Joshua 11

Joshua 11:1

J. The Northern Campaign (Chap. 11)11:1-9 News of Israel’s mounting triumphs caused the kings of the north to confederate. They gathered together at the waters of Merom, north of the Sea of Galilee. Joshua and his army attacked and defeated them. Then, in obedience to the Lord, Joshua hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots. To hamstring means to cut a tendon in the leg, disabling the horse. 11:10-15 The capital city of Hazor was burned; the other cities that stood on their mounds were destroyed but not burned. Perhaps Joshua felt that the cities standing on mounds would be useful to the Israelites who would settle there. The inhabitants of all the cities were killed, and all the spoil was taken by the Israelites. Complete obedience brings complete victory (v. 15). 11:16-20 These verses review Joshua’s conquest of the land from Edom (Seir) in the South to Mount Hermon in the northeast and the Valley of Lebanon in the northwest. Gibeon escaped destruction. Jerusalem remained unconquered until the time of David. (The Goshen mentioned in verse 16 was not in Egypt but was an area to the south of Palestine.) 11:21-23 Special mention is made of the fact that the Anakim were destroyed in all the cities except in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. “The land rested from war” (v. 23) in the sense that the major battles were fought, though there was still a great deal of “mopping up” to be done.