Joshua 11:9-16

 

Jos 11:9

And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

 

So Joshua had done as the LORD commanded him in hamstringing the horses so Joshua’s army could not be chased by cavalry from the alliance.  He also burned the chariots so they would be totally useless thus forcing the army to remain on foot which would make catching up to them much easier.

 

Jos 11:10

And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.

 

Then Joshua turned toward the city of Hazor which was about 10 miles (16 KM) north of the Sea of Galilee.  They took the city of Hazor and then killed Jabin the king of Hazor since that city was the chief city or the headquarters of all the cities which was in the area and heads of the cities which Jabin ordered to come against Joshua.

 

Jos 11:11

And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.

 

Then Joshua attacked Hazor and destroyed the city by fire.  He had also killed all the inhabitants of Hazor with the sword and made an utter destruction of the city.  The city of Hazor was also rebuilt in later times and had a king over them with the same name Jabin.  And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. (Judges 4:2) 

 

Jos 11:12

And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.

 

All the cities which were involved in the alliance created by Jabin had been destroyed along with all their kings as no one had escaped the onslaught of Joshua.  This was prophesied through the ministry of Moses as he received commandment from the LORD.   1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: (Deuteronomy 7:1-2)

 

Jos 11:13

But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.

 

Then there were other cities in the area which Joshua did not burn down or destroy.  The only one they burned was Hazor who was the head of the alliance against Israel.  These other cities would still have their fortifications and would be good for the Israelites to dwell in them.  This would be the area given to Dan and Naphtali.

 

Jos 11:14

And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

 

Then Joshua attacked those fortified cities and took them along with all the spoils so they would be given to Israel.  He then smote every individual in those cities with the sword so there would be no one left to form any type of alliance against him and the army of Israel.

 

Jos 11:15

As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

 

Then Joshua in this area too was obedient to the LORD which gave commandment to Moses concerning these campaigns.  11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: (Exodus 34:11-13)  Joshua was very careful to fully obey the LORD as he left nothing undone or incomplete in these campaigns.

 

Jos 11:16

So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;

 

It seemed that Joshua began to allow the people to start dwelling in the conquered cities or else if they lie uninhabited for long periods of time, then wild animals would start inhabiting them also other people would start to live in them especially the cities which were not burned.  So Joshua had taken all the land of Canaan from the northern part which would have been Hazor to the southern hill country which had the alliance of the five kings that tried to destroy Israel.  The valley and the plains would have been the northwest part of the country.  The mountain of Israel may have been where Jerusalem was situated since Jerusalem was built on a hill.  The land of Goshen was situated possibly near Gibeon.

Back