BSB)“It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”The nations were driven out for their own wickedness, not for Israel’s righteousness.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul affirms that God both shows mercy and hardens according to His own will.
Theological
What explanation does 11:20 give for the Canaanite kings’ refusal to make peace and their resolve to engage Israel?
Answer: The LORD hardened their hearts so they would fight and be destroyed
The text attributes the kings’ hardening directly to the LORD: their hearts were made obstinate in order that they might engage Israel, be marked out for judgment, receive no mercy, and be destroyed in keeping with the command given through Moses (11:20). The precedent is Sihon, whose spirit the LORD made stubborn in order to deliver him up (Deuteronomy 2:30). Divine sovereignty does not cancel human guilt here: the Amorites’ iniquity had been allowed to ripen over generations (Genesis 15:16), and the dispossession was a judgment on the nations’ wickedness, not a reward for Israel’s righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:5). God ordains even the hardening of hearts, while the hardened remain truly culpable and God is never the moral author of sin; He judicially confirms rebels in a hostility that is their own. Paul states the principle in Romans 9:18. The judgment was a unique, divinely commanded act in redemptive history, not a model for any later people or nation.
- Joshua 11:20 (BSB)“For 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.”The verse explains why the kings went to war instead of seeking peace.
- Deuteronomy 2:30 (BSB)“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.”The LORD had made Sihon stubborn in the same way, so that He might give him into Israel’s hand.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God waited until the Amorites’ sin had reached its full measure before Israel returned.
- Deuteronomy 9:5 (BSB)“It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”The nations were driven out for their own wickedness, not for Israel’s righteousness.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul affirms that God both shows mercy and hardens according to His own will.