Joshua 11

1 Now when Jabin [a Canaanite king] king of Hazor [a major stronghold] heard about these things [the events that had occurred], he sent word [a message, to summon] to Jobab [meaning a desert] king of Madon [a place in ancient Palestine]; to the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Shimron [watch-height, a place of observation] and Achshaph [I shall be bewitched, a city in northern Canaan]; word study 2 to the kings [rulers, royal persons] of the north [Zaphon, the northern direction] in the mountains [hills, elevated areas], in the Arabah [desert plain, wilderness] south [Negeb, southern district] of Chinnereth, in the foothills [lowlands, Shephelah], and in Naphoth-dor [the heights of Dor, a city in Manasseh] to the west [toward the sea, the Mediterranean coast]; word study 3 to the Canaanites [in the eastern and western parts of the land] in the east [direction of the sunrise] and west [by the Mediterranean Sea]; to the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe], Hittites [descendants of Heth], Perizzites [in southern Canaan], and Jebusites [in Jerusalem] in the hill country [mountains]; and to the Hivites [an ancient tribe in Palestine] at the foot [underneath, below] of Hermon [a sanctuary mountain] in the land [earth, territory] of Mizpah [a watchtower, a place of observation]. word study 4 So these kings came out [with all their forces, assembled together] with all their armies [hosts, military troops], a multitude [a vast horde] as numerous as the sand [round or whirling particles] on the seashore [the edge of the sea, the coastline], along with a great number [exceedingly many] of horses [chariot horses, cavalry] and chariots [vehicles, teams of horses]. word study 5 All [every single one] these kings [rulers, monarchs] joined forces [united, came together] and encamped [pitched their tents, set up camp] at the waters [source of refreshment, lake] of Merom [a place of victory] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] against [in opposition to] Israel [God’s chosen people]. word study 6 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid [have no fear, do not be terrified] of them, for by this time tomorrow [at this same hour, about this time] I will deliver [give, put, set] all of them slain [killed, profaned, hurt] before Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. You are to hamstring [cripple, cut the leg-muscles] their horses [chariot horses, swallows] and burn up [set on fire, kindle flames] their chariots [vehicles for transportation or warfare].” word study 7 So by the waters [source of refreshment, Mê Merom] of Merom, Joshua [leader of the Israelites, Yehoshua] and his whole army [all the people of war] came upon them suddenly [without warning] and attacked them [fell upon, to defeat], word study 8 and the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] delivered them into the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob], who struck them down [to smite or hit] and pursued them [to chase after with hostile intent] all the way to Greater [large or chief] Sidon [an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast] and Misrephoth-maim [a place of burnings of water], and eastward [the direction of the sunrise] as far as the Valley [a low area of land] of Mizpeh [a watchtower or place of observation]. They struck them down [to smite or hit], leaving no survivors [no one remaining or spared, without a remnant]. word study 9 Joshua [the leader, Yahweh’s servant] treated them as the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had told him; he hamstrung [houghed, cut the leg muscles of] their horses [swallow, chariot horses] and burned up [set on fire, kindled flames on] their chariots [war-carriages, vehicles for transportation or warfare]. word study 10 At that time [when the opportunity arose, in that season] Joshua [the leader, God’s appointed one] turned back [to a previous location, reversed direction] and captured [seized, took control of] Hazor [a major Canaanite city, a stronghold] and put its king [the ruler, the monarch] to the sword [killed, executed], because Hazor [the city, the capital] was formerly [in the past, previously] the head [the chief, the leader] of all these kingdoms [nations, territories]. word study 11 The Israelites put everyone in Hazor [utterly destroying them] to the sword, devoting them [giving them over to destruction, to the curse] to destruction. Nothing that breathed [had the breath of life, any living thing] remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor [with fire, completely] itself. word study 12 Joshua [the Lord’s servant, leader of Israel] captured all [every single one] these kings [royal rulers, monarchs] and their cities [towns, fortified places] and put them to the sword [utterly destroyed, killed with the edge of the sword]. He devoted [set apart, dedicated to destruction] them to destruction [utter ruin, complete annihilation], as Moses [the servant of God, leader of the Exodus] the LORD’s [Yehovah, the supreme God] servant had commanded [given orders, instructed]. word study 13 Yet Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] did not burn [set on fire, destroy with flames] any of the cities [towns, populated areas] built [constructed, established] on their mounds [hills, elevated areas, tells], except [but, with the exception of] Hazor [a major Canaanite stronghold], which Joshua [the leader of the Israelites, a servant of God] burned [consumed with fire, utterly destroyed]. word study 14 The Israelites took for themselves all [every single thing, the entire spoil] the plunder [spoils of war, booty] and livestock [cattle, animals] of these [specific, aforementioned] cities, but they put all [each and every one, without exception] the people to the sword [by the edge of the sword, with the sword’s edge] until they had completely destroyed [totally annihilated, utterly desolated] them, not [in no way, never] sparing anyone who breathed [had the breath of life, was still alive]. word study 15 As the LORD [Yehovah] had commanded [given orders, instructed] His servant [faithful attendant, one who serves] Moses, so Moses commanded [instructed, appointed] Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving [not turning aside, omitting] nothing undone [unaccomplished, unfinished] of all [everything, the whole] that the LORD [Yehovah, God] had commanded [ordered, given charge] Moses. word study 16 So Joshua [the leader, Yahweh is salvation] took this entire region [all the land, the whole territory]: the hill country [mountains], all the Negev [the South, southern district], all the land of Goshen [a region in Palestine, a place of drawing near], the western foothills [the lowland, Shephelah], the Arabah [the plain, wilderness], and the mountains of Israel [the hill-country, a spiritual high point] and their foothills [the lowlands, Shephelah], word study 17 from Mount Halak [a mountain in southern Judah], which rises [to ascend, go up] toward Seir [a mountain in Idumaea], as far as [till, until] Baal-gad [lord of fortune, a place of worship] in the Valley [a low area, plain] of Lebanon [a mountain range, white snow] at the foot [underneath, below] of Mount Hermon [a sanctuary, a spiritual high point]. He captured [to seize, take control] all their kings [royal persons, rulers] and struck them down [to smite, hit], putting them to death [to die, as a punishment]. word study 18 Joshua [the leader] waged war [made battle, fought] against all [every one of] these [specific] kings [royal rulers] for a long [many days, extended] period of time [season, duration]. word study 19 No city [town, settlement] made peace [to be at peace, have a covenant of peace] with the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] except [but, with the exception of] the Hivites [a Canaanite tribe, descendants of Canaan] living [dwelling, inhabiting] in Gibeon [a Levitical city, a place of refuge]; all others [every other city, the remaining towns] were taken [captured, conquered] in battle [war, combat, conflict]. word study 20 For it was of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] to harden [strengthen, make stubborn] their hearts [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] to engage [come against, meet in battle] Israel [the descendants of Jacob] in battle [war, conflict], so that they would be set apart [devoted, destroyed] for destruction [annihilation, desolation] and would receive no mercy [favor, supplication], being annihilated [utterly destroyed, wiped out] as the LORD [Yehovah] had commanded [given orders, appointed] Moses [the Israelite leader]. word study 21 At that time [in that season, during this period] Joshua [the leader, God’s appointed one] proceeded to eliminate [cut off, utterly destroy] the Anakim [giants, descendants of Anak] from the hill country [mountainous region, highlands] of Hebron [a city of refuge, a place of safety], Debir [a city, a place of sanctuary], and Anab [a city, a place of fruitfulness], and from all [every part, the entirety] the hill country [mountainous region, highlands] of Judah [the tribe, the region] and of Israel [God’s chosen people, the nation]. Joshua [the leader, God’s appointed one] devoted [set apart, dedicated] them to destruction [utterly destroyed, completely annihilated], along with their cities [towns, villages, places of habitation]. word study 22 No Anakim [giants, descendants of Anak] were left [to remain, survived] in the land [earth, territory] of the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob]; only [except] in Gaza [Azzah, the strong city], Gath [winepress city], and Ashdod [powerful Philistine city] did any [some, a few] survive [remain, be left]. word study 23 So Joshua [the leader, Yahweh is salvation] took the entire land [all the territory, the whole region], in keeping with all that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] had spoken [commanded, communicated] to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance [a gift, a possession] to Israel [God’s chosen people] according to the allotments [divisions, portions] to their tribes [family groups, clans]. Then the land [the earth, the territory] had rest [peace, quietness] from war [battle, conflict]. word study