Joshua 11:17-23
Jos 11:17
Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir,
even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their
kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
Mount Halak was located west of the Arabah which was the
Dead Sea and represented the southernmost conquests of Joshua.
Baal-gad was about 18 miles (29 KM) north of the Sea of Galilee and
represented the northernmost conquest of Joshua.
In this great expansion, Joshua had attacked the cities and smote their
kings.
Jos 11:18
Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
The wars which Joshua partook in did not just happen in
just a few days or even weeks. It
took years for Joshua to subdue all the cities and to defeat them.
The book of Joshua gives the details of the conquests and the time for
all of Joshua’s battles were twelve years.
Jos 11:19
There was not a city that made peace with the children of
Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took
in battle.
Every city which Joshua approached was hostile to them
and each city had to become an individual campaign.
The only ones who made peace with Israel was the Gibeonites but even that
peace was forged through deceit.
With the LORD promising Joshua that he would be with him, all the cities which
Joshua attacked, he was victorious in battle.
Jos 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they
should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and
that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD
commanded Moses.
Just as the LORD did to Pharaoh by hardening his heart
against Moses, the LORD did the same thing to these heathen nations.
He hardened their hearts against Israel so they would not seek a peace
but would come against them for the purpose of their total destruction because
of their rampant idolatry and false religions.
These pagans had no favor in the sight of the LORD.
It is interesting that the Hebrew word behind “that they might find no
favor” also carries with it the meaning of “grace.”
Those at the judgment seat of Christ that do not have the grace of God
will be cast into everlasting damnation.
Since there were no elect among these heathens, they were to be utterly
destroyed so they would not infect the children of Israel with their false
religions.
Jos 11:21
And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims
from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the
mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them
utterly with their cities.
Then Joshua came out to meet the Anakims who were the
descendants of Anak going back to Genesis 6.
Then Joshua met them and as they came at his army he destroyed them.
Anab was about 12 miles (19 KM) southwest of Hebron.
Debir was 25 miles (40 KM) northeast of Hebron.
There must have been many of the Anakims which dwelt in Canaan.
These were the ones who were spotted by the twelve spies that Moses sent
in and ten of them gave a report that there was no way they could take the land
because of the giants. Here in this
verse we have Joshua destroying them in every place they existed.
Jos 11:22
There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the
children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
There was none of the Anakims left in the area west of
the Dead Sea where Joshua had conquered.
However, there remained some of them in three of the chief cities of the
Philistines which were on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
These cities were not yet attacked by the children of Israel.
These cities were never conquered or inhabited by Israel.
Jos 11:23
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the
LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel
according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.