Joshua 11:1-11

Expanded Bible

Defeating Northern Kings

11 When Jabin king of Hazor [^Cthe largest and best fortified of the Canaanite cities] heard about all that had happened, he sent messages to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Acshaph. ² He sent messages to the kings in the northern ·mountains [hill country] and also to the kings in the ·Jordan Valley [or Arabah] south of ·Lake Galilee [^LKinnereth] and in the ·western foothills [lowlands; ^LShephelah]. He sent a message to the king of ·Naphoth [or the heights of] Dor in the west [^Cthe coastal plain south of Mount Carmel] ³ and to the kings of the Canaanites in the east and in the west. He sent messages to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the ·mountains [hill country]. Jabin also sent one to the Hivites, who lived below Mount Hermon in the area of Mizpah [^Ca coalition of the northern cities of Palestine]. ⁴ So the armies of all these kings came together with their horses and chariots [^Ca great challenge to the Israelites, who only had foot soldiers]. There were as many soldiers as grains of sand on the seashore [Gen. 22:17].

⁵ All of these kings met together at the waters of Merom [^Cprobably modern Meirun, eight miles northwest of the Sea of Galilee], joined their armies together into one camp, and made plans to fight against the Israelites.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, because at this time tomorrow I will give them to you. You will ·cripple [hamstring] their horses and burn all their chariots.”

⁷ So Joshua and his whole army surprised the enemy [10:9] by attacking them at the waters of Merom. ⁸ The Lord ·handed them over to [^Lgave them into the hand of] Israel. They chased them to Greater Sidon, Misrephoth Maim, and the Valley of Mizpah in the east [^Clocations north and west of the battle]. Israel fought until none of the enemy was left alive. ⁹ Joshua did what the Lord said to do; he ·crippled [hamstrung] their horses and burned their chariots [^CIsrael did not take the horses and chariots to use themselves, in order to show their trust in God; Ps. 20:7].

¹⁰ Then Joshua went back and captured the city of Hazor and ·killed [^Lstruck with the sword] its king. (Hazor had been the leader of all the kingdoms that fought against Israel.) ¹¹ Israel ·killed [^Lstruck with the sword] everyone in Hazor, ·completely destroying them [devoting them to destruction; 2:10; 6:21]; no one was left ·alive [^Lthat breathed]. Then they burned Hazor itself.