Joshua-Chapter-11
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Remember
the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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“Joshua Chapter 11”
With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Joshua Chapter 11 serves as the climax of the military
conquest of the land
of Canaan. After
successfully securing the southern region, Joshua now faces a far more formidable
challenge: a massive coalition of northern kings led by Jabin,
king of Hazor. Unlike previous encounters, this
northern alliance brings “horses and chariots in great abundance”, representing
the peak of ancient military technology. This chapter is not merely a record of
battles but a testament to the absolute fidelity of Joshua to the instructions
passed down from Moses, demonstrating that victory is secured through
unwavering obedience to the Divine command.
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Let us read Joshua
Chapter 11:1-23: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).
1. “And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard
thereof, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron,
and to the king of Achshaph, 2. and to the kings that were on the north, in the hill-country
and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth,
and in the Lowland, and in the regions of Dor on the
west, 3. to the Canaanite on the
east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in
the hill-country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land
of Mizpah. 4. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much
people, even as the sand that is upon the sea-shore in multitude, with horses
and chariots very many. 5. And all these kings met
together, and they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. 6. And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Joshua: ‘Be not afraid
because of them; for to-morrow at this time will I deliver them up all slain
before Israel; thou shalt hough their horses, and burn
their chariots with fire’. 7. So Joshua came, and all
the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom
suddenly, and fell upon them. 8. And יְהוָה - the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them, and chased them
unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim,
and unto the valley
of Mizpeh
eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. 9. And Joshua did unto them as יְהוָה - the LORD bade him; he houghed
their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. 10. And
Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and
smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor
beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. 11. And
they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly
destroying them; there was none left that breathed; and he burnt Hazor with fire. 12. And all the
cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and he smote
them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the
servant of יְהוָה - the LORD commanded. 13. But
as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only--that did Joshua burn. 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 that breathed. 15. As יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses His servant, so did
Moses command Joshua; and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 16. So
Joshua took all that land, the hill-country, and all the South, and all the
land of Goshen, and the Lowland, and the Arabah, and
the hill-country of Israel, and the Lowland of the same; 17. from
the bare mountain, 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 put them to death. 18. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites
the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in
battle. 20. For it was of יְהוָה - the LORD to harden their hearts, to come
against Israel
in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed, that they might have no
favour, but that they might be destroyed, as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses. 21. And
Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from
the hill-country, from Hebron, from Debir, from 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. There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza,
in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. 23. So
Joshua took the whole land, according to all that יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses; and Joshua gave it
for an inheritance unto Israel
according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war”.
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Below, Explanations of the above 23 verses:
Verses 1-5: (The Northern
Alliance).
King Jabin of Hazor
then the “head of all those kingdoms” rallies a vast multi-national
confederacy. The text describes them as being “as the sand that is on the
sea-shore in multitude”, emphasizing the overwhelming human odds against Israel.
Verses 6-9: (The Divine Assurance and
Surprise Attack).
יְהוָה - the LORD instructs Joshua not to fear,
promising victory by the same time the following day. Joshua executes a sudden,
strategic strike at the Waters of Merom. Crucially,
he is commanded to “hough” (hamstring) their horses
and burn their chariots, ensuring Israel relies on Divine protection
rather than captured military hardware.
Verses 10-15: (The Fall of Hazor).
Joshua captures Hazor, the lead
city, and burns it to the ground. Notably, while many cities were taken, Israel “burned
none of them, save Hazor only”. This section
emphasizes Joshua’s meticulousness: “he left nothing undone of all that יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses”.
Verses 16-20: (Summary of the Land
Taken).
These verses provide a geographical sweep of the conquest,
from the hill country to the Arabah. It notes that
the Canaanite kings’ hearts were “hardened” to engage in battle rather than
seek peace (except for the Gibeonites), leading to
their eventual judgment as decreed.
Verses 21-22: (Defeat of the Anakim).
Joshua confronts and cuts off the Anakim
(the giants who had terrified the previous generation of spies) from the
mountains of Judah and Israel. Only a
few remain in Gaza, Gath,
and Ashdod.
Verse 23: (Conclusion of the Campaign).
The chapter concludes by stating Joshua took the “whole land”
according to the word of Moses and gave it as an “inheritance unto Israel
according to their divisions by their tribes”. Finally, the land had “rest from
war”!
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My Closing Message:
The completion of the northern campaign reinforces a central
truth: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s promises, though
they may take “a long time” to manifest (as verse 18 reminds us), are
unfailing. Joshua’s success was not born of superior numbers or technology, but
of a “strong and courageous faith” that manifested as total obedience. Just as
Joshua faced the giants (Anakim) last, after being
strengthened by smaller victories we are reminded that the most daunting
obstacles in life are often reserved for a time when we are most prepared to
overcome them through His guidance.
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Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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