Conquest of Northern Cities

11 When Jabin king of Hazor heard this news, he sent a message to:

Jobab king of Madon,
the kings of Shimron and Achshaph,
and the kings of the north in the hill country,
the Arabah south of Chinnereth,(A)
the Judean foothills,[a]
and the Slopes of Dor[b] to the west,
the Canaanites in the east and west,
the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites,
and Jebusites in the hill country,
and the Hivites at the foot of Hermon
in the land of Mizpah.(B)

They went out with all their armies—a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore—along with a vast number of horses and chariots. All these kings joined forces; they came together and camped at the waters of Merom to attack Israel.(C)

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for at this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to be killed before Israel.(D) You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.”(E) So Joshua and his whole military force surprised them at the waters of Merom and attacked them. The Lord handed them over to Israel, and they struck them down, pursuing them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and to the east as far as the Valley of Mizpeh.[c](F) They struck them down, leaving no survivors. Joshua treated them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.

10 At that time Joshua turned back, captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the leader of all these kingdoms. 11 They struck down everyone in it with the sword, completely destroying(G) them; he left no one alive. Then he burned down Hazor.

12 Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and struck them down with the sword. He completely destroyed them, as Moses the Lord’s servant(H) had commanded. 13 However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on their mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14 The Israelites plundered all the spoils and cattle of these cities for themselves. But they struck down every person with the sword until they had annihilated them, leaving no one alive. 15 Just as the Lord had commanded His servant Moses, Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Summary of Conquests

16 So Joshua took all this land—the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen,(I) the foothills,[d] the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel with its foothills[e] 17 from Mount Halak,(J) which ascends to Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death.(K) 18 Joshua waged war with all these kings for a long time. 19 No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon;(L) all of them were taken in battle. 20 For it was the Lord’s intention to harden their hearts, so that they would engage Israel in battle, be completely destroyed without mercy, and be annihilated, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

21 At that time Joshua proceeded to exterminate the Anakim(M) from the hill country—Hebron, Debir, Anab—all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities. 22 No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites, except for some remaining in Gaza, Gath,(N) and Ashdod.

23 So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the Lord had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war.(O)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 11:2 Or the Shephelah
  2. Joshua 11:2 Or and in Naphoth-dor
  3. Joshua 11:8 = Mizpah; Jos 11:3; 18:26
  4. Joshua 11:16 Or the Shephelah
  5. Joshua 11:16 Or its Shephelah

Joshua’s Conquest of the North

11 And it happened, when Jabin king of Hazor heard this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Acshaph, and to the kings who were in the north in the hill country, in the Arabah[a] south of Kinnereth,[b] in the Shephelah,[c] and in Naphoth Dor[d] in the west, to the Canaanites[e] in the east and west, the Amorites,[f] the Hittites,[g] the Perizzites,[h] and the Jebusites[i] in the hill country, and the Hivites[j] at the foot of[k] Hermon in the land of Mizpah. They came out, they and all their armies with them, as a great army like the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. And all these kings joined forces, and they came and camped together by the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.

And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of their presence, for tomorrow at this time I will hand them over slain to Israel; you will hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” So Joshua, and all the fighting men[l] with him, came against them suddenly at the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.[m] And Yahweh gave them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them and pursued them up to Great Sidon and Misrephoth Maim, and eastward up to the valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until they left behind no survivor. And Joshua did to them as Yahweh commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

10 Then Joshua turned back at that time, and he captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, because Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms. 11 He struck all the people that were in it with the edge of the sword,[n] utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed,[o] and he burned Hazor with fire. 12 And Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he utterly destroyed them with the edge of the sword,[p] as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded. 13 Israel did not burn the cities standing on their mounds,[q] except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned. 14 And all the spoil and livestock of these cities the Israelites took as booty; they struck the people with the edge of the sword,[r] until they had destroyed them—they left behind no one who breathed. 15 Just as Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did; he left nothing undone that Yahweh had commanded Moses.

A Review of Joshua’s Conquests

16 So Joshua took all this land: the hill country, all the Negev,[s] all the land of Goshen,[t] the Shephelah,[u] the Arabah,[v] and the hill country of Israel and its Shephelah,[w] 17 from Mount Halak that rises to Seir and to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon[x] at the foot of[y] Mount Hermon; he captured all their kings, struck them, and killed them. 18 For many days Joshua made war with all these kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the Israelites[z] besides the Hivites[aa] and the inhabitants of Gibeon—all were taken in battle.[ab] 20 For it was Yahweh that hardened their hearts,[ac] to meet Israel in war in order to utterly destroy them without mercy, that they would destroy them just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

21 At that time Joshua came and exterminated the Anakites from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22 None of the Anakites were left in the land of the Israelites;[ad] some remained only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. 23 Joshua took all the land according to all that Yahweh had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel, according to their tribal divisions, and the land rested from war.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 11:2 A dry region that runs south of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan valley
  2. Joshua 11:2 That is, the Sea of Galilee
  3. Joshua 11:2 Or “lowlands”; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
  4. Joshua 11:2 Or “the heights of Dor”
  5. Joshua 11:3 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  6. Joshua 11:3 Hebrew “Amorite”
  7. Joshua 11:3 Hebrew “Hittite”
  8. Joshua 11:3 Hebrew “Perizzite”
  9. Joshua 11:3 Hebrew “Jebusite”
  10. Joshua 11:3 Hebrew “Hivite”
  11. Joshua 11:3 Literally “under”
  12. Joshua 11:7 Literally “all the people of war”
  13. Joshua 11:7 Literally “they fell upon them”
  14. Joshua 11:11 Literally “the mouth of the sword”
  15. Joshua 11:11 Literally “No one was left over of any breath”
  16. Joshua 11:12 Literally “the mouth of the sword”
  17. Joshua 11:13 Hebrew “mound”
  18. Joshua 11:14 Literally “the mouth of the sword”
  19. Joshua 11:16 An arid region south of the Judaean hills
  20. Joshua 11:16 A southern region; the name means “on the mountains”
  21. Joshua 11:16 Or “lowlands”; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
  22. Joshua 11:16 A dry region that runs south of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan valley
  23. Joshua 11:16 Or “lowlands”; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
  24. Joshua 11:17 Or “white mountain”
  25. Joshua 11:17 Literally “under”
  26. Joshua 11:19 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  27. Joshua 11:19 Hebrew “Hivite”
  28. Joshua 11:19 Literally “the all they took in the battle”
  29. Joshua 11:20 Literally “made their hearts strong”
  30. Joshua 11:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”