Joshua 18

Joshua 18:3

Took them down - That neither wild beasts could come to devour them, nor any of their people to give them honourable burial. Thus that which they thought would have been their shelter, was made their prison first, and then their grave. So shall we surely be disappointed, in whatever we flee to from God.

Joshua 18:4

And that day - On which the sun stood still. Nor is it strange that so much work was done, and places so far distant taken in one day, when the day was so long, and the Canaanites struck with such a terror.

Joshua 18:5

All Israel - Namely, who were with him in this expedition.

Joshua 18:11

On that day - On which they first attempted it.

Joshua 18:12

Unto Hebron - The conquest of Hebron is here generally related, afterwards repeated, and more particularly described, chap. 15:13,14.

Joshua 18:13

All the cities - Which were subject to its jurisdiction; this being, it seems, a royal city as Gibeon was, ver.2, and having cities under it as that had.

Joshua 18:14

Joshua returned - He is said to return thither, not as if he had been there before, but because having gone as far westward and southward as he thought fit, even as far as Gaza, ver.41, he now returned towards Gilgal, which lay north - ward and eastward from him, and in his return fell upon Debir.

Joshua 18:16

All that breathed - That is, all mankind, they reserved the cattle for their own uses. As God had commanded - This is added for the vindication of the Israelites, whom God would not have to suffer in their reputation for executing his commands; and therefore he acquits them of that cruelty, which they might be thought guilty of, and ascribes it to his own just indignation. And hereby was typified the final destruction of all the impenitent enemies of the Lord Jesus, who having slighted the riches of his grace, must for ever feel the weight of his wrath.

Joshua 18:17

Kadesh - barnea - Which lay in the south of Canaan, Numbers 34:4 Deuteronomy 1:19 Joshua 15:3. Gaza - Which was in the south - west of Canaan. So he here signifies, that Joshua did in this expedition subdue all those parts which lay south and west from Gilgal. Goshen - Not that Goshen in Egypt, but another in Judah.

Joshua 18:21

Hazor - The chief city of those parts, ver.10. Had heard - This was a remarkable instance of the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence, which so governed the minds of the Canaanites, that they were not all united under one king, but divided amongst many petty kings; and next, that these did not all unanimously join their counsels and forces together to oppose the Israelites at their first entrance, but quietly suffered the destruction of their brethren, thereby preparing the way for their own.

Joshua 18:22

On the north - The general designation of all the particular places following: they were in the northern parts of Canaan, as those mentioned chap.10:1 - 43, were in the southern parts; in the mountain, either in or near the mountain of Lebanon, called the mountain by way of eminency; or in the mountainous country. Cinneroth - Heb. in the plain lying southward from Cinneroth, or the lake of Genesareth. Dor - A place upon the coast of the midland - sea.

Joshua 18:23

The Canaanite - The Canaanites properly so called, lived part of them on the east near Jordan, and part on the west near the sea, and both are here united. The Hivite - That dwelt under mount Hermon in the north of Canaan, whereby they are differenced from those Hivites who lived in Gibeon. Mizpeh - That Mizpeh which was in the northern part of Gilead. But there are other cities called by that name, which signifying a watching - place, might be easily applied to several places of good prospect.

Joshua 18:25

Merom - A lake made by the river Jordan in the northern part of it, which was in the territory of the King of Schimron, near Hazor, Jabin’s royal city, and almost in the middle of these confederate kings.

Joshua 18:26

Hough their horses - Cut their hamstrings that they may my be unfit for war. For God forbad them to keep many horses, now especially, that they might not trust to their horses, nor ascribe the conquest of the land to their own strength, but wholly to God, by whose power alone a company of raw and unexperienced footmen were able to subdue so potent a people, who besides their great numbers, and giants, and walled cities, had the advantage of many thousands of horses and chariots.

Joshua 18:27

Suddenly - When they least expected them, intending there to refresh, and prepare, and order themselves for the offensive war which they designed.

Joshua 18:28

Great Zidon - A great city in the northwest part of Canaan, upon the sea. Misrephoth - maim - A place not far from Zidon, supposed to be so called from the salt or glass which they made there. Valley of Mizpeh - Under mount Hermon, as appears by comparing this with ver.3, and 17. where it seems to be called the valley of Lebanon. This lay on the east, as Zidon did on the west; and so it seems they fled several ways, and the Israelites also divided themselves into two bodies, one pursuing east, and the other west.